A Meeting With Mr.Bo Belvedere Christensen, Leader of the Kipling Travels Baruntse Expedition at EH
Mr.Bo Belvedere Christensen leader of the six member Kipling Travels Baruntse Expedition dropped in at Explore Himalaya on 16th April after an expedition briefing at the Ministry of Tourism. Along with him was the sirdar of the expedition Lhakpa Dorje Sherpa, an experienced climber who holds the record of climbing Mt.Everest without oxygen four times. Lhakpa was also the sirdar during the famous 1996 IMAX Everest Expedition 1996.

Mr. Christensen along with five other members of his team left for Lukla today. The group shall first do Mera peak as an acclimatization climb before ascending to the Baruntse Base camp.
The group had planned on climbing Shishapangma but had to cancel their plans at the last moment owing to political unrest in Tibet. Mr.Christensen was gracious enough to answer some of the queries put up by EH. Here we reproduce the excerpts of the short interview:

Q. Your group had planned on climbing Shishapangma but had to changed your plans at the last minute owing to disturbance in the Tibet. How do you feel about the change and are you happy with it?
Bo Christensen: Well, of course I would have liked to go to an 8000m peak and originally we had actually planned to go to Cho Oyu. But we had to cancel Cho Oyu as it was reported that it would be closed a long time and then we changed to Shishapangma. But Shishapangma too was closed. Lars asked me about Plan D, I think it was an emergency plan, which was to climb Baruntse, and I said that I have always wanted to climb Baruntse. So we got to choose a mountain that I wanted to go to anyway. Of course we would have liked climb the 8000 m peak but I find those in Nepal too difficult for the group. So we like to do a smaller mountain and Baruntse is quite a good goal, I think. I am very much looking forward to it. I think we would have a good climb there.

Q. After planning and preparing for the Shishapangma expedition for such a long time aren’t your members disappointed with the change of plans? How do they feel about climbing Baruntse?
Bo Christensen: I find that they are quite satisfied with the plan that we have set up for climbing Baruntse and doing Mera Peak on the way as an acclimatization trip. I think that they find this is a good plan and they feel happy about it. I think the challenge for them is quite big because because Baruntse seems to be a difficult mountain to climb on the technical side then the other mountains they have climbed before. So though it may be low Baruntse may be difficult and quite challenging to climb.

Q. Are you satisfied with the way the last minute preparation, with logistic arrangements made by Explore Himalaya?
Bo Christensen: Yes, I know it’s a tough job and I am satisfied with the preparations. I feel satisfied with the way you have arranged things at the last minute. I am very happy .It is a good job you have done out here. Everything is going the way we would have liked to.

Q. Are you confident with the team of Nepalese Sherpa climbers?
Bo Christensen: Yes, it’s a good team.

Q. Yours is one of the few expedition teams to have reached Nepal after the historic elections. How do you find Nepal at this moment?
Bo Christensen: Yes, its calm here and I hope that it would continue this way. I don’t know the outcome of the elections, how it will be, but I hope that it will work out fine. It seems quite cool. It is just as calm as it should be. I think people should come to Nepal.

Q. What message would you like to give to other people who plan to come here?
Bo Christensen : I think that it would be foolish to decide not to come here .Its safe and calm here in Nepal. Its nice here.

Explore Himalaya in partnership with Kipling Travels has organized an expedition to the Baruntse peak for 5 Danish and a Norwegian climbers.The expedition is led by Mr.BO BELVEDERE CHRISTENSEN from Denmark. The group will arrive in Kathmandu on 16th April. They shall fly to Lukla on the 17th & start their trek to Mera Peak from 18th April.They will climb Mera peak as an acclimatization exercise and continue on to Barun Tse peak. The names of the climbers are :

1. Mr.Bo Belvedere Christensen –Leader (Denmark)
2. Mr.Jens Christian Trolle Nielsen (Denmark)
3. Mr.Martin Cederkrantz (Denmark)
4. Ms.Anny Kvithyll (Norway)
5. Mr.Steen Ulrik Ulriksen (Denmark)
6. Mr.Jesper Johannesen (Denmark)

The expedition members shall be supported by :
1.Lhakpa Dorje Sherpa (Sirdar)
2.Dachhemba Sherpa (climbing sherpa)
3.Pem Chhiri Sherpa (climbing sherpa)
4.Megh Bahadur Sherpa (cook)
5.Bal Bahadur Lopchen(kitchen boy)
6.Mingmar Tamang(kitchen boy) and 12 local porters.

More details to come soon…

 Cheadle Hulme School Group Nepal Tour
A group of 14 students and 4 teachers from Cheadle Hulme School, UK completed their Nepal tour. The group led by Mr.Lee Richardson, an Economics teacher, had initially planned to visit Tibet but due to disturbances in the highland they had to cancel their trip.  They started their tour with a cultural tour to the medieval city of Kathmandu .They then visited Pokhara and trekked to Ghandruk and then to Ghorepani, Poon Hill, Hille and Naya Pool.After their trekking adventure, the group cooled down by rafting down the Trishuli river. They had some more of the jungle adventure and excitement  in the deep jungles of Chitwan – jungle safari in Chitwan National Park, with elephant rides, canoeing, educational slide shows on rhinos and elephants and cultural programs thrown in.
After their jungle adventure in Chitwan the group was driven to Nuwakot a small village, 75kms North West of Kathmandu. Explore Himalaya runs many community service programs and voluntary projects in this ancient but impoverished village. While in Nuwakot, the Cheadle Hulme School group got the opportunity to visit a real Nepali school, to interact with the students and get an insight on how their Nepalese peers learn in Nepal.An insightful tour for the young learners and their teachers from the distant British shores.

Cheadle Hulme School Group in Nuwakot Village
A few of us from the office joined the Cheadle Hulme School group in Nuwakot. The group arrived from Chitwan (on 31st March) while we drove from Kathmandu. The group of fourteen students and four teachers were to stay in the homes of local families. The host families received two guests each. Since this was a school group, Explore Himalaya took care to assign families with school going kids (of about the same age) as hosts. We wanted this trip to work as a cultural exchange tour for the kids. Cheadle Hulme School (CHS) is an Independent day school in Cheadle Hulme, in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester in the North-West of England.

A warm welcome being given to Cheadle hulme school Group by the residents of Nuwakot

The next day (1st April), we toured the village. We headed up a hill and went to visit a sukul weaver.

 The basket maker (above) & the sukul weaver

Sukul is the traditional straw mat used widely in Nepali homes, especially in the villages. It is made from straw and comes in all sizes. After visiting the sukul weaver, we climbed up to the house of the basket maker. He was busy weaving strips of bamboo. The end product is the conical basket or ‘dokko’ which the villagers and porters use to carry heavy loads. There are two varieties of ‘dokko’ one with holes and one without. The one without the holes is used for carrying grains and rice.
We headed down and came to a place called ‘Viewpoint’.True to its name the place offered excellent views of the surrounding mountains and the valley below.We could see the Trishuli river meandering lazily.We were told that the treks for Langtang and Helambu started from the hill beyond the Trishuli. Mr.Shrestha, the headmaster of the local school, pointing at the foot of the hill said that it was the place from where the armies of Prithvi Naryan Shah entered Nuwakot.We could see a blue roof which he told was the temple of a roof built by Shah’s armies.The place was named ‘Subh (auspicious) Ghat’ because after the conquest of Nuwakot the Shah king successfully went on to win more battles, till he unified Nepal under his rule. Nuwakot was the capital of the Shah kings before Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded Kathmandu.

The picturesque view from Viewpoint

We ventured downwards to visit more homes. As we headed down, we stopped by a mud walled home with a buffalo sitting outside. The owner of the house greeted us with a namaste and as we were a large group, we were ushered inside in groups of four or five.Inside a man was grinding maize on a traditional stone grinder.
The flour from the maize is used to make ‘dhendo’ the staple diet of the people in the villages.Outside a lady was busy pounding something with a long wooden staff. She explained that this was a ‘dhikki’ and she was dehusking the millets by pounding with it.After the husk is removed the millet is grounded to make flour, which is used to make pancakes.The millet is also used for brew beer too.
Our next stop was at the whey and butter maker’s place.As we approached the house , the lady of the house was busy churning milk on a large wooden pot with a long staff attched to it .We were offered some whey. The students remarked that it had a ‘cheesy’ taste.

 Grinding maize on the ‘jantho’

We headed down a narrow dirt tract, until we came to another red adobe house.This was the house of the ‘madal’(an oblong drum) maker.Madal is the traditional Nepali drum.It is made from hollow wood.The two hollow ends are covered with goat skin which is darkened with a dark paste made from straw, boiled rice and ferric oxide  to make the sound of the drumbeats more resonant.Strings made from buffalo hide is tied around the madal.
As we proceeded down we came to a shady grove. Beneath the grove, water spouted from the mouths of carved elephant heads. There were some girls washing clothes.Known as Tikhe dhara this is where the villagers come to bathe and wash their clothes. There is no running water system in this village.

 ’Tikhe Dhara’, where the villagers come to wash their clothes and take bathe

Although there is a village community tap, the water comes just for a few hours each day.
After touring the village, we headed to our respective ‘homes’have lunch.After lunch and a brief rest we decided to meet at Tundikhel in the afternoon.There was to be a football match between the visitors and the home boys.Tundikhel turned out to be a wide open field in front of the local school.But by now the previous clear weather had turned murky and by the time the match began, a light drizzle had started.But the players decided to go ahead with the soccer match.

An Interesting Football Match: The match was an enjoyable affair . Nearly half of the village turned out to watch the match.The linesman found a red flag with stars handy to do his duty (the flag of a political party tucked on a tree).While we were there the election campaigning was going on in full swing. On one side were the visitors, Manchester United in Blue and on the other were the Nuwakoti team in red and black. The visitors put up a brave fight but the homeboys emerged victorius .The game ended at a close score of 5-4.The winning team recieved a cash prize of Rs.1500/- from Mr.Suman Pandey.
 

Traditional Farewell :The next morning the group was given a traditional farewell by the families they were staying with. With bright ‘tikas’ and floral garlands they assembled at the local school, Bhairabi Madhyamik Vidyalaya. The school headmaster showed them around and later the students and teachers, in two groups, sat in the Accounts and English class. After their class the former headmaster of the school offered a farewell gift, a small statue of Saraswati , the goddess of learning, encased in a glass case, from the school’s side to the leader Mr.Lee Richardson. We would like to add that Cheadle Hulme  School has pledged to donate a sum of US$3000 for a new building that would serve as a hostel and auditorium for the school.The hostel would be for those students who come from remote villages.

Taking an English Class 

An interesting moment during the game 

The players pose for a group photo before the start of the match

More Adventures in store: After the school group returned to Kathmandu , they toured Bhaktapur and went on an exciting biking trip from Nagarkot to Dhulikhel.Two teachers ,Mrs.Susan Mary Matthews & Mrs.Annette Kathleen Badger chose to visit  Kirtipur and Bungamati village instead of taking the biking tour.
On April 4, the Cheadle Hulme school Group bade goodbye to Kathmandu. The group leader Mr. Lee Richardson, expressed his, as well the groups delight and satisfaction over the completion of an interesting, enjoyable and well planned tour.
A very grateful parent, Mr. Alistair Macdonald, in an email sent to Mr. Suman Pandey on 10th April had this to say:

Hi Suman
 
A very warm thank-you to yourself and Bimal for organising such an excellent trip for my daughter Hannah and the Cheadle Hulme School party.
 
They had a fabulous time despite the disappointment of not going to Tibet. Please thank all your team who were involved in reorganising things at such short notice.
 
The whole trip had a very profound effect on everyone and Hannah just loved Nepal and all the wonderful people she met. I do hope the elections go well today and that greater stability returns to the country. I feel sure this will be good for Nepal and for tourism.
 Kind regards
 
Alistair
 
Alistair Macdonald
amtv

Among Everest and high altitude climbers, the revolutionary TopOut oxygen delivery system is becoming very popular. Designed and built by Ted Atkins, a former RAF Aerosystems Engineering Officer and an experienced high altitude climber, Ted summitted Everest in 2004 while testing the prototype.
The expedition teams who have climbed mountains using TopOut (among them the noted Jagged Globe team), have found the design of the mask to be much better, offering a better line of vision unlike the cumbersome old version, with an improved oxygen delivery. TopOut has a working bag that allows you to inhale a higher concentration of oxygen for every breath. The mask ensures that every last molecule of oxygen that leaves the cylinder is processed through the lungs. There is no wastage of oxygen. A good supply of oxygen not only helps you move faster but enables you to think more clearly which is crucial in decision making. Instead of the usual 12 or 14 hours, climbers have summitted Everest in 8 hours using the TopOut masks. To read the testimonials by climbers you can browse TopOut’s website www.topout.co.uk.
Explore Himalaya shall be using TopOut masks for its expeditions to the Everest and other high altitude mountains.

The mask comes is a convenient carry bag ( Pics 1& 2).It consists of a mask, a silicon hose or pipe (Pic 3)that is fitted to the oxygen bottle ( with the regulator) and a plastic canister with a reservoir bag inside, that is fitted to the mask. See Pic 4 to see the whole system fitted together.

(i)The mask: The mask is made of silicon. It does not harden like ordinary rubber when the temperature drops. It remains soft and flexible always. The mask comes in two sizes small and medium. It has a snug fit, ensuring that no oxygen from the bottle goes out in the atmosphere and thus wasted. The seal around the mask (Pic 6) ensures that no oxygen is wasted. There are holes on the masks for the valves. When you are breathing out, the moisture from your breath makes the inside of the mask moist. If you take off the mask to radio or to talk, the cold air might make the valve freeze. The oxygen keeps coming in but you will notice a resistance while breathing out. If that happens you can do three things:
(a )Just blow hard for a few seconds and the valve will move, or
(b)Break the seal at the side of the mask with your finger or thumb so that you are now exhaling through the side of the mask. In a short while your warm breath will have freed the valve.
(c)If steps a & b do not work, you remove the cover off and move the valve (Pics 7 & 8 ) with your finger.
The holes meant for the valves are interchangeable. It means that if one is right handed, one can fit the valve meant for the oxygen hose on the left side keeping the right hand side free and ‘unhampered’ to work on (and vice versa for the left handed).
The mask is washable( just wash with warm soapy water and rinse it thoroughly with clean water and it is germ free!) and reusable.

The Ambient Air Valve: This has a cover(Pic 5,right hand side) to stop it getting covered with the hood of your suit. The cover can be rotated so that the air can come in from any direction. The cover can also be easily removed, this will ease the flow of air into the mask.
The flow of inoming breath can be eased by first removing the small white washer in the centre of the valve(pic 7). This washer is there to stiffen the valve to ensure that the resevoir bag empties first. If you remove the washer ensure that you are still drawing oxygen properly.
We all breath differently so Topout is built so that it can suit you, tune it how you want it.

There are adjustable straps or harnesses and face seal (Pic 9) to attach the mask firmly to your face.
To detach the mask from the straps, simply clip the face seal off. The mask comes apart easily.

(ii)The reservoir Bottle or Canister: We breathe in a cycle of 3 parts: 2 of these are breathing out. While using supplementary oxygen, the gas is flowing constantly. With the old system there was no way to store the extra O2 that was flowing into the mask. It was flowing out into the atmosphere & thus wasted. Now TopOut has a working reservoir bag. When you breathe out the oxygen comes and collects in the reservoir bag. That allows you to inhale a higher concentration of oxygen during expiration, as the first part of your breath goes deep into the lungs for effective processeing by the avioli. When the resevoir bag empties the ambient air valve opens for the second stage of the breath. Thus lower oxygenated air fill the upper respiratory tract where no oxygen exchange takes place. As it is inside a clear plastic canister you can see the bag expand. The bag inside is very fine and has no resistance to the flow of oxygen. (Pic10)
There are vents at the botttom of the bottle (Pic11) to let out the air inside the bottle when the bag expands. If there were no vents, the air inside bottle would be compressing the bag thus trying to stop the bag from working. The canister should be clipped to your clothing or sack with the caribiner(Pic 12). It could be placed in a pocket or inside the suit if preferred but be aware that there are vents in the bottom which must be kept clear for the system to work effectively.

There is a danger that if the wet mask is removed and the oxygen turned off that the oxygen valve could freeze closed. When the oxygen is reconnected if the valve cannot move the bag will burst. This does not stop the system working. Now you cannot see the bag moving but oxygen is still being delivered.

(iii)The pipe or hose: The pipe (Pic 10, the pink hose) is made of silicon. It is very thick and very strong. It has laminated layers and it does not close. Even if the pipe is pressed or nipped it continues to deliver oxygen. In Pic14, you can see the valve that attaches the mask to the hose.
N.B: For those who can read and understand English, the instructions on how to use the mask are given on the plastic canister (Pic 13).

FAQ’s
Q1. If the reservoir bag bursts will the oxygen supply be cut off?
Ans: No, even if the reservoir bag bursts, the oxygen will still be delivered to the mask. You will still be able to breathe in oxygen.

Q2.What stops the mask from working?
Ans: There is only one thing that can stop the mask from working and that is you have to turn the regulator off or cut off the oxygen pipe.

Q3.What happens if I take off the mask to radio?
Ans: In the high mountains, if you take off the mask the cold air could freeze the valves. Exhaled air is heavily laden with moisture. This air has to pass over the outlet valve and must make it wet. This is not a problem while wearing the mask, as your warm breathe will keep the valve working .If you remove the mask the valve could freeze onto its seat. If this happens you will notice a resistance while breathing out. Just break the side seal for about 20 seconds to a min and it will move. Or in the unlikely event of this not working, you can remove the front cover (it simply clips off) and physically free the valve with a finger. Simply break the face seal of the mask for a few moments to allow exhaled air out and your warm breath will soon free the valve.

Q4.If I lose one of the valves, will the mask work?
Ans: Yes, the mask will still be working. You will still be able to breathe in oxygen. But there has been no report of valves getting lost.

The system ‘fails safe’ apart from cutting the delivery tube the system will always deliver oxygen, if at a lesser level of efficiency.

Before use, check that the valves are in place and free to move i.e. not iced up.

You will be asked to give a talk or talks when you get back. Your mask; the one used to summit Everest with, is a great ‘prop’ at your talk. It is something that people can touch, unlike your photos. Ask to take your mask home with you, you can buy it. It is too late to think of it when the invitations come in!

Jamie McGuiness of Project Himalaya shall be leaving Kathmandu for Lukla along with his 12 member Everest expedition group. The group’s plan was to climb Everest from Tibet side .But as the route was closed, they had to turn to divert their attention towards the southern side. With permit in hand and with lots of ‘good lucks’ & ‘good wishes’  the team shall be leaving tomorrow (on the 07th April). They shall be flying from Kathmandu to Lukla and then to Namche ,Pangboche and finally to Base Camp, from where the real ascent will begin.

The names of the PH Everest Expedition 2008 are:

1.James Stuart Mcguinness-Expedition leader (New Zealand)
2.David G.Cole (Australia)
3. Mr.Raphael Gernez (USA)
4. Gineth Soto-Buturla (Costa Rica)
5. Andrew J.Falgate (UK)
6.Timothy P.Burns (USA)
7. Mr.Martin W.Schmidt (New Zealand)
8.Anselm B.Murphy (Ireland)
9.James D.Oleary (Ireland)
10. Boguslaw A.Magrel (Poland)
11.Slawomir Maksymilian (Poland)
12.Giovannina Cantale (Netherland) will be trekking with the group up to the Base Camp only.

Peak Freaks Everest Expedition Set Up Base Camp- Tim Rippel Leads The Team

Tim Rippel of Peak Freaks Expedition left Kathmandu for Lukla on April 1st.At the time of writing this blog he has already reached Base Camp.The members in his team consists of
1.Timothy L.Rippel- Expedition leader (Canada)
2.Michael S.Mortensen (USA)
3.Sultan M.A. Al Ismaili (Oman)- first climber from Oman to try for an Everest summit
4.Lawrence E.Williams(USA)
5.Dominique Gilbert(Canada)
6. Nabil Lodey (UK) - an international lawyer from the UK who is raising money for UNICEF in his push for the summit.
 
7. Faruq Saad H.Alzuman (Saudi Arabia)-  first Saudi Arabian on a mission  to summit Mt. Everest
8. Saad A.Naseer(USA) - attempting a 21 day speed ascent from Kathmandu to summit and back.
9.George LaMoureaux(USA) - His mission to Everest is to film the expedition in attempts to raise funds and awareness for America’s missing children.

Will Schmid Thuber will be trekking up to the BC. The climbing sherpas are led by Dendi Sherpa.

The names of Sherpas are as follows:
1.Dendi Sherpa (Sirdar)2.Pema Nure sherpa3.Ang Pasang Sherpa 4.Jangbu Sherpa 5.Ang Gyalgen Sherpa 6.Lakpa Sherpa 7.Mingmar Sherpa 8.Karma Sherpa 9.Lakpa Bhote 10.Kaji Sherpa 11.Pema Chotar Sherpa

12. Ngima Dendi Sherpa 13.Karsang Sherpa

7 Summits Everest Expedition 2008 from Denmark Left Via Jiri- Soren Smidt Leads His member Henrik Kristiansen

Soeren Smidt and Henrik Kristaensen arrived in Kathmandu on 3rd April. They left for Jiri on 6th April. From Jiri they will trek to Everest BC via Lukla and Namche. On the way they shall be trekking to Lobuche East Peak and Island Peak. Their trekking guide is Moule Tamang and Nerman Tamang is the cook.
The sherpas for the Everest expedition will be led by Serab Zhangmu Sherpa.The names of the sherpas are as follows:
1.Serab Zhangmu Sherpa(Sirdar) 2.Temba Sherpa 3.Lhakpa Naru Sherpa 4.Pemba Tenjin Sherpa 5.Darenji Sherpa 6.Bag Bir Tamang
Good Luck to the team!

Stay tuned for more Everest updates - Coming up Jamie’s PH Everest Expedition

April 4, 2008: The Cheadle Hulme school Group departed Kathmandu this morning .The group leader Mr.Lee Richardson,expressed his as well the groups delight and satisfaction over the completion of an interesting, enjoyable and well planned tour. As we had reported earlier, the group’s initial plan was to visit Tibet.They had to change their plan because of the trouble in the Tibetan highland.According to Lee and some of the teachers,they enjoyed their visit to Nepal so much that they were already planning for a future visit!
 
Soon to be posted - A Special Report on the Group’s Nuwakot visit - Watch this space!  
 

>Mr. Suman Pandey in NTB’s Advisory group
Mr.Suman pandey, the President of Explore Himalaya, has been selected as a member of NTB’s Industry Advisory Group. The advisory group plays a vital role in proposing and planning policies, programs and activities for Nepal tourism industry.
(Congratulations to Suman Sir from all of us at EH!)

>Lukla Airport & EBc route renamed
The Nepal Government has named Lukla airstrip and route to Everest Base Camp (EBC) after pioneering mountaineers-Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who first scaled the world’s tallest peak in 1953. Following a Cabinet decision in early March, the mountain airstrip of Lukla, that Hillary built some 43 years ago, and the trekking trail from there to EBC will now be called -Tenzing-Hillary Airport and Tenzing-Hillary Route, respectively.

>Air Berlin set to offer the first direct link between Nepal and Europe
Air Berlin, a fast-growing low-cost carrier, has plans to operate direct flights between Nepal and Germany. The Germany-based airline’s operation, set to be the first direct link between Nepal and Europe, will contribute in promoting Nepal’s tourism that has suffered from shortage of air seats in the European market.

> ‘Send Home A Friend’, a tourism promotion campaign launched in Belgium and Germany
‘Send Home a Friend’, a tourism promotion program was launched in Belgium and Germany. The program is to be implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in partnership with the growing NRN diaspora abroad. It is aimed at boosting the tourist arrivals to Nepal through the ‘Word of Mouth’ publicity of the destination.

Mr. Suman Pandey attends four international tourism fairs -the daily telegraph, uk, Fitur 2008 Madrid, ITB berlin

Explore Himalaya has been duly represented at the international tourism fairs by Mr. Suman Pandey, President of Explore Himalaya. He participated in the Daily Telegraph Adventure Show, UK (25^th – 27^th Jan’ 08) .In the same month he participated in Fitur 2008 Madrid (30 January – 3 February 2008).

March took him to be the biggest global trade fair, the ITB Berlin (5 - 9 March 2008) and at ITM Moscow (15 March 2008 - 18 March 2008).

Mr. Bimal Chettri, THE Executive Manager attends the Borsa International Destination Expo in milan

Mr. Bimal Chettri, Executive manager, of Explore Himalaya attended the BIT (Borsa Internationale del Turismo) Expo held from 21^st to the 24^th February 2008 in the city of Milan, in Italy.