Milan - Milano if you think of Alyssa - the fashion capital of Italy and perhaps the world, which translates into pretty much nothing if you don't give a wooden nickel about clothes (always wanted to use that expression, now I feel as old as Mr. Burns - ex-cellent). Milan was never really on the tour map and likely would have stayed off it had I not met Jin & Jay in Verona. As it was, I had some time on my hands as I couldn't arrive in Paris as early as I had hoped so I could take a more leisurely path and Milan offered a free place to stay. As for "attractions", well, the city didn't have the treasure trove I was used to from my time spent in the rest of Italy (and Germany for that matter). Whereas Venice, Verona and Florence maintained an almost completely pre-modern look Milan is a big (and ugly) modern city full of unseemly skyscrapers, office buildings, and burgeoning suburbs. And yet, Milan deserves a special place in my memory for my time with those great Koreans of Italy and for sporting the most fantastic cathedral in Europe. Read on Macduff, read on.
I arrived in Milan the evening of the 11th. The train ride north from Florence was fun as I met a Pisano/a (from Pisa - I think) named Giada. She couldn't speak English nor could I speak Italian so we managed to make half-sense in Spanish. This was about the limit of the usefulness that Spanish served me on my European vacation that for whatever reason excluded the only Spanish-speaking country: Portugal. Giada and I parted ways on the steps of the Milan train station as I tried, in vain, to get in contact with Jin who had given me his phone number in Verona. As I was to find out later the poor Koreans had imbibed one too many beers (knowing Soon Tae that could have meant precisely one) and had passed out for the night. Much to my aggravation, my free night in Milan was to be spent at a pricey hostel on the outskirts.
Getting to the hostel involved taking the subway which luckily had a stop right in the train station. As any seasoned traveller knows, the subway is one's best friend. Unlike buses which are always difficult to learn and navigate, subways are universal. Stops are always easily marked so you know where you are and the maps clearly show where you're going. Milan was no-different - except for one thing - it screamed. Maybe it was due to the heat and humidity that caused all the windows to be down or the design of the tunnels or a lack of lubrication on the tracks but this train made the most horrendous sound in the world - like nails on a chalkboard that even a blood-curdling scream wouldn't pierce through. I wouldn't be surprised if half the population is stone-deaf as most of the regulars on the train didn't even bother shielding their ears whereas I had my hands over both ears and my head almost between my knees.
My night and morning at the hostel aren't really worth recounting, except to thank a sweet lass (Katrina?) who came running down a dark and rainy street to see if knew where I was going (I didn't) and help me find the hostel and who later helped me find a place to store my pack for free while I walked around Milan. Travelling can really bring out the best of people and a sort of international camaraderie that is something that has to be experienced to believe.
Now, onto the pictures from the next day, the 12th of August:
The Castello Sforzesco reveals that Milan is part of a different history than the rest of Italy. Unlike the Renaissance-esque buildings and Roman ruins that marked Verona and Florence, Milan seems to belong the the epoch of castles and keeps that is more commonly associated with France and England. In fact, the Northwestern portion of Italy routinely changed alliances or came under the dominion of different forces during the last millennium and developed strong ties with France.
The courtyard between the fortress gate and the castle. Bicycles were a medieval weapon thrown from the ramparts on invading troops. Only later was it discovered that they could also be used for transportation.
The marble Duomo was commissioned in 1386 and was continually under construction for the 600 years that followed!
The Corso Vittorio Emanuele II shopping street extends from the Galleria alongside the Duomo and then off into the distance. The buildings of Milan stand in sharp contrast to what I'd seen in the rest of Italy.
Proof that I didn't rip these photos off a travel website. Needing a haircut and some sunglasses, Jason stands before Milan.
At this point it was mid-afternoon on the 12th and I felt I had seen what Milan had to offer. Jin had left me for home when I climbed the stairs to see the top of the Duomo and I had resolved earlier to take a train westward to continue my journey. Unfortunately, as I arrived at the train station there were no trains leaving for anywhere until the next morning. Thus, I was forced to stay another night in expensive modern and slightly boring Milan. Hoping to avoid spending another night at the HI youth hostel and desiring to cash in on Jin's forgetfulness the night before I phoned up my new Korean friend and told him of my misfortune and asked to spend the night. Luckily he agreed and invited me to come over.
As the story goes, however, I took my time, decided to check my email and post a few pictures on the blog (failed at that so I resorted to sending emails and chatting on gmail/meebo). By the time I phoned Jin again to let him know I was coming over he seemed anxious that I had delayed so long but we arranged to meet at a subway stop as soon as I had picked up my bag from the hostel.
It turns out Jin's anxiety stemmed from the fact that, in preparation of my arrival his girlfriend and her housemates had decided to make dinner for me and I was actually holding up the poor group's meal! Now part of my scheme of international diplomacy as a vegetarian is avoiding being put in situations where I have to decline meals and coming over late in the day was part of this strategy. In guaranteed, in my mind, that assumptions would have been made that I had eaten (whether or not I had) and vice versa. Unfortunately this would prove to be the elusive case.
Arriving at the apartment ten hungry eyes bade me a quick hello and ushered me into the kitchen where I was seated in front of a table of Korean and Western foods and my plate quickly filled with a chicken leg or two, some kimchi, some kind of sushi/kimbap(spelling?), and so on. I had starved this poor lot, most of whom couldn't speak English (Jin was the only trilingual - English, Italian, Korean). So my choice was to decline or eat some chicken and yet-to-be-identified meat...
So that was some pretty tasty chicken. Yep, I decided to swallow my convictions, as well as the chicken and sushi-type stuff. An international crisis was avoided and I was rewarded with some fresh watermelon for dessert, a hot shower and a free place to sleep! Thank you again Jin & friends for a truly memorable experience in Milan. It made this otherwise slightly dull city a great story!
1 comment:
absolutely freaking fabulous. the duomo alone would make it worth the side trip i'd think. you got some really beautiful pictures. beautiful doesn't describe them accurately, but i'll spare you the superfluous praise. i hope you submit some of them to an amateur photo contest -- they are that good. i love the one with the little lonely cloud surrounded by the lonely saints, and the symmetrical picture with the spade gate at the foreground/centre of the shot. my mouth hung open the entire time -- especially at the end when i discovered that you could have an alternate career as a diplomat. good job, you did the right thing. i'm done with this comment so i can go look at the pictures again.
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