Today was an excellent introduction to the language and culture of Milan, Italy. Our second day was started by a quick language lesson by a local Milan woman. She was able to teach us common Italian phrases which included basic introductions which we tried to apply to our day later on. Sayings like “Buongiorno” and “Come stai” are typically phrases that I have been trying to incorporate into my time in Italy. After the lesson, we traveled out and searched for a local restaurant for a quick lunch. Although Italian lunches are typically long, we decided to keep our lunch on the shorter side due to our Milan tour quickly approaching. I was able to order A margarita pizza and fresh salad for under 10 Euros. I appreciate the difference in Italian food from American in that the food appears relatively cheaper and seems to be made with much fresher ingredients.

After our lunch, we returned to the hotel to get started on our tour of Milan. From where our hotel is located, it wouldn’t seem that the surrounding area is very “Italy” feeling due to the architecture being relatively generic. However, a few minutes after we left we toured through a new residential area and streets which were lined with old ornate Italian buildings on both sides. The tour provided us with audio headsets which made the experience much more enjoyable as we could clearly hear the tour guide explaining significance and historical background. After walking the surrounding streets of central Milan, we eventually reached the iconic Milan shopping center and Duomo di Milano. We learned interesting fun facts about good luck from spinning on the bull tile and how no building can exceed the Madonnina statue on top of the cathedral. On the way back from the hotel, we stopped at a Versace to see how the other half lives in terms of fashion choices. Although we didn’t purchase any of the high priced items, we were able to make acquaintances with a Versace salesman, Stephano, who told us how he became interested in the creative ideas of the brand. After about half an hour of conversation, we said ciao and headed on our way.

Later the night, we decided to go out and watch a Milan and Bologna soccer match. With the tickets being relatively cheap it was the perfect opportunity. Although the trip to the stadium was long, it was interesting to see the rambunctious reactions of the Milan fans when the team scored the game winning goal. While in Milan, I hope to meet more locals who can explain their experiences and points of interest. Ciao!