05-06 April 204

With three million people in the metropolitan area and booming tourism, it’s no wonder that Milan’s streets are jammed with cars (often honking), trucks, and people. On day two we spent the evening in the Brera district, which was as crowded as Disneyland during Easter Week. The amount of food and drink being consumed at outdoor tables was astounding. Bonnie feared many interesting local shops from past years have been pushed out by restaurants for the crowds. But . . . we made an enlightening discovery on day seven.

We are impressed by Milan’s extensive system of public transportation. (Jane would give it an enthusiastic thumbs up.) Trams and buses fill the streets, while the underground Metro reaches well beyond the city center. One line stretches nine miles to the new exposition center. Three-day passes were our best bet, and they apply to all modes of public transport.

We enjoyed the trams, which are easy to use and let us see lots of neighborhoods. Tram cars range in age and design from wooden cabins of early in the last century to modern articulated coaches. Bonnie even enjoyed the rumble of trams during the night—not loud enough to wake you up, but reassuring you the city is humming.

Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region and the second largest city in Italy—1.4 million in the city and 3.2 million in the metropolitan area. It is the fifth largest urban area in the EU with 5.3 million. Its economic strength comes from fields including art, chemicals, education, research, and tourism. It is home to the Polytechnic University of Milan where our cousin Leonardo Piva is studying mechanical engineering and Bocconi University, ranked sixth worldwide in business and management studies, where our cousin Riccardo Marchesin (Leonardo’s uncle) earned his degree.

Lodging

We stayed just inside the east edge of the ZTL (Zone Traffic Limited), close to multiple transit stops. Tatiana is the over-achiever host of this eight-room hotel of studio apartments within a larger building. She goes out her way to help and even did our laundry!

La Scala

We hope our first time at La Scala for an opera won’t be our last. Although getting tickets online in California was a frustrating multi-day chore, going to a performance was a complete success. The voices, staging, and costumes were exceptional. We saw a little-known opera by Puccini, which Robert described as a romcom until the sad final act. The staging by Irina Brook, daughter of director Peter Brook, was a delight.

Wandering

City Life

This newly developed district west of the city center seems to be an example of what architects design if given free rein. We found it disconcerting. Needed some urban design direction. Isozaki, Libeskind, Hadid.

Cimitero Monumentale di Milano

Bonnie had read that the cemetery, which opened in 1866, was a laboratory for designers in the Liberty (Art Nouveau) style. But we headed there not knowing what to expect. We were dazzled. One of the highlights of our stay in Milan. The huge entrance is odd, but the individual grave sites have fabulous sculptures. It’s difficult to capture the overall impact in photos.

Bibete e Cibi

Next—Milano-Parte Due