Milan, May 2014

[fumobici]

It was beautiful here in Milan today, not a cloud in sight. Breezy though and cool in the shade but with the snow covered alps shimmering in the distance. Not to gloat, just reporting. Milan again surprised me in a good way, food fair with dozens of stands showing off regional specialties in front of the Castello Sforzesco, had a wonderful panino with Tuscan prosciutto, some aranciini to die for from a Sicilian vendor, even a small bowl of paella from a Spanish pavillion that was the best I've ever had. Pans the size of New Jersey. Oh and a good selection of beers from Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic. The best beer was a Hofbrau from a smaller town I'd never heard of. Sublime. And as street food it was all cheap too. Got photos of everything of course. Then I stumbled upon a strange but wonderful percussion concert in the Parco Sempione with keyboards, marimbas, vibraphones etc. all playing on a multilayered high rise stage with the musicians roped in like mountain climbers. People (and dogs) seemed to be enjoying it just as much as I did. Again, wonderful friendly smiling people everywhere, got to use lots of broken Italian, nobody seemed to mind. Much more too but it's all kind of a blur at the moment. There's a lot more to Milan than crooked politicians and ultras. Had to knock off early though as I don't want to be in a bad way with my early train. I think one could spend weeks discovering treasures here in Milan if one were so inclined.

I have some probably good photos of this and my earlier visit this month to add but it will have to wait until I'm home and I have time. I'm having too much fun to grind out a proper photo report right now. This will be just a placeholder for now.

[htmb]

We will patiently wait with much anticipation.

[lagatta]

I'd like to see that. I've only been very briefly in Milan, though I know there are other sides to it than ultra-rich fashionistas and a business district. Just happened that way. On the other hand,I've spent considerable time in Turin, as I have friends there.

[fumobici]

Well after threatening to I suppose it'd be flaky not to follow through...

In chronological rather than logical order then:





Coming towards Milan from Paris on the TGV the views are pretty in the mountains.







Get my bags stowed in my B&B room and take the metro to the centro. Wander around a bit, there are some nice architectural details.

But what's this?





There are carabinieri and assorted forces of order *everywhere* done up or getting done up in full riot gear! Will I get some action shots? Get truncheoned or kettled?



This statue offers no clue. Then someone says as it's May Day there's the expectation of trouble, maybe the black bloc will run amok. Or something.



The crowd seems more intent on seeing and being seen than on smashing windows.

What's this? A Swiss food pavillion!





There's even a Swiss reggae band. Quite good they are too.



But more importantly they are making heavenly raclette and it's only 8 euro for a heaping plate and a big plastic cup of nice Swiss red. Excellent.

Sated for the moment, it's time to take in the evening passeggiata on the corso up to piazza duomo.





Helicopters circle overhead menacingly, looking for signs trouble below I assume.







Pretty sure the duomo has witnessed far worse trouble than this.



Milan has its own version of Velib, stylish orange and no chains to foul those silk skirts.



I duck inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, classy old shopping mall to shake the copters.



Nice floors!

Getting too dark for photos now, time to stroll back to the B&B and catch some sleep.

This is two weeks later though it hardly matter for the purposes of this report.



Parco Sempione is lovely.



A heron fishes in one of its ponds.




Leonardo ponders a swarm of tourists in front of La Scala.



Lovely little piazzetta.



There's that shopping mall again with the 4.50 euro coffees. Do they know you can get one for one euro a few blocks away? I don't suppose they care.



This made me laugh given the corruption scandal erupting over the Expo 2015.

Then I find a food fair in full swing on the street and it's a good one. Guess I know what I'll be doing for the next couple of hours.





This fellow from Mugello was artistically carving pumpkins. He was also selling killer Tuscan prosciutto panini and right next door there was a brewery from Germany selling very, very nice pilsner by the glass. First course is set.



With the entree taken care of, time to go grazing and beer tasting.

















The pumpkin carving fellow from Mugello offered to loan me a hat and take my picture. How could I refuse?



A Sicilian stand were selling arancini which were as they say to die for.





Give an Italian a pig and magic happens.





Like 30 different kinds of Czech beer.



Oh hell yeah.



French guys selling Brittany oysters and champagne by the glass.

Oh man I gotta pee, and there are no public restrooms in Milan's centro. To the park!



I hear music.



Here's where it's coming from.



There's a multilevel stage with percussionists playing wonderful music.









Arco di Pace near the stage backlit by the setting sun.

Do I have room for paella? Hahahaha. Getting dark and blurry now. And not just me either.



There you have it cheapskate philistine does Milan. Very satisfying.

[htmb]

Nice, Fumocici. It looks like you really know how to enjoy yourself. Super pictures and the music was great, too!

[Deleted]

Milan looks so remarkably different from Rome.

[fumobici]

It's got nowhere near the depth of Rome, but really where does? It's a big cosmopolitan industrial metropolis, these pictures having been taken in the centro storico give no idea of the huge modern buildings that are exploding all around, whole districts are construction zones with highrise glass and steel towers in place or going up. There is absolutely no place in Italy like it which in turn makes it feel somewhat outside Italy, more generically European or even global.

[Deleted]

Unfortunately, the alienation of (certain people in) northern Italy from the rest of the country is one of the things that allowed the Lega Nord to take root.

[bixaorellana]

What a fun report and what great pictures! You really know how to have a good time & how to take us along with you, Fumobici.

It's hard not to think that the carabinieri just wanted to show off their spiffy hats and zazzily pained vehicles, so perfectly in keeping with a fashion capital.

Your food photos are cruel in their perfect depiction of deliciousness and the multi-level silhouette photos of the percussionists are just stellar. Great video, too!

You really know how to put the pleasure in vicarious pleasure!