10 Great Things to Do In and Around Milan

Adding my post from the 2013 Expats Blog contest here...maybe over time I can add some pictures!

Milan is not on every tourist’s to do list when visiting Italy, but there are plenty of things to keep you busy at any time of the year. Here are some of the highlights worthy of checking out during a stay in the city.

1. The Duomo- Milan’s Duomo is just one of those sites that never gets old. Each time you walk past, it’s beauty is breathtaking. It’s the fourth largest cathedral in the world and stands 354 feet tall. Take the time to climb the stairs to the top to get a closer look at the intricacies of the Gothic style architecture.
2. The Lakes- Close to Milan are several lakes worth checking out. Lake Como is certainly the most popular, but go just a little further and you’ll find Lake Maggiore with its picturesque three islands. Slightly to the east is Lake Garda. Plenty to choose from- the only difficulty is making the choice!
3. Cimitero Monumentale- When I have friends in town, I always tell them that I’m taking them to the cemetery- and I always get some really strange looks! This cemetery, opened in 1866,  is full of really interesting, unique and large monuments serving as family tombs. Several are replicas of other famous towers or churches in Italy, like a scaled down version of Trajan’s Column. This place is just one of those things that you just can’t believe until you see it.
4. Brera- The small neighborhood of Brera is known for its artsy vibe and wonderful Pinacoteca. Via Brera is lined with small, intimate cafes perfect for people watching on an afternoon in the city. Visit the Pinacoteca to check out the various art collections which include many famous Italian artists.
5. Festivals- There are several festivals at different times of the year to highlight ingredients or holidays. Two of my favorites are Alba’s Fiera del Tartufo Bianco festival (the white truffle) and the enormous L’Artigiano in Fiera. The festival in Alba is a short drive or train ride from Milan. You walk in to a huge tent and the aroma of truffle is overpowering. Vendors are offering samples of their truffle products and you can see whole truffles up close and see the astounding prices that go with them! The truffle festival is held every Autumn for several weeks in October. The Fiera is held for 10 days at the beginning of December. Take the red metro line all the way to Rho Fiera (be sure to buy your ticket just for this—a regular urban ticket won’t cut it!) and follow the crowds. There are always lots of people here, but pace yourself and plan ahead. There are sections for every part of the world and by focusing on one or two areas you can allow yourself to still enjoy the experience. The Fiera is great for shopping for unique gifts and trying different foods from all corners of the world.
6. The Navigli- The Navigli area of Milan refers to the areas that line the canals. Two canals, run near each other, Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese. Each is lined with shops, cafes and  restaurants. During the day you might happen upon a large antique market (generally the last weekend of the month) and at night you’ll find a lively scene of people out for dinner, drinks, and live music. There’s a little bit of everything on the Navigli.
7. Cook in Milan- If you’re visiting Milan, perhaps one experience you’ll see out is a lesson in Italian cooking. Clara, the chef and owner, invites you into her home and instructs you in the preparation of a pre-selected traditional Italian menu. Clara speaks great English and is really knowledgeable about Italian cooking and where to locate those “hard-to-find” ingredients in the city.
8. Aperitivo- This is a Milanese tradition. Generally from 6 to 9 PM bars and restaurants offer what is known as aperitivo, where you buy a drink for 6 to 10 euro and included is a buffet of snacks. The choices vary from place to place, but there are plenty of choices in the city. Many can be found in the Navigli area and a really cool one is on the top floor of La Rinescente department store next to the Duomo. This bar offers up close views of the Duomo and makes for a really gorgeous and memorable setting.
9. DaVinci’s Last Supper- Book in advance if you wish to see the masterpiece created by DaVinci of The Last Supper in the 15th century. The work was created in the convent of the Santa Maria Della Grazie church. Tickets are available about three months out for 15 minute time segments. The numbers are kept small, so your window of time, while small, is definitely worthwhile.
10. LaScala- Milan’s famous opera house is a great place for a night out. Tickets for operas can be hard to come by, but for symphonies and other musical events check with the box office or their website to see what is available. The inside is amazing and something that even non-music lovers can appreciate.

It's Not Always as it Seems

It's January, a long and cold month, which this year seems to be a little more wet than I'd care it to be.

The first week we were back was full of nights without sleep and zombie like days. Jet lag was really getting the best of most of us.

Being home over the holidays was so nice, despite my continuous illness and its related consequences. While there, I was discussing the less than glamorous moments of my expat life, like the adventures in grocery shopping. So, to reassure all my readers that not every moment living here is pretty in pink, I thought I'd give you a run down of what it's like grocery shopping in a city where you don't have a car.

Here's your scenario---

You live about a 15 minute walk from the nearest "real" grocery store and about 20 from your preferred option. There are a couple smaller shops that have some things, but they really only work for necessities. Each weekend you grab you trusty roll-y cart and head out to one of the nearby stores. Since it's January, you've been wearing all your winter gear, including a knee length quilted puffy coat with fur lined hood. Getting to the store is the easy part; just put your headphones in and enjoy the walk. Unless it's raining and you're wearing rain boots, carrying an umbrella, and dodging cars that are driving on the sidewalk. (Yep, that was this weekend...and I have the bruise to prove it.)

the necessary footwear for this season

perhaps my best purchase ever...
though lately I've been having nightmares about a wheel falling off
on my way home from the store when it's full of groceries

Anyways, at the store you stock up on necessities, just like you would in the States. But, you can only purchase what you can carry (or roll) home. It's not recommended to drink too much of the tap water here since it has extra high levels of calcium, so you buy bottled water. (I buy plenty of pineapple juice and prefer the Pepsi Light over the Coca Light. Different continents, different formulas I suppose.)

I buy 2L of water for Euro .18-- pretty cheap, I think,
compared to the cost of bottled water in the US

one of my faves...my mom is even a fan;
Santa brought her two boxes this year!

When you're looking for your milk, you have refrigerated options and long lasting options. (At first I wasn't interested in the milk that didn't need any refrigeration. It totally freaked me out, but now it's just so much easier to keep some on hand since the refrigerated milk only lasts a few days.) Oh, the eggs aren't refrigerated either. Hmmmm...

the not refrigerated section of milk-
whole milk is blue, skim is green, part skim is pink

my preferred choice of milk (not refrigerated) but it's
only sold consistently at one of the three stores I frequent

You always pack your roll-y cart from the heaviest to the lightest items, so all those liquids go in first and then you meander around for the other odds and ends you need. Each store carries only some things, so maybe a 2nd trip will be needed later in the week to a different store. Over in the fruit and veggies section you must don a plastic glove and use that to bag any of your purchases. Don't forget to weigh and label those purchases though.

directions reminding you to use a glove and then weigh your purchases;
each item has a number that you press on the scale for the correct price

now, lest you think the whole experience is bad...
this whole aisle on the right is full of wine, sold by region of Italy,
and is generally 5 euro or less

Off to the cashier, which is pretty standard, except for the fact that you must bag your groceries. This would totally be no big deal in the US. Americans, for the most part, are surprisingly patient in comparison to many Italians. When you are bagging your groceries, the next person in line is practically pushing you out of the way so they can get started. And, of course, you must put the heaviest stuff in first again or everything will get squished.

here's one load up the stairs...two more to go

Finally, it's time to walk home. Now you're lugging the cart full of water, juice, milk and food for a week, maybe carrying a bag on your shoulder. You walk the 15 to 20 minutes home while starting to sweat, drag the cart to the base of the stairs to your apartment, and proceed to empty some of the groceries into a smaller bag. See, you can't carry the whole roll-y cart up the stairs at once. You unload the first load, rip off your coat and hat, and go back for more. So three separate trip up 28 stairs and finally your "trip to the grocery" is over.

Phew...until the next week.

Have a great expat grocery store experience? If you're American, have you ever considered leaving the car at home and doing your weekly grocery shopping on foot? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments!

Books of 2013

I'm a list girl, and I love crossing things off a list or setting and achieving goals for myself. Last year, I set out to read 50 books and ended up reading 62. This year I wanted to beat that goal. I finished the year with a grand total of 67 books.

Unfortunately, only two books I read were worthy of 5 stars this year and they were both non-fiction reads I chose for professional reasons.

So, if you have an interest in books related to technology in education, here are two suggestions.


Technology Together: Whole School Professional Development for Capability and Confidence by Renata Phelps and Anne Graham












Connected From the Start: Global Learning in the Primary Grades by Kathy Cassidy

This is a great read for any elementary educator.










Now for those fiction lovers out there. While each of these books rated only 4 out of 5 stars from me, I think you'll still find them worthy of your time.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Interesting book for the 9 and up set. One story told in words and another in pictures. Towards the end the pictures and written story come together as one. Moves quickly as you desire to know what the connection and outcome will be.



The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Wowser, what a story. A bit difficult to navigate at the beginning as you read through the eyes of Death, but such a well written story of a young girl's life in Nazi Germany. Just when your pulled in so deeply, Death is sure to rip your heart out. I fear the trailer for the new movie makes this book look like it's all roses and daisies and I hope parents do their homework before allowing their kids to see it.





Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

Quirky, intelligent novel that's fun to read. Take it to the beach. You'll love it!



And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Not my favorite Hosseini book (because how does one top A Thousand Splendid Suns?) but still worth a read. Multiple stories that weave together into one. I think the downfall of this book is trying to identify the connection between each story and then remember how they fit together once the connection is made. But all in all a beautiful tale is woven together.






The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

Story of Japanese immigration to the US in the early 1900's. Written in the first person plural voice, the author provides insight into multiple perspectives and lives from women of that time. It's this unique point of view that really allows you insight into the minds of Japanese women in the US during that time period. The last few chapters were less appealing than the remainder if the book, but still a quality read. And, it's super short! You'll have it done in a breeze!

Lucca...Loving It!

In December Caitlin and I planned a quick jaunt to Florence with a side trip to Lucca. Florence was decorated for the holidays and had a nice Christmas market. We hunted street art, ate great sandwiches and pizza, and shopped for some gifts.

We found this pipsqueak of a car...
essentially a scooter with a car around it!

Ummm....this booth at the market could have caused me a lot of trouble!

Florence's fleur de lis

The next morning we hopped a train to nearby Lucca. Caitlin had been told that at noon all the bells in town ring at once and it's really amazing. We climbed one of the many towers in town and heard several bells ringing at 11, but the bells at 12 were disappointing. We heard nothing. We wandered about, ate some pumpkin pasta, walked the markets, and explored the 4 km trek around the walled city. But, of course, the city is beautiful...because is there an Italian town that's not?

Lucca- view from the tower

church in Lucca

kind of a gem, don't you think?