At noon today I met cousin Leo by the Milan cathedral. I arrived a little early so I wandered around the Galleria to enjoy the gorgeous displays and people-watch. The windows of the Galleria are a who's who of designers: Fendi, Armani, Chanel, St. Laurent.
People in Milan all seem to be good-looking, but what makes them so isn't their actual features; it's the care with which they dress and groom themselves. Most do not wear the latest fashions, but they take some care to wear clothing that fits and keep their shoes in good repair. Men have neatly trimmed beards, and both men and women accent whatever they're wearing with a nice scarf. I wish I had been less shy today about photographing ordinary people; I'll have some more chances as I'm out and about in the city.
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Galleria ceiling reflected in Louis Vuitton's elegant window display
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For some reason this woman was posing right there among the crowds
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Even the cops in Italy have swanky clothes
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At the appointed time I met Leo and his girlfriend, Dorothée. We went to Milano Centrale to catch the train to Monza, but before leaving we stopped in the plaza in front, where I was intrigued by a new sculpture of a mended apple.
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| Leo and me in front of Milano Centrale station. I had started off with a nice cardigan but it was barely noon and I was already sweating. All the Italians were wearing jackets and I just couldn't do it. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer so I'm switching to a dress. |
After the short train ride to Monza we met Leo's friend Franco who had come from Como. This presented an interesting challenge. Franco speaks only Italian. I speak primarily English and some rotten Italian. Dorothée speaks French and her Italian is marginally better than mine. Then Leo's father Eduardo, who like Franco speaks only Italian, joined us. Leo is the linchpin: he speaks Italian, French, and English. But we tried not to tax him too much. The conversation as we walked often included French, Italian, and English all in the same sentence, much of it bastardized. But it worked.
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| Franco, Leo, and Dorothée on the bridge over the Lambro River in Monza |
We did a ton of walking in Monza, through some medieval tunnels and past the gothic cathedral, before getting to the risotto festival. It turns out it's an annual event to raise money for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) organized by one of Leo's cousins on his mother's side whose name is...wait for it...Luca!
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| Poster for the risotto offerings. Of course with each serving of risotto you get a glass of red wine! |
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| Waiting in line for the three types of risotto on offer at lunchtime |
I ended up getting risotto isolana, which I had not heard of before, but it contained bits of meat, something I had not tried before. It was delicious and I am inspired to try making some other variations when I am back home.
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| Hanging out after eating risotto. Leo is in the dark jacket. His father Eduardo is next to him in the khaki coat. Leo looks so much like an older version of my son Emilio that I kept staring at him. Also it was HOT. How can these Italians wear so many clothes when it's 75° and sunny out? |
After lunch, we strolled through the streets of Monza, stopped for a shot of coffee, and then proceeded to the gothic cathedral. The facade, recently cleaned and restored, was so bright it was almost blinding. Inside was as dark as the outside was light, which seemed appropriate as it focused heavily on the story of the beheading of St. John the baptist, depicted in gory frescoes at the front of the church.
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| The brilliantly restored facade of Monza cathedral |
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| Frescoes in the church. Note headless St. John the Baptist in the lower center and lower right panels. |
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| The church was an interesting mix of gothic, renaissance, and later styles |
We ended our time together by strolling the grounds of the Villa Reale (royal villa.) The many trees and expanse of green grass were a welcome respite from the town's tight urban architecture. Eduardo, Franco, and I walked back to the train station where Franco caught his train back to Como and Eduardo and I returned to Milan. Before saying goodbye to Eduardo at Garibaldi station, I was able to communicate to him that I will see him again Monday evening. I will stay with him before heading to Merate together on Tuesday to the home of cousin Donato, who keeps the family paintings.
It is exhausting to speak most of the day in a language that I am still learning, so I am off to bed!
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