During the week of March 1, 2016, we had our first Italian haircuts, this is Myrna's.  Ivana cut off all of Myrna's dyed hair, so this is her natural color, which I think looks nice.



On Sunday afternoon we drove out to the Abhey Chiaravalle, which is on the outskirts of Milano, maybe 15 minutes from our house. It started in the 1100s, and still has active monks.  The church is very large and the abbey, where the monks live, is in front of it.



In front is the entrance, right off a little country road, the place where the monks live is to the left.  There was originally a moat outside because apparently the monks couldn't get out.




Turn around from where the last pix was taken and this is what you see, with the church at the end of the lane, within the walled "town" where the monks live.  We saw a few of them out and about.



Inside the church, the choir stalls on the left side, it was cold and dark in the church.  I didn't see a pipe organ, but did see a large fairly new electronic organ on the floor in the back of the church (a pipe organ would have been up above), but there was an old pump organ between the two sides of the choir seats, near the place where the put the music.  (When I got back to the office, I Googled the abbey and saw that it does have an old pipe organ, probably in the left nave, where they usually are if they aren't in the rear of the building), but I suspect it isn't playable, and is why they have the electronic organ.


Other side of the ornate wooden choir stalls.  These pix were taken with my cell phone and I didn't take others, but it was such a cool old church I am sure we will go back some time.  Maybe we will eat with the monks, as they have a restaurant, and store, which were not open today.