Milan
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Date: May 2000

What I Remember:
Milan itself is not much of a tourist attraction.
Driving through Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and that other tiny country wedged in there – all in 1 day.  Pulling 5 currencies out of my pockets at the end of the day.
Northern Italian women all aspire to be models, and many of them could be.
First time using the digital camera.  Taking videos and stills while driving down steep, winding mountainside roads with hairpin curves that had about a 2 foot margin for error.
Staying in the huge chalet at St. Moritz my last night.   Setting off the smoke alarm the next morning and getting the hotel manager and owner very excited about the whole thing, even though it was the stupid steam from the shower that set off the friggin thing.
The guard at the airport coming toward me with his machine gun locked and loaded because I took his pic with my digital camera.  Convincing his supervisor that I had erased the photo.

What I Brought Back:
All those countries and not a damn thing.   Can you believe it?

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The cathedral - Il Duomo - is about the only thing worth seeing in Milan.  Venturing north up into the lakes region you encounter these hillside villages.  The speedometer reads 170 kph.  That's 106 mph.
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The Italian Alps, on the way to St. Moritz, Switzerland.  This Swiss chalet-style hotel is where I set off the smoke alarm with my steamy shower. The hairpin curve is typical of the mountain roads.  Pray for good brakes.  This photo is a little blurry because I was trying to keep the car on the road while shooting the picture.