Pizza from Napoli in Milan

Back in the fall, Caitlin and I went to check out a pizza place she had read about online.

A famous Napolitano pizza maker has opened a shop near Milan's famous Duomo.

The pizzeria, Lievito Madre al Duomo, served only 400 pizzas each night and there's a countdown outside keeping track.

They don't take reservations.

Just show up and give your name and number in your party to the person manning the door.

I'd advise you not to wait til the normal Italian dinner hour of 9:00.

I rather liked the pizza. Chewy crust, fresh toppings.

I wished we hadn't tried the arancini. I was not impressed.

Contrary to the typical Italian style of letting you linger at your table as long as you want, service here is quick to help you keep moving, so the next customers can take your spot.

So, good pizza, yes! Service...ehhhhhh...there's some room for improvement.

Lievito Madre al Duomo is located at Largo Corsia dei Servi, behind the Duomo. Walk down Corso Vittorio Emanuele and take a right down one of the smaller 'alleys' to a small back square, behind The Gap, Mango and Pull & Bear. Open at 7 pm, Monday through Saturday.

Milan's Unique Advent Calendar

Advent marks the beginning of the Christmas season for Christian churches. In Latin, the word advent means arrival or coming and refers to the anticipation of Christ's birth. Germans began lighting candles each night in anticipation of Advent, and the tradition translated into various forms, including calendars to mark the days leading up to Christmas. (source)

the Duomo and the city's tree

Milan has a unique way of celebrating this holiday season by creating a musical Advent calendar in Piazza Duomo.

Beginning December 1, each night at 6 pm, a musician stands at the window of municipal offices. Every night an additional musician stands at a window. They play Christmas music for 30 minutes for the crowds in Piazza Duomo to enjoy.

I went on December 12th, so there were 12 musicians to enjoy.

The windows are numbered from 1-24, for each day in December leading up to Christmas.

Greetings hang in many languages.

Here's a little taste of what you can go and experience.

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.

Street Art of Florence

I've been to Florence a couple of times now, and I've noticed various street art signs there and throughout Europe. But, this trip spotting the redesigned street signs became a bit of an obsession for Caitlin and me.

Most of these signs are "hacked" by street artist Clet Abraham, a French artist based in Italy.

Here is some of what we found, just in Florence. I'm on the lookout for others!

And, what would Florence in December be without a picture of the Duomo and a beautiful Christmas tree.

Florence's Duomo in December

Year 3...And So It Began

Here we are four weeks into the school year and I've never been busier at ASM. I arrived back to Milan just about 5 weeks ago now, the same day as our 17 new teachers arrived. This year I wasn't helping out with the Orientation committee, but I love helping others get situated and learn the ins and outs of living here so I tried to be involved and get to know them. I've been lucky to make some new friends and am excited to get to know them better in the coming months.

Here's the 2013-2014 ASM Staff!

All of our elementary teachers received a new Dell laptop this fall and, this, in combination with challenging them to start right away integrating technology, kept me running at full speed the first three weeks of school. I feel like things are finally starting to settle into place and that I'm able to start focusing on some of the other projects I'd like to see happen in our classrooms. We purchased a cart of Windows 8 tablets and I worked to introduce them to our students through an International Dot Day project. You can see our work on my school website.

In addition to all of the work craziness, a few of us thought it would be a good idea to start a book club. I had been attending an English speaking book club in the city, but wasn't loving the conversations or book selections, so this was the solution. We met this past week to talk about Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed, which overall received high praise from our group.

Not much else is happening here, just life like everywhere else. We are planning a few trips for our upcoming long weekends...Brussels and Bruges, Belgium in October, an agriturismo outside Siena at the beginning of November, and Barcelona, Spain for Thanksgiving. I'm so excited for Barcelona. It's been on my list since my high school trip there dropped it off our itinerary.

Who's coming to visit this year? Southern Italy is still on my travel list, so I'd love to explore the region with some familiar faces!

But all is well here in Milan. So many have asked what I'm doing at the end of this year and the answer is fairly plain and simple. I just don't know. But, in the next few months a decision will have to be made.

Milan's Duomo...always beautiful!