Ep VI - Milan - Listicle Time!
As boulangerie, patisserie and the mysterious traiteur shops give way to pizzeria, pasticceria and ristorante signs, it occurs to me that for a refreshing change of pace, I should lower my literary standards and write a completely unreferenced, non scientific, totally made up listicle.
Presenting: Steven's 14 reasons why Milan is awesome with arbitrary opinions and limited anecdotal evidence liberally sprinkled as seasoning like the way they do with rosemary on a good pizza.
1. The Italians are the masters of the "serious, cereal" pose. Ads for everything from high fashion to bakeries to video game centres has them posing half-lit in shadowed darkness a la Raphael 'chariusco', looking really 'intenso' about something. Check out this one.
2. The most beautiful language in Europe, spoken by the most beautiful people. I don't understand why my dear friends Sean and Shanika are so attracted to German, which perennially sounds to me like the Downfall YouTube parody; or why my fellow East Asians are so Francophonic. Sure, the sound of accordions on the train is pretty charming the first ten times you hear it; but surely it must get wearing?
3. This mall.
4. Marco Polo. We are staying very close to a street called 'Via Marco Polo'. So of course, we play the eponymous game. I say "Marco", Jen says "Polo." We pause about five seconds for effect. I say "Marco", Jen retorts with "I am your father". #StarWarsReference #WhyILoveThisGirl #CuteyBunBunJen
5. Talking less with hands than I expect.
6. Stand up coffee culture. Everywhere, espresso bars where people stand and chat for a few minutes as they get a shot of caffeine. No takeaway cups. Viva! This one is the Roberto Cavalli Cafe in Florence.
Credit: https://bagnidilucca.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/img_1274.jpg
7. Heritage of the Romans are everywhere, as are influences from all nearby. When every street in the city has a marble sign with the name of a Filosofo, Poete, Architectto with their birth and death dates from the fourth century onwards, you suddenly get a sense of continental history that Australia truly has no idea about.
8. I am convinced I can understand italian, if only people would "parlo lentamente" (speak slowly) for me.
9. The best coffee so far. Super inefficient way to serve it (see above). Taught us Melbournians the real heritage of coffee. Unfortunately, no idea how to microfoam on a cappuccino or a latte.
10. Italian women are crazy beautiful.
11. This church.
The Duomo, Milan
12. Referring to centuries by number. e.g. Trecentro = 1300s; not like English since the first century starts with 0A.D., years starting 1300-1399 are the 14th century. Confuddly.
13. Personal preference: I will take excellent pizza, delicately composed pasta and sublime gelato over great baguettes, incredible croissants (too buttery/airy for me) and too-sweet macarons any day.
14. Jennifer eats so quickly here the spaghetti sauce flies everywhere, rendering parts of her face like a Pollack painting. #TrueStory
And of course, the now-standard photo selection.
