Milan’s cathedral took 600 years to complete. Every surface, inside and out, is embellished in some way with paint, gilding or statuary, all of it the absolute opposite of modern, stripped down architecture. A small elevator and sets of outdoor stairs take you up to the massive roof where visitors can gaze out over central Milan, just as Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde did. We enjoy the sun and marvel at the stone details that could never be seen from the ground. Of the 135 spires on the cathedral, three men grouped together rise up high above the visitors on the roof. There they stand, always with the best view, whatever the wind and weather.