Arrivederci Milano (e Italia)

Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June

Milan is said to be the most expensive city in Italy, so we set out to investigate, and to sample the vibe of the place.

We browsed among the super fashionable shops along the Corso Venezia and via della Spiga. There were lots of famous names like Dolce & Gabbana, Prada etc. The clientele mostly wore skinny pants with a chic little jacket and scarf and had a small dog in their handbag or on a lead. Without exception they were size 6 or smaller. The shop girls were even more daunting with expressions which seemed to say that frumpy looking types from down under need not come in and fiddle with their merchandise. 

To avoid doubt, the above refers to the women. The only men in the shops were seated in strategically placed chairs fiddling with their phones or gazing into space - obviously waiting to be asked to provide an opinion, or a credit card.

Nevertheless you can see the attraction of the shopping area and we know many that would love it, and could easily pass as potential buyers and be welcomed into the shops.

Milan is also a centre for design. We scouted a few design shops and saw  some really neat stuff (not cheap) that no doubt will make to to NZ at some stage. La Rinascente was one shop where we spend ages nosing around - it is a famous big department store, think Kirkcaldies with extra lashings of class.

There is art here too - lots of  historic stuff as well as the Musee dei Novecento, a modern art museum. It's good, but don't go there unless you are really keen on the stuff! There was an Andy Warhol exhibition including the famous Campbell's soup can and Marilyn Monroe images, which J loved.

We climbed the Duomo (cathedral) and walked around amongst the spires. It was a great experience getting up close and personal with the extreme gothic architecture and seeing how much work it takes to restore and repair the bits that are wearing out. Just about a never ending job I would think. There is a roof terrace where concerts are held - what an awesome venue! Although you would need to be good at climbing stairs to attend.

On Saturday night there was a free concert in the Piazza dei Duomo, in front of the cathedral. An orchestra playing Gershwin from what I could gather. I went in on the metro and braved the crowd for a short time. It was great, but sooo many people.

And now its Sunday and arrivederci time. Off to the airport for a long wait. Milan often gets just average reviews from tourists, but we have liked it. Italy too has been fantastico, superbo, eccelente and splendido. Must try to write some more  specific impressions soon before we forget...