Happy Thanksgiving from Milan - Ready to Vogue!

Milano

The definition of Italian Men’s Fashion is MILAN! I was very excited to have scored  great tickets at 19.99 Euro one way from Rome on the  Milan’s Malpensa airport www.easyjet.com they are way better than both wizzair.com and ryanair.com.  I purchased the tickets very early.  The train is too long and too expensive to get here compared to this 55 min flight.  Karon came back to visit me for Thanksgiving since its my favorite holiday and we thought that we should have this getaway since we both love fashion and exploring new places.  We stayed at The Hotel Spadari www.spadarihotel.com right near the Duomo.  We took advantage of this great location by going out as soon as we arrived in the city.  After marveling over the Duomo’s grand size which was meant to compete with the Vatican and other large signature of major cities it was diffidently a sight to see.  Right next to the Duomo is the Gallery of Vittorio Emmanuelle where the first Prada store is located. This gallery was a retail and restaurant filled glass domed piazza. As we walked around we ran the small city into a very trend bar that just start on of my favorite Italian past time - APPERTIVO!! Its basically Italian Happy Hour but soooo much better. We checked out the bar called NOON, had great cocktails and wine and little bits like small sandwiches, olives, shrimps, bread, cheese etc endless with your one drink.  I know Great, Right!.  

I felt like this city was very different from Rome.  The people felt different than the ones in Rome.  Everyone had on bold clothes, very trendy but still uniform.  Everyone seemed like they can be a designer or artist.  It was weird  and cold feeling to observe.  On our way back to the hotel we decided to walk some more into a local area of the hotel and ended up in a neighbor that seemed more like what I am use to in Rome.  Outside over crowded pubs and wine bars, loud Italians everywhere with either 1 or 2 drinks in hand. We did not know what was going on but it just looked like a large “winter block party”.  Everyone just hanging around drinking cheap 3 Euro Beers and Wine Spritzers.  The Milanese at this location, didn’t seem so well put together as the place we just left. 

On our full day there we visited the main spots of Milan which ended up not being much. Lol  I like learning about the areas I visited so I made sure that I signed up for a tour through www.viator.com We toured the Duomo and I conquered walking all the way to the top just like Florence but not as bad.  Then from here we walked through the city for about 3 hours. Piazza della Scala, La Scala Opera, and the grand Piazza Castello, you know the usual.  After walking around the city and learning about the people, history and the love Milanese have for Leonardo Da Vinci we ended the tour at Cenacolo Vinciano where “The LAST SUPPER” painting resides on a plaster wall.  This room is closed off and you have to obtain special viewing request.  The tour guide was very knowledgeable. Explained what Leonardo Da Vinci decided to do differently in his painting that was particularly different than the recording what was in the Bible.

For dinner we walked along the River and found a good seafood restaurant.  Milan is known for seafood, they are big meat eaters. (Just a heads up for those of you traveling there with dietary restrictions) This area was another town hideaway.  The River seemed very far from the inner city center and was very dirty and had no attractive highlights in the area at all.  You can tell from areas like this and the one we ran into yesterday that places where city  do not spend its funding.  We decided to check out the Bar strip Corso Sempione, where supposedly all the Models and Actors get cocktails.  All the décor for most of these places were very posh and chic.  I didn’t feel as connected to the city even though I thought that my passion for fashion would entice me to. I would not come to Milan to visit again unless I was here for work or heading to somewhere else.  It’s a city that you have to be in the “know” to know what’s going on.  As I was told when I was there, things are just publicized to the general public you have to find out.

While on this trip I was excited for the possibility to be able to visit a new area of Italy.  I didn’t make it there but I think its totally worth a visit if you are in this region of Italy.  The Lakes that border Switzerland and Italy are said to very picture perfect towns with low amount of tourist and little quaint cities.  In Milan you connect to the main towns of the lakes by trenatlia.com and the tickets are only around 7 Euro for an 1 hour train ride to this off the beaten path locations (my favorite and bet they have great seafood)  There is the 2 main Italian lakes: Lake Maggiore, this one is closest to the airport (Malpensa) and has 3 islands.  The second is Lake Como which has 3 main cities to visit Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio.  There is also a lake near by that is in Switzerland, Lake Lugano.  I think its worth a day at one of these lakes taking a ferry around the towns and relaxing, but that’s just me. 

 One of my professional shots of the Gallery.  

 Ciao!