Milan!

I met Lauri in Milan earlier in March for a weekend together - with the emphasis on discovering and enjoying the famous shopping available.

It was truly a beautiful, understated, and elegant city. We stayed in the Brera neighborhood, and enjoyed daily morning runs in the Parco Sempione. (Above is a street car in Milan, which you'll also be able to see in San Francisco...as they imported the old ones no longer in service.)

There is a big tradition in Milan of going for an 'aperitivo' between 6-8.
A lovely spot in the Brera that we went to was Radetzky, on the corso Garibaldi.

' In a kingdom where fashion is king and wispy models its princesses, the all-you-can-eat buffet is the last kind of dining experience you’d expect to find. Yet the two coexist in blissful harmony, for Milan is the home of the aperitivo—a tradition that raises the buffet to a new level.

Aperitivo, rich uncle of happy hour, is the beloved Milanese tradition of pre-dinner drinks accompanied by complimentary stuzzichini, or appetizers. Derived from the Latin aperitivus, to open, aperitivo is meant to stimulate the appetite and tease the taste buds, previewing the delights of dinner. Spreads can range from modest olives, cheeses and potato chips to awe-inspiring pastas, pizza, bruschetta, meats, sautéed vegetables and fruit salads. Drinks come with unlimited admission to the food bar. The aperitivo starts at 6 or 7 p.m., and lasts until 9. As little as one drink—alcoholic or not—can be your ticket to the best-kept secret in Italy.'

The duomo was spectacular...and reminded me of a year ago where Lauri and I saw the Taj Mahal together...and the year before that celebrating spring in Paris.



The shopping was amazing - the stores with tons of fresh flowers, intricate and modern window displays...and of course the shoes! I fell in love with a shop called Aspesi.

It was beautiful to have this time together to catch up...and I ended the weekend with a lovely cannoli, (which I have not for about 10 years, from the Italian deli I loved on Long Island.)