25th October: My first trip into Milano

I took the train into Milano to meet with Paraskevas before he headed out of Italia to seek work elsewhere. On my way down I made a new friend, Giovanni. He was the man who worked the train, checking and selling tickets. He spoke some English and after five minutes of conversations about the wild American west he offered to take me out to meet his friends and get some beers. We exchanged numbers (I got an Italian cell phone in Torino) and parted ways.

It was a semi sad day in Milano. It was a little cold and this was the last time my new Greek friend and I were going to hang out for awhile. We took the metro to the Duomo, Milano’s Gothic/Baroque church, in the heart of the city. There we walked around the structure, into the Galleria V. Emanuele with it’s brilliant glass ceiling, toward Teatro alla Scala (the opera capital of the world), and through the piazzas and walkways near the duomo.

We enjoyed focaccia, gelato, café and hot chocolate. I found the American Bookstore but opted to find my Italian Language workbooks elsewhere and bought a gift for the family. It was a long day but yet there was still more to explore: The Last Supper, the fashion district, Castello Sforzesco and so many amazing piazzas. One day in Milano just doesn’t cut it, you need at least five or six.

April’s Best of Milano (the first time):

My favorite dark chocolate macaroons: Princi il Bread and Breakfast, V. Speronari 6: this place is a bit pricey but the food is most wonderful. You can order food to-go or eat standing up inside. They have sweets, breads, pizza, focaccia, as well as first and second dishes. It is well worth trying at least once..

Best place to sit and be harassed by men slipping string bracelets on your hand and then asking for money: Piazza del Duomo