The slightly better version of Milan

Wednesday, 26 September, 2018 20-22C (yay!)

So yes, we went back to Milan. I’d promised myself to try again if I had a better plan and a whole lot cooler day. And those criteria were filled.

My plan – start in NoLo (the immigrant area) head down to lunch with Daniele in his proposed lunch spot Mad’son,  then on to Brera, down to Navigli and end up in Chinatown – if time I was going back to where Yayamoto was – which I believe is the old town. Plans!

(Now despite still not falling in love -or maybe not even like -with Milan, I did take far too many photos so I’ll try not to go overboard…bear with me.

A much better ride to Porta Susa – thanks to an earlier start (we were in a tearing hurry last time) and then arriving in Milan Central, now a familiar spot. We started walking towards the NoLo district, with my notes not really helping and, not too far along, decided again to separate and get on with our respective days.

I wanted to ride the historic tram number one and found the stop quite easily. It reminded me of riding in Lisbon or Budapest as it sped along. I don’t think I actually made it to the real NoLo. I wasn’t as prepared as I thought and the map didn’t really help. This, paired with the alarming way my phone battery was draining, so winged it.

Riding tram number 1 in Milan
Riding tram number 1 in Milan

I was, however, north of Loreto, and the population seemed mixed so perhaps I touched on it. The streets were not poor, though. Quite the opposite. I wandered around and needed a toilet so popped into a tabaccheria-bar. They were wonderful in there, falling over themselves to be helpful and make sure I was happy. Quite a nice experience to sit with a coffee and brioche, studying and marking the map and just generally feeling content

Streets in what I thought might be the edge of NoLo
Streets in what I thought might be the edge of NoLo
Mama Orsa? (Mama bear?)
Mama Orsa? (Mama bear?)
My very nice snack and break!
My very nice snack and break! 3 euros
Now, ravioli I can understand, but gnocchi?
Now, ravioli I can understand, but gnocchi?


On the way back, no historic tram but instead an ordinary bus. There was a long wait and then someone came to the stop to tell a lady something about there being a problem. The lady walked away but I stayed. While the bus did come and moved along steadily, it came to a sudden stop at a large intersection where an accident had happened. I couldn’t see anything going on and I tend not to peer but it was well and truly blocked. Having left plenty of time, I was now pretty stretched for time. Thank goodness for a text telling me Daniele too was late. And, to my surprise, I found the restaurant pretty easily.

I’ve talked enough about the disappointment of Italian food. This one was no different. A business lunch for 10 euros commprised water, coffee and one course with a side. I stayed away from pasta and chose chicken – it arrived: a plate with three flattened pieces of chicken maybe 4 inches by 2. Each piece was covered with an overcooked slice of ham. On top was a sauce that made it less boring.Then a dish of salad arrived. I was at least no longer hungry but still in search of a mouthful of something delicious.

'Business' lunch
‘Business’ lunch

Then I was off again. Daniele said that of all my planned places, I’d probably like Navigli the best since it was where real people actually lived, despite its touristic overtones. Navigli is an area of canals, although I saw only one. I liked it here and could see that the once-busy tourist patios were empty. Along by the water, though, there were plenty of takers.

Dining along the Naviglo Grande
Dining along the Naviglo Grande
As dirty as it seemed, the water was fairly clean with lots of black fish
As dirty as it seemed, the water was fairly clean with lots of black fish
The canal from a bridge
The canal from a bridge
Some rather alarming art along the canal
Some rather alarming art along the canal

Mostly though, I liked the back streets. Cute shops, sudden glimpses of churches, and a nice lived-in feeling.

A bell tower peeping through
A bell tower peeping through

I feel like an American tourist, racing through the zones like they mean nothing. I’m not sure why I’m rushing except that I fear any minute my legs will give out and there’ll be no time to see one more thing, discover one more place, take one more photo…I want to linger a little but how can I physically do it?

Then I got a text from Krish to say he was in a park and heading towards Chinatown soon and that’s when I accidentally found myself in Brera. There were two routes – one going to a station and walking 12 minutes, the other going to a different station and taking a tram right into Chinatown. Guess which one I chose? At the station, waiting for a tram, I got another text, ‘I’m in a huge fortress! There are lots of people here.’ Little did I know I was standing less than a half kilometer away at the time!

I got a good feeling from Chinatown at first as the tram got close to Via Sarpi, the main pedestrian street of Chinatown. Hole in the wall shops that reminded me a bit of Honolulu. But after that, it became less interesting. Sarpi is a long pedestrian shopping and eating area, not very busy by most Chinatown standards. I walked up and down, noted all the ‘white people’ eating noodles with a knife and fork, and then plonked myself down with a bottle of cold water to wait for Krish to arrive.

Green and calm Brera
Green and calm Brera

Milan's Chinatown
Milan’s Chinatown

Krish arrived and we chatted a bit, then separated again and I headed for the fortress he told me about. It was back where I got the tram to come to Chinatown and, after a bit of a rest – my legs by now were demanding I stop now! – I did walk slowly over. It’s  called The Castle of Milan, Castello Sforzesco, and was built between 1360 and 1370. This is a huge complex of adjoined buttress towers and courtyards. No idea how many people could have been housed here but it seems like Napoleon may have been one with his strong ties to the city.

 Il Castello di Milano
Il Castello di Milano
The portcullis!
The portcullis!

Artifacts from the excavation line the walls
Artifacts from the excavation line the walls
One of the Castello courtyards
One of the Castello courtyards
And outside - an Italian thing - armed military
And outside – an Italian thing – armed military

Another text from Krish, who came to join me. From the castle we walked down Via Dante towards the Duomo. This is the grandest pedestrian shopping area I’ve seen anywhere. If only I wanted to shop! Then there we were back in the madness of the Piazza Duomo, until Krish noticed the time and we headed off to the station to go home! There’s a lovely supermarket in the lower level of Milano Centrale so we packed a picnic for the train and off we went, this time to a punctual train.

The top of Via Dante
The top of Via Dante

Shops along the Via Dante
Shops along the Via Dante
Galleria at the Duomo
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II at the Duomo, Italy’s oldest (1865) active shopping mall

So good to sit down and relax after that long, tiring day.

Videos – The Piazza Duomo is a mad house

Last week we saw quite a few starlings at Milano Centrale. This week it was darker and there were many more. The noise was so loud, yet on my video you can’t hear it at all (at least I can’t!)