A warm day in Milano

Today's predicted high was 78°; I decided not to fall into the trap of assuming that I could get away with anything warmer than a sleeveless dress. So glad I chose wisely! I slept in, then walked to Milan Chinatown where Franca lives. Silvia and her husband Andrea had arrived from South Africa yesterday and we needed a visit. 

I left a bit early so I could do touristy things. Along the way I stopped at an open air produce/flea market. I was on the lookout for a little larger purse than the tiny bag I'd brought with me. Lots of socks and belts at the market, but no purses. 


This guy had giant bags of taralli and gave me a sample...it was melt-in-your-mouth amazing. I should have bought a bunch.

Oodles of fresh beans

I planned a little extra time for purse shopping but didn't have any success. I found one in Chinatown that I rather liked but the proprietor was crabby so I passed on it. But I got a bowl of liang fen (cold bean noodles) at a sidewalk stand and did some serious people watching. 

I got the liang fen but most folks were opting for rou jia mo


The street was super busy today compared with a few days ago when it was raining.



The Chinatown crowd wasn't as elegant as the folks hanging out in the Galleria but they still looked good. 


Queuing up for steamed buns in Milan Chinatown

Even the lads waiting for their fried chicken looked put together. Maybe it's the clean sneakers?

After my stroll I met up with Silvia and Andrea at Franca's place. I haven't seen Silvia in years; it's tough because she and Andrea live in Australia. However, they're on an extended visit to Europe and Africa so we'll have time to catch up. They leave Milan for Trento and I'll follow them up there in a couple of days for some fresh mountain air, hiking, and good conversation.

Silvia was a bad influence on me. She has a penguin bag, I have North America. The bright orange thing draped over my shoulder is a beaded scarf Silvia got for me in South Africa.


I didn't find the medium-sized purse I'd been looking for in any of the Chinatown shops, but Silvia (fashionista, power shopper) showed me into a store she knows well that sells high end purses and accessories. Uh-oh. In the window was a whole collection of map-themed purses, portfolios, wallets, etc. I couldn't resist a purse with North America front and center, and now I'm the owner of a designer bag, something I thought I'd never be. 

As we walked toward the gelato place we happened upon this antique Fiat 500. So quintessentially Italian, I had to take a photo.

Today's visit was brief. We walked nearly all the way back to where I'm staying, stopping for Gelato. Franca, who's 91, accompanied us on what must have been a 4 mile walk for her. When I got home, I checked my iPhone and it said I'd taken over 20,000 steps! I love the Italian fitness plan.

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