Natale: A Milanese Christmas

The most wonderful time of the year in the most wonderful place in the world. Arguable, I know, but see for yourself.

The beautiful Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is alight with one of the most grandiose Christmas trees in Milan. The tree towers at 12 meters, and it reels in tourists from all over Europe. On the ceiling of the galleria hangs a gorgeous blue light display that resembles elegant snowflakes. In the middle of the display is Milan’s seal represented by shimmering lights.

Adjacent to the galleria lies the one and only Piazza del Duomo, which hosts the iconic cathedral and its neighboring 30-meter Christmas tree adorned with gorgeous bulbs and dangling lights. The cathedral’s reflective marble components are perfect for a balanced photo with the shining tree to the left and the cathedral reflecting the light of the moon on the right.

Strings of shops guard the cathedral on the exterior lining of the piazza. Although they lie outside of the main attraction, they refuse to go unnoticed. Showers of glimmering lights drizzle from the curved architecture as they greet shoppers from far and wide.

From dawn to dusk to dark, Milan’s Naviglio Grande welcomes its guests with a beautiful view. Visitors come for dinner and drinks, but the Naviglio’s gorgeous panorama tosses in a complementary show.

The sun’s evanescent glow transcends the canal and kisses its friends from miles away before vanishing into the crisp winter night.

The City Center isn’t the only festive site Milan has to offer. Between the new shopping center in City Life, the interconnected Central Station, the medieval Castello Sforzesco, and the dozens of Christmas fairs sprinkled around the city, the holiday cheer spreads throughout every nook and cranny and adds to the local charm of the season.

Milan is always a magical place, but Babbo Natale adds just a touch of a little extra something special before taking off to deliver goodies on Christmas Eve.

 

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Merry Christmas, and Buon Natale ♥

Milanese Aesthetics

Urban aesthetics are one thing. Italian ones are another. Mix them together, and this is what you get: Metropolitan Italy.

It’s amazing to see the city transform little by little into a winter wonderland. Two weeks ago, the city center looked as it does in the above picture with hanging lights and the occasional mistletoe. Now, there are Christmas trees stationed around the plaza, strands of lights hanging from awnings and doorways, and tons of other holiday decorations nestled into street corners, shop windows, and other bits of the city’s infrastructure. Such holiday spirit completely erased all of the previous worries I’d had from people who told me Americans went above and beyond in preparing for Christmas. I’m here to say that, in this way, Milan is just like America. Thank goodness!

Yes, Italy created Ferrari and Lamborghini. No, the average Italian doesn’t drive them. In fact, most Italians in Milan drive small cars meant for one or two people due to the difficulty of finding parking spots. Should an Italian need to park on the sidewalk, gigantic, luxurious sports cars just won’t cut it…but it’s still fun to see them randomly used for merchandising purposes.

Brunch in Milan is the best. It gives you an excuse to explore a part of the city you’ve never seen before. Some friends and I visited northern Milan a few weeks ago, and I was delighted to find they served cheesecake (and, not to mention, that they served it for breakfast)! Coffee here is stronger than Rocky Balboa. It helps you power through the day and sharpens your brain for when you’re trying to decipher the maze of metro lines to take you home.

From what I’ve seen, most houses here are monotonous with pastel colors: beige, white, gray, peach. There are some that deviate from the pattern, like the pink house above. Such bursts of color practically serve as stationary works of art.

All of the pasta here tastes delicious and looks beautiful! Literally, all of it. Italians must hold themselves to such high standards because I have yet to find an exception to this statement. Viva l’Italia!

The burgers here are okay, but there are a few things I have to point out. Pickles should always… I repeat, ALWAYS… be an essential part of the burger. Ketchup (not mayonnaise), lettuce (not “salad”), tomatoes, and pickles should always come on the bun with a burger and optional cheese. Here, people sometimes choose mayonnaise in lieu of ketchup, they refer to “lettuce” as “salad,” and pickles barely exist. One time I ordered a hamburger from a restaurant, and they gave me a beef patty without any bread. I shook my head, but I shortly pardoned the offense since Americans eat pineapple on pizza.

The above photo is a rare occasion; usually, cars fly by at twenty lightyears per minute. However, Italian drivers are skilled; they might not always (or ever) follow the rules, but they’ve still somehow mastered maneuvering tiny vehicles without crashing into the other crazy drivers around them.

Crimson leaves are falling, and in the park, basketball players are ballin’. I hope snow will soon be falling, although they say it doesn’t happen often…and that’s just appalling, but it’s chilly now, so the meteorologists are calling for snow to be falling! Long story short, it might actually snow soon. Be sure to sleep with a spoon under your pillow!

Last but not least, Italian food is so delicious that it leaves me awestruck just from looking at it! The best way to eat a dish of pasta is to eat the pasta, dip bread in the sauce left on your plate, and have a small cup of espresso afterwards. Mamma mia!

Thanks for reading; stay tuned for more updates about the Christmas season!

xoxo

The Italian NYC = Milan?

Before coming to Milan, I heard countless times that Milan was “the New York City of Italy.” I never really knew why, but I kind of took it as a fact. After living here for two months, my perspective has changed on the topic. So… is Milan the Italian NYC?

Kind of!

Given that Milan is the most modern metropolis in Italy, yes, out of all of the Italian cities, Milan is most comparable to New York City. Like NYC, Milan is Italy’s capital of fashion, finance, and converting dreams into reality. There are several renown universities in Milan: Bocconi University (for economics, business, and law), University of Milan, or “Statale” (Milan’s version of a state uni), Politecnico (for engineers), European Institute of Design, or “IED” (for fashion), Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, or “Cattolica” (a Catholic uni), and several others. Milan hosts several high-end shopping districts, like Via Monte Napoleone, with infamous designer brands, many of which were born in or are currently based in Milan: Versace, Prada, Armani, Dolce & Gabana, Valentino, and many others. Lastly, Milan is the heart (and the body) of Italy’s stock exchange, Borsa Italiana.

Likewise, almost every piece of information listed above is directly parallel to NYC’s. New York City is one of America’s financial and fashion capitals, and it’s also a city internationally famous for the pursuit of the “American Dream.” NYC hosts several prestigious universities: Columbia University (NYC’s Bocconi), New York University, Fordham University (NYC’s Cattolica), the Julliard School, the Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC’s IED), several SUNY state unis (NYC’s statale), and many, many others. Likewise, many famous companies’ headquarters live in NYC, like IBM, Verizon, American Express, Ann Taylor, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, and tons of others. NYC is the home of the New York Stock Exchange, America’s most famous stock exchange. Just as Milan is the city where Italians hope to find a job and make it big, New York City is where Americans and immigrants come to start a new life with the hope that the American Dream will become a reality.
But Not Really…

Despite the general similarities, Milan and New York, in terms of appearance and lifestyle, are nothing alike. NYC is so huge that it has five boroughs which span over 789 km^2 whereas Milan covers only 181.8 km^2. The buildings in NYC consist of towering skyscrapers and modern architecture. On the other hand, Milan is a mix of old and new buildings and infrastructure, but barely any buildings are tall enough to be considered skyscrapers.

Milan’s lifestyle is affordable, and the quality of life is different. In NYC, everything is expensive because the market for any normal good is massive between the inhabitants and visitors that flood NYC’s shops every day. Most of Milan’s tourists visit the City Center, so much of its shops are more expensive than normal. However, areas farther away from the center are normally priced since only residents tend to leave the center. Perhaps most evidently, Milan is, well European, and New York City is American, so most of the major differences between the continents apply also to the cities.

Milan is so unique that I wouldn’t compare it to any American cities. However, if I had to choose one, I suppose Milan would be the most comparable. Do you NY-see what I mean?

Now for some random NYC photography!

A globe, which symbolizes New York’s being a melting pot of cultures from all over the world

The Manhattan skyline from a ferry on its way to Ellis Island

A pink Cherry Blossom tree in Central Park

More skyscrapers! Hopefully the sky isn’t in pain.

Some sort of tall statue that resembles some sort of historical figure 

Casual skyscrapers

Tall buildings bordering Central Park ft. yellow daffodils

The same skyline, but with me in front of it 

Feel free to comment any additional points below.

Thanks for reading! Al prossimo venerdì ❤

xoxo

EATILY (Italian Eats)

I don’t know if you know this, but Italy’s food is SO GOOD.

Go to a restaurant… the food is delicious! The atmosphere is charming, and each plate is too picturesque not to photograph.

This is a panzerotto, which is pretty much a pizza calzone. It’s a piece of fried pizza crust with melted cheese and tomato sauce inside… otherwise known as heaven!

As mentioned in a former blog post, restaurants in Italy are the best because you’re encouraged to stay there a while, even after finishing your meal. The waiters and waitresses don’t rush you to pay the bill; in fact, sometimes it’s difficult to get them to give you the bill!

Even the supermarket food is delicious. The fresh artisan meat and cheese sections are to die for, and the groceries are generally healthier and tastier. The portion sizes are often smaller in both restaurants and grocery stores than those at American ones.

Even non-Italian restaurants in Italy are Italian-styled; even though the food is imported, the customs of Italian restaurants apply to the atmosphere. The restaurants are relaxing, and the people

Chocolate cake at a sushi restaurant? Yes, please!

there spend endless time chatting and enjoying themselves.

The best part of Eataly in Milan is by far the aperitivo. When going out for them, the customer pays for a beverage and receives an entire complementary buffet of food! It’s really the best.

Restaurants in Italy make you feel like a tourist! Eating there is a great way to relieve stress at the end of an intense day. This is especially the case in the City Center, the inhabitance of the Piazza del Duomo. Surrounding restaurants are just as relaxing, mostly because the majority of their visitors are tourists from other parts of Italy or other countries. Going there

A: Water these? A: Fountains! It’s quite common to find them positioned in parks and on street corners.

makes you feel like a tourist as well, and you can’t help but to smile because everyone there is happy!

Lastly, the best food in the entire world is gelato. Every time I go out for a gelato, I photograph it because gelato is just the best! Here’s the album I’ve collected so far (even if I’ve already used some of these photos in previous blog posts!):

Eatily is amazing! You should all experience it one day 🙂 ❤

xoxo