Last Supper

 We got here to Milan last night for one reason.  Our 9:30am appointment to see Leonardo’s Last Supper.  John got these tickets a couple of months ago and we had to change travel plans in order to make it as it was the only time that had 12 tickets left.  Again, John picked 

 up the tab as part of his unclaimed scholarship  and I think it was the best 11 euro per person ever spent.  Only 900 a day are let in to this room for 15 minutes only.  We had to go through dehumidifying rooms and then sat and listened to a woman in an echoing room talk 

 with a heavy accent, while we all wished for her to shut up so that we could just commune with the piece of art on the wall.  This fresco is badly damaged from Leonardo’s experimental techniques, previous restorations, and WWII taking out the walls next to it, but it’s

 still very powerful.  It was definitely the highlight of the trip for me, John and Rachel.  You didn’t want to leave the room and the shop does a brisk business because everyone wants to remember this experience.  I don’t have words to do the experience justice, but 

 just walking around the painting and walking backwards looking at it as you leave the room was really all that you could do.  I think several of us had tears in our eyes this time.