This video on Youtube shows European scenes at Christmas. You may recognize the Cities, Rome, Warsaw, Milan, Palermo, villages in the Dolomites and the Alps.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Milan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milan. Show all posts
Monday, 9 December 2013
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Sunday 25 July return to Roma
Well our restaurant last night did not live up to the standard of the Gambero Rozzo or our expectations. A few things went wrong, first despite having confirmed our reservation with us, it was not in their book. We had a table but again it was in an odd corner of the restaurant. The restaurant itself has lots of character in its décor, frescoes, wook beamed ceilings. The waiter took his time in bringing the menus, then brought the white wine just left the bottle on the table, we had to ask for an ice bucket. The waiter looked indifferent not caring much, distant, the room was half empty.
The food was ordinary, really not worth the price, poor quality to euro value. I had a sea food salad which is usually about 8 euros in any restaurant in Rome, here it was 20 euros, main course monkfish, good but again nothing special with a side dish of fiori di zucca, just the flowers no stuffing, good but again I thought this is not freshly made, they have been sitting on the counter. For dessert fruiti di bosco, only the raspberries where good and sweet, the other berries were sour. Will did not have much luck either, his antipasto was prosciutto with figs which he liked but the main dish was overdone with mozzarella. Will write to Gambero to tell them that this recommendation was a huge disappointment. After dinner we went walking in central Milan, very quiet at night but so many beautiful shop windows, something we do not see in Rome.
Il Duomo Milan
Speaking of which, big scandal yesterday, the Italian police raided a sweatshop where dozens of Chinese workers do piecemeal work on clothing. Now all of them had their papers in order, no illegal workers here. The discovery was that all the work they were doing for a few centimes per item, all of it is for known Italian designer brands, customers usually pay large sums of money for one clothing item thinking that it was done by professionals, not so. This is a growing problem in Italy, you get a lot of made in China copies of designer items, cheaply made and you also get now items made in Italian sweatshops. In both cases the items are not worth the price tag. A retired tailor who worked for 50 yrs for one well known designer told me that nowadays people want labels they do not look for quality in workmanship as was the fashion years ago. Designers know this and give the public the labels, nothing more, sad really. The same can be said of the actual work of the designers, today the big names are too busy managing their image and business empire to actually design, sketch or draw new patterns for clothes or other items. They have apprentice to do this work, they may look over the work, give general instructions, make sure it is more or less what they want or has their trade mark, that is were it ends. You pay for the name, so buyer beware!
The food was ordinary, really not worth the price, poor quality to euro value. I had a sea food salad which is usually about 8 euros in any restaurant in Rome, here it was 20 euros, main course monkfish, good but again nothing special with a side dish of fiori di zucca, just the flowers no stuffing, good but again I thought this is not freshly made, they have been sitting on the counter. For dessert fruiti di bosco, only the raspberries where good and sweet, the other berries were sour. Will did not have much luck either, his antipasto was prosciutto with figs which he liked but the main dish was overdone with mozzarella. Will write to Gambero to tell them that this recommendation was a huge disappointment. After dinner we went walking in central Milan, very quiet at night but so many beautiful shop windows, something we do not see in Rome.
Il Duomo Milan
Speaking of which, big scandal yesterday, the Italian police raided a sweatshop where dozens of Chinese workers do piecemeal work on clothing. Now all of them had their papers in order, no illegal workers here. The discovery was that all the work they were doing for a few centimes per item, all of it is for known Italian designer brands, customers usually pay large sums of money for one clothing item thinking that it was done by professionals, not so. This is a growing problem in Italy, you get a lot of made in China copies of designer items, cheaply made and you also get now items made in Italian sweatshops. In both cases the items are not worth the price tag. A retired tailor who worked for 50 yrs for one well known designer told me that nowadays people want labels they do not look for quality in workmanship as was the fashion years ago. Designers know this and give the public the labels, nothing more, sad really. The same can be said of the actual work of the designers, today the big names are too busy managing their image and business empire to actually design, sketch or draw new patterns for clothes or other items. They have apprentice to do this work, they may look over the work, give general instructions, make sure it is more or less what they want or has their trade mark, that is were it ends. You pay for the name, so buyer beware!
Teatro alla Scala, Milan
We went last night to La Scala to see Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini. The cast included Juan Diego Florez as Count Almaviva, Alessandro Corbelli as Dr. Bartolo, Joyce Didonato as Rosina and Franco Vassallo as Figaro.
Beautiful, clear voices for a light opera. The conductor was a young fellow Michele Mariotti, the production is 40 years old and was a creation of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.
Will remembered it from seeing this production many moons ago.
One great scene is when Basilio, a priest, a role sung by Alexander Tsymbalyuk, explains to Bartolo how they will get rid of Lindoro aka Count Almaviva, is shadow on the back drop grows and grows and becomes comical and terrifying all at once. Finally Bartolo takes away the oil lamps so the shadow will go away, so afraid he is of it.
At one point the show stopped after an aria by Juan Diego Flores who received 5 minutes of thunderous applause by the audience who were demanding an encore. La Scala theatre has been completely rebuilt, it is very beautiful to look at.
Ballroom, bar area
La Scala auditorium
We went to a little café called Il Salotto in the Galleria Vittotio Emanuelle II after the show, the food was quite good, very nice waiters, we had a Risoto Milanese, saffron and chicken stock and a Milanese veal cotelette (chop) not the usual scaloppini, lightly breaded and fried, very good.
We slept very well, tired as we were, it had been a long day but what fun. I have to say that all these years traveling with Mr. Will is always fun, he knows how to make a trip interesting.
Beautiful, clear voices for a light opera. The conductor was a young fellow Michele Mariotti, the production is 40 years old and was a creation of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.
Will remembered it from seeing this production many moons ago.
One great scene is when Basilio, a priest, a role sung by Alexander Tsymbalyuk, explains to Bartolo how they will get rid of Lindoro aka Count Almaviva, is shadow on the back drop grows and grows and becomes comical and terrifying all at once. Finally Bartolo takes away the oil lamps so the shadow will go away, so afraid he is of it.
At one point the show stopped after an aria by Juan Diego Flores who received 5 minutes of thunderous applause by the audience who were demanding an encore. La Scala theatre has been completely rebuilt, it is very beautiful to look at.
Ballroom, bar area
La Scala auditorium
We went to a little café called Il Salotto in the Galleria Vittotio Emanuelle II after the show, the food was quite good, very nice waiters, we had a Risoto Milanese, saffron and chicken stock and a Milanese veal cotelette (chop) not the usual scaloppini, lightly breaded and fried, very good.
We slept very well, tired as we were, it had been a long day but what fun. I have to say that all these years traveling with Mr. Will is always fun, he knows how to make a trip interesting.
Friday, 23 July 2010
Weekend Trip to Milano
This is our third wedding anniversary and we are going to Milan for the weekend on the Tren Alto Velocita , (high speed train) from Rome a 4 hour trip, the train as a top speed of 300 km per hour.
The Termini Train Station today was filled with tourists and luggage. It is well organized when you think of the thousands of people who come through this station every day.
This is the Red Arrow train offering service from Napoli to Roma, Firenze, Bologna ending in Milano.
The gentlemen helping the helpless tourists with their luggage (usually North American families) are part of the pick pocket gangs of the Station, did you not notice that they speak a foreign language and they do not look Italian. Yes it is the old trick, prey on the unsuspecting tourist who does not realize that in Italy anyone working somewhere or in any capacity wears a uniform and has an ID badge, these guys are in street clothes, they do not work for Tren Italia. They are very brazen, after helping you badly with your luggage, they ask for payment all the while his colleague picks your pocket. Then they tell you be careful on the train there are many pick pockets. They are gone as quickly as they appear out of nowhere.
LOL!!!!!
Sure enough some people discovered minutes later that their wallet was gone. Coincidence, I don’t think so. To avoid such people, when you spot them, look them sharp in the eye, they will not bother you, they know you spotted them.
At the stop in Firenze, Santa Maria Nova Station, almost every one gets off. A great relief this means we can go and have lunch in the restaurant car, reservations required, in peace.
The menu today, it changes regularly is a first course of pasta then a second course of veal with herbs, dessert, fresh fruits (not canned) and pastries. Wine list available.
The food is usually good, it is an Italian train after all and the service is pleasant.
We arrive in Milan, Province of Lombardy at the border with Switzerland, a Northen City, the Central Station has been redone, built in 1932 during the Fascist Era, it says so on the wall, it is a mixture of Art Deco and Fascist motifs, all done to dwarf the traveller and impress. We are staying in the centre of Milan by the Scala Opera house and the Duomo. Today the centre is crawling with police, the Prime Minister of Italy Sylvio Berlusconi is entertaining his Russian friend V.Putin. The two are good friends and this in turn is good for Italy, trade wise.
Piazza della Scala with the statue to Leonardo da Vinci
Love Milan, the stores, the fashion, the restaurants, everything oozes elegance and style, do not look at the prices, just buy it. This is not Rome, where Rome has history and faded grandeur, Milan has money, banking, trade and style. Look at the bankers in their expensive suits, beautiful ties and highly polished shoes. Every store wants to offer something exclusive. Even in home décor, you can decorate your house to match a designer name. Style reflects who you are or who you want to be. Armani is opening an Hotel in Milan near the Duomo. I can just imagine the room rate.
We went to look for a summer hat for W. so we went to Borsalino, makers of the famous Panama hat. One would say the original, because Borsalino is a name by itself. Wear one and everyone will think you got style. For a simple straw hat, the price is steep. Many people come into the store to look and try on a hat, mostly men.
They are beautiful, classic in style, they are also on sale right now, mid-summer sales in Italy, next month the winter fashion comes out. You can purchase a Borsalino for as little as 174 Euros and spend as much as 350 Euros.
Wear one, it is like driving a Ferrari down the street, all heads will turn.
Borsalino in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, Milan
Tonite we go to La Scala Milan, the venerable and renovated opera house, famous around the world. I was at La Scala 10 years ago to see a work by Francis Poulenc, Le Dialogue des Carmelites, a stunning work. Tonite we are seeing the Barber of Seville with Juan Diego Flores.
Which means that his fans will be there to give him rapturous applause, he is a great tenor and has a superb voice. At La Scala, men must wear a jacket to enter the theatre, it is required. It is very hot and humid today so I brought a linen suit and shirt.
We will have dinner afterwards, a late dinner around midnight.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, Milan
The Termini Train Station today was filled with tourists and luggage. It is well organized when you think of the thousands of people who come through this station every day.
This is the Red Arrow train offering service from Napoli to Roma, Firenze, Bologna ending in Milano.
The gentlemen helping the helpless tourists with their luggage (usually North American families) are part of the pick pocket gangs of the Station, did you not notice that they speak a foreign language and they do not look Italian. Yes it is the old trick, prey on the unsuspecting tourist who does not realize that in Italy anyone working somewhere or in any capacity wears a uniform and has an ID badge, these guys are in street clothes, they do not work for Tren Italia. They are very brazen, after helping you badly with your luggage, they ask for payment all the while his colleague picks your pocket. Then they tell you be careful on the train there are many pick pockets. They are gone as quickly as they appear out of nowhere.
LOL!!!!!
Sure enough some people discovered minutes later that their wallet was gone. Coincidence, I don’t think so. To avoid such people, when you spot them, look them sharp in the eye, they will not bother you, they know you spotted them.
At the stop in Firenze, Santa Maria Nova Station, almost every one gets off. A great relief this means we can go and have lunch in the restaurant car, reservations required, in peace.
The menu today, it changes regularly is a first course of pasta then a second course of veal with herbs, dessert, fresh fruits (not canned) and pastries. Wine list available.
The food is usually good, it is an Italian train after all and the service is pleasant.
We arrive in Milan, Province of Lombardy at the border with Switzerland, a Northen City, the Central Station has been redone, built in 1932 during the Fascist Era, it says so on the wall, it is a mixture of Art Deco and Fascist motifs, all done to dwarf the traveller and impress. We are staying in the centre of Milan by the Scala Opera house and the Duomo. Today the centre is crawling with police, the Prime Minister of Italy Sylvio Berlusconi is entertaining his Russian friend V.Putin. The two are good friends and this in turn is good for Italy, trade wise.
Piazza della Scala with the statue to Leonardo da Vinci
Love Milan, the stores, the fashion, the restaurants, everything oozes elegance and style, do not look at the prices, just buy it. This is not Rome, where Rome has history and faded grandeur, Milan has money, banking, trade and style. Look at the bankers in their expensive suits, beautiful ties and highly polished shoes. Every store wants to offer something exclusive. Even in home décor, you can decorate your house to match a designer name. Style reflects who you are or who you want to be. Armani is opening an Hotel in Milan near the Duomo. I can just imagine the room rate.
We went to look for a summer hat for W. so we went to Borsalino, makers of the famous Panama hat. One would say the original, because Borsalino is a name by itself. Wear one and everyone will think you got style. For a simple straw hat, the price is steep. Many people come into the store to look and try on a hat, mostly men.
They are beautiful, classic in style, they are also on sale right now, mid-summer sales in Italy, next month the winter fashion comes out. You can purchase a Borsalino for as little as 174 Euros and spend as much as 350 Euros.
Wear one, it is like driving a Ferrari down the street, all heads will turn.
Borsalino in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, Milan
Tonite we go to La Scala Milan, the venerable and renovated opera house, famous around the world. I was at La Scala 10 years ago to see a work by Francis Poulenc, Le Dialogue des Carmelites, a stunning work. Tonite we are seeing the Barber of Seville with Juan Diego Flores.
Which means that his fans will be there to give him rapturous applause, he is a great tenor and has a superb voice. At La Scala, men must wear a jacket to enter the theatre, it is required. It is very hot and humid today so I brought a linen suit and shirt.
We will have dinner afterwards, a late dinner around midnight.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, Milan
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