The Milanese Drift

Scenes from Milan streets

 I had to stop to Milan once more, but this time I was prepared to face Malpensa Airport and its deliberately (?) confusing escape routes. I had to plan my escape to the city,  and my fast return too, otherwise I could fail or even miss my flight home. First, I had to take the free airport bus to change from terminal 2 to terminal 1 (central terminal). The central terminal is the place where all facilities can be found, while terminal 2 can only offer a few thinks to the demanding traveler. For example, if you need a locker to leave your thinks, the only way to simulate that is to go to the “leave baggage” point of the central terminal, show some id and pay the 3.5 euros per day when you return to claim your stuff. There is a guy dressed in some kind of uniform guarding your stuff, so I guess it's safe. Then, you need a mean of transport. Train costs 11 epp per route (so 22 euros if you actually want to come back to the airport), while the Malpensa Shuttle Bus Line can take you forth (Milan) and back (Airport) for  a total of 8 epp. Some online travel guides indicate that a bus might be stuck in traffic, while the train is always in time, but If you have 5 or 6 hours to spend it’s quite safe. And that’s what I did this time: I took the bus to Centrale (the central train station). (A Malpensa Milan fact: if you need to go to the central train station, take the bus, because the train won’t go there).

Milan is a live exhibition of different styles of buildings

While on the bus, I couldn’t help but notice the buildings. They are so modern and different to each other. It’s like an architectural exhibition for both classical and contemporary creators. I think the whole city offers plenty of opportunities for people who are in this kind of sightseeing. Even I, a traveler mildly indifferent to masonry, convinced my self to seek for buildings and streets instead of monuments and restaurants.

The highest buildings in Milan are built with metal and glass. Some of them could probably qualify as skyscrapers.

I have seen the Milan Central Station at another trip,  but I didn't tell you about it, because I forgot. So, I will just put a couple of pictures here.

 The central train station is impressive. Look for the fascists carvings on the outside walls (my iPhones buttery was dead when I found them sorry)

The fact is I almost ignored the fascinating marble-covered building with symbols of fascism sculpt on the outside and walked towards Duomo, the Milan city center, through the major street that connects the two places. If you follow my posts, you already know I’m not that good with names, so let’s call this street “The Street”. The name fits the place, as it is wide with quite high (at least 20 stories) glass and metal buildings on both sides. It’s probably the area with the highest density of high buildings and it is longer to walk than I initially thought.

Each street has character in Milan. Indifferent buildings are in danger of extinction.

After a while, I reached some more narrow streets. I could sense I was closer to the old center. Pavements here are large and crowded and there are a lot of stores open everywhere. Since the streets are quite nice to the eye, this city could be the shoppers paradise, but unfortunately it is listed as one of the ten most expensive cities of the world, so shopping in Milan is probably out of my league. Maybe some coffee and two scoops of gelato would make that fact less hard to take.

  At first, I though this guy is a beggar, then I realized he is reading a comics magazine, then I noticed he is actually a comic-reading beggar.

Gelato, as you probably know, is italian for ice cream. If you ever go to Italy, eat some. Don’t look for a specific place, just buy it from anywhere you think it’s convenient, they are all that good. This is how ice cream should be made.

From left to right: the Galleria, the Scala Theater and a front door at Duomo Cathedral. They are the major tourist attractions of the city.

I walk without a purpose, as usual. I just have to stay close to the center, so that I can have good chances to find a metro station when the time comes. Building styles are changing as I walk from street to street. Women look stylish. And this looks like another classic building. But it’s something more: it’s the Scala, the infamous opera theater. I had to take a few pictures.

"Hey, mind your own business!". Detail from Duomo Cathedral

The moment I finished shooting the square in front of Scala, I realized how much of a tourist I had become. On my right I could see the Galleria, the archway I ‘d post a weak ago. All tourists have to go there, so did I. Again, I reached the Duomo Plaza and was stunned by the impressive cathedral. Maybe a few more pictures won’t hurt, after all being a tourist is not all that bad. Besides, if I’m not a tourist here, then I’m nothing. There is no rational in a picture of Duomo with me inside, except I’m a passing by tourist. I have to accept my role, for the sake of universal harmony

 

This is the central door of the giant Duomo Cathedral. It is hure and carved with scenes from the bible, I think. On the right a detail from the carvings.

And just when I was ready to make peace with my self, I realized that I had to go to the airport. One-way metro route to Central Train Station (about 1 epp, IIRC), bus to airport terminal 1, luggage claiming for 5 minutes, free airport bus to terminal 2 and Check-I