The Beauty Of Milan At Street Level!

This is the place that everyone seems to think of when they think of Milan.

It’s an extraordinary civic space.

It’s the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II and there’s really no way the photo can do it justice. 

We arrived in Milan yesterday and of course Galleria was one of our first stops as it is just a short walk from our hotel, Grand Hotel et de Milan. We dined at Galleria and were captivated by it from the outset.

But Milan is so much more than this. 

And to really get a feel for it you have to walk the city and mingle with the Milanese — you have to wander down the streets and through the residential, shopping and business districts and sort of lose yourself in the atmosphere of the place. This is a noisy city, full of small, quick automobiles, roaring motor scooters and the clickity clack of streetcars (called trams here) along with the chatter of the Italians themselves, speaking such a lovely, melodic language in varying tones (almost like music) and gesticulating along with it like orchestra conductors. 

Parts of Milan will remind you of Paris, with grand boulevards and ornate courtyards tucked inside buildings just beyond the street. Indeed, much of the city gives off an old world European flavor and, as this is Italy’s fashion and design center, you will see more than a few finely dressed people and beautifully designed interiors. 

Italians seem to be innately conscious of their appearance and many pride themselves on clothing, leather goods and accessories that are finely crafted. And, as people are conscious of how they’re done out, you won’t see many obese people here as that doesn’t seem to pair well with your idea of your body as a mannequin for the finest goods. Of course the Italians eat well. But they’re not gluttonous. They savor the best and they usually do it in smaller portions than you’ll usually find back home. So disabuse yourself All that “Mangia!” And the dreadful stereotype that goes with it.

We’ll be touring Milan and the entire lakes region of Italy including Bologna, Lake Como, Verona and, finally our beloved Venice. We’ll keep you posted to the extend that we can.

But for now, let’s just say it’s a joy to be in a place where just about everything sounds a bit like your surname. Only here, they say Chee-roo-chi.

Bellissimo!