Milano

In typical Sara-and-Emma style, my lovely friend and I headed to Milan for a much needed weekend away. We had been planning this trip since March, when the summer schedule for viewings of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper went up online. We reserved tickets for July 6 and made a weekend out of it! 

We started on Saturday at noon with an adorable meeting in Milano Centrale train station. Emma’s train from Bologna got in first so she found me on my platform right when I got in. We immediately headed to the main square, Piazza del Duomo. Our B&B was about five minutes from the cathedral (Duomo) so we really couldn’t have had a better location for getting around, what with a metro stop and all of the main attractions at our most convenient disposal. 

This weekend in Milan was a special weekend. In fact, it was a special weekend throughout Italy. What was so special? THE SUMMER SALES BEGAN! Ah, yes, the Italian summer sales are a glorious time of year. Nearly every store and designer, from Prada, Dolce&Gabbana, Valentino, and Dior to Zara, Benetton, Moschino, and MaxMara, has amazing discounts – no less than 30% off. Incredible! What I learned, however, was 50% off of a €1000 coat is a €500 coat, and therefore quite out of my price range. I fell in love with a pair of shoes and a pair of pants at MaxMara, but I decided against purchasing them on impulse and waiting to see if the Rome location possibly has the same things. 

On Saturday, we basically walked around and window shopped! We went into the Duomo, which was gorgeous, and ate lunch and gelato before going back to more designer stores. It was fun just to be a part of the excitement, the fashion, and the drama of summer sales. Milan was built on fashion and this kind of thing is the perfect opportunity to visit the beautiful city. 

We spent a good deal of time in Dior, where Emma ended up buying a pair of very classy sunglasses. The sales woman helping us out suggested we check out the Aperol bar for a drink that night and we took up the suggestions. Whenever Emma and I go anywhere, we have a mantra – it’s always spritz-o’clock. Having a spritz in THE Aperol bar was nothing short of destiny for us. The bar is in a building right next to the cathedral and has a terrace that overlooks the piazza. 

For dinner, we went to the Obika Mozzarella Bar, a rooftop restaurant also in the main piazza. Another great view along with amazing mozzarella really tuckered us out and we headed back to our B&B for the night. 

On Sunday, we wanted to check out Castello Sforzesco, but we woke up absolutely starving! Before we made our way uptown, we had brunch at the California Bakery, an American bakery and restaurant. We ate bagel sandwiches and had American coffees. It was weird… but satisfying. 

After brunch, Emma and I went to Castello Sforzesco, the former home of the most powerful family in Milan. The castle has awesome grounds that are reminiscent of Central Park. We strolled and lounged until it was time for our appointment with The Last Supper. The church that houses the fresco is in the same neighborhood as the castle so we only had a short walk. When we got there, we had to turn in our receipt to get our actual tickets and then wait until our actual time. 

The anticipation certainly built up, but seeing the fresco was totally worth it. I cannot even describe how awestruck I was by the fabulous piece of art. It lived up to every bit of hype and truly exceeded my expectations. Words do not do it justice. It is a must-see. 

Our weekend was almost over following The Last Supper, but we made time to create our own custom ice cream bars at the Magnum ice cream bar. Mine was dipped in dark chocolate and topped with pistachio, rose petals, and wafers with white chocolate drizzled on top. Yum!

I am so glad that Emma and I had the opportunity to fit in another trip. I’ve been quite stressed out lately so a little vacation was exactly what I needed! Next weekend, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, aka my summer employer, is hosting a conference on global inclusivity. The conference is Friday and Saturday, so on Sunday Emma and I are going to Naples and Pompeii for the day! It will be the last trip of my Italian adventure!

 

Con affetto,

Sara

La Domenica

Sundays in Bologna are set aside for relaxing at home, invading the streets, and spending time with loved ones. Most shops and restaurants are closed and young families with toddlers stroll around the piazzas. Observing the anomaly that is family time in this, the original college town, as I like to call it, is a truly fantastic way to spend the day. Children are a rare sight during the week so I have to get my fix of seeing babies thrilled by street performers on Sundays. I have spent four out of my six Sundays abroad here in Bologna, and each has been more lovely than the last. On the weekends, the main roads in the city center are blocked off so people can walk straight down the center without worrying about the consequences. This is quite nice for most people, but if you’re like me then you really don’t even look both ways before you cross the street anyway (sorry, Mom! I attribute this habit to living in New York).

Of course for me, a major part of my Sunday is mass. And as anyone who has visited any city in Europe can attest to, churches are by no means in demand. I have my pick of gorgeous, ancient churches when the bells ring 6pm. I generally attend an evening mass as I would if I were at school, just to keep up a semi-normal routine. Within a ten minute walking radius of my apartment, there are no fewer than twenty churches I could visit on any given Sunday. My most frequented church is San Martino, which gives its name to the piazza where my friend, Emma, lives. San Martino is dark and drafty, like all other churches built in its time, but filled with incredible art work – frescoes, statues, and altars are far from extinct in a country where Catholicism is not as strong as it once was. At my 6:30pm mass in San Martino, I am usually one of 25 people attending and the youngest by at least ten years. I’m fairly certain the morning masses are more crowded, as I’ve walked by the doors when the priest dismisses the congregation a few times now.

My feelings about going to mass in Italy can be summed up with what a professor of mine tweeted the other day (we can talk about how I follow my professor on Twitter at a later date), “That feeling when you are far from home and you enter a Catholic church for mass.” While I don’t understand every word being said, I feel so at peace when attending mass, no matter where in the world I am! Thank goodness for a universal Church.

Brunch, yo!

Last Sunday was bellissima! I spent the whole day with Emma, and what a fabulous day it was! Emma called me around 11am to wake me up (such a good friend – she knew I’d still be asleep and didn’t want me to waste such a beautiful day). We went to brunch at one of our favorite spots, Camera A Sud. Because most things are closed on Sunday, we didn’t have high hopes for the days activities but one museum in town stays open, Museo Ebraico, so we decided to check it out. Best two euros I’ve ever spent on something other than gelato! Bologna has one of the largest remaining Jewish populations in Italy and Museo Ebraico is dedicated to their story. We managed to catch an exhibit of children’s artwork from the ghetto Terezin. It was a very touching display and the pictures shed a new light on the struggle of Jews in Italy during World War II. After the heavy stuff, we ventured outdoors and were greeted by one of the most beautiful Bolognese days I’ve experienced thus far. Our original plan was to read in the piazza but we got to talking and walking and just went with the flow. Following the day’s strolling, we grabbed some snacks and Prosecco at a nearby bar. I went to mass while Emma went to Skype her fam (hello, Pcolinski’s!) and then I Skyped my family with a very poor internet connection. We ended our day at another favorite restaurant, Rosso San Martino, down the piazza from the church. Excellent day!

This weekend is the final weekend of Carnevale! I’m planning to go to Venice, but I’m also trusting my roommates to sort of just tell me what to do!

Con affetto,

Sara