We woke up totally refreshed to a cool and sunny Monday in Milan. Yi was to be at the uni by 10 am. We walked one block up, went up a bridge that crossed a canal that Leonardo Da Vinci had designed, walked down another block, turned the corner and down another block. 7 minutes' walk only.
Domus Academy and NABA are situated in a medium-sized complex of buildings that also includes a design lab for Samsung. The students were young, of course, and very fashionable. Yi went off to her class and I went to the computer room in Domus to use the internet. We had no internet in our apartment and had to walk 5 minutes to the hotel's reception two streets away if we wanted to use it. If we had taken the rooms in the building where the hotel reception was, we would have had internet but Yi thought that I might want to cook sometimes so she took the service apartment. Not having internet was very inconvenient and one night we sat on the patio outside the hotel reception at midnight, going through emails, FB and making hotel reservations for Bologna. It was 6 C. That was the only time I felt the cold. The first week was warm, with temperatures in the low to mid 20s in the day but the second week, the cold set in and temperatures plunged to 10 to 14 C in the day and lower at night. Strangely, we didn't find it cold at all. I think the Mediterranean winter is the best I've experienced of all winters--mild, not too dry and totally windless.
Unlike universities in Australia, England and the US where students are predominantly Asians, Yi's class of NABA students were from all over the world, including Japan, Indonesia, Norway, England, Mexico and Turkey. Some of them recognized Yi from her Youtube videos and were thrilled while others thought she was a new student. NABA and Domus Academy start their new semester with 2 weeks of workshops before the lectures and these students were very serious and got straight into the project Yi had planned for them.
Walking around the universities, I felt very conscious of my attire and decided that I must get some skinny pants because nobody was wearing bell bottoms like me!
Yi got back about 5 pm and that gave us time to walk around until the shops closed at 7:30 pm. We walked around our neighborhood, which is packed with shops and restaurants and only 25 minutes' walk to the Milan Cathedral and about 15 minutes to Navigli, an area by the canal with lots of restaurants and bars that stay open late.
Throughout the two weeks we were there, this was my favorite patisserie. It is called Delicatessen because they have a deli/ham bar but it is the amazing range and quality of pastries and cakes that made me stop by nearly everyday. I don't miss the pasta or the pizzas but I really really miss patisseries and bakeries which are on every block in Milan.
This was probably zuccini tart. It was very good. Everything in Delicatessen was excellent.
It was a warm day, she had finished class early on the first day and was exhilarated by her experience so we celebrated with some pastries at Delicatessen, just minutes away from our apartment.
Another day, another treat at Delicatessan and all were yummy.
Lunch at NABAR, the univeristies' cafeteria, was okay at first but on the second day we ate a veggie quiche that was bitter and a soup that was super salty and then I had spada (swordfish) that had a weird taste which sent shivers down my arms and from then on I preferred to prepare lunch for myself, since the apartment was just minutes away.
Lunch like this was not cheap, about 12 to 14 euros.
Domus Academy and NABA are situated in a medium-sized complex of buildings that also includes a design lab for Samsung. The students were young, of course, and very fashionable. Yi went off to her class and I went to the computer room in Domus to use the internet. We had no internet in our apartment and had to walk 5 minutes to the hotel's reception two streets away if we wanted to use it. If we had taken the rooms in the building where the hotel reception was, we would have had internet but Yi thought that I might want to cook sometimes so she took the service apartment. Not having internet was very inconvenient and one night we sat on the patio outside the hotel reception at midnight, going through emails, FB and making hotel reservations for Bologna. It was 6 C. That was the only time I felt the cold. The first week was warm, with temperatures in the low to mid 20s in the day but the second week, the cold set in and temperatures plunged to 10 to 14 C in the day and lower at night. Strangely, we didn't find it cold at all. I think the Mediterranean winter is the best I've experienced of all winters--mild, not too dry and totally windless.
Unlike universities in Australia, England and the US where students are predominantly Asians, Yi's class of NABA students were from all over the world, including Japan, Indonesia, Norway, England, Mexico and Turkey. Some of them recognized Yi from her Youtube videos and were thrilled while others thought she was a new student. NABA and Domus Academy start their new semester with 2 weeks of workshops before the lectures and these students were very serious and got straight into the project Yi had planned for them.
Walking around the universities, I felt very conscious of my attire and decided that I must get some skinny pants because nobody was wearing bell bottoms like me!
Yi got back about 5 pm and that gave us time to walk around until the shops closed at 7:30 pm. We walked around our neighborhood, which is packed with shops and restaurants and only 25 minutes' walk to the Milan Cathedral and about 15 minutes to Navigli, an area by the canal with lots of restaurants and bars that stay open late.
Throughout the two weeks we were there, this was my favorite patisserie. It is called Delicatessen because they have a deli/ham bar but it is the amazing range and quality of pastries and cakes that made me stop by nearly everyday. I don't miss the pasta or the pizzas but I really really miss patisseries and bakeries which are on every block in Milan.
This was probably zuccini tart. It was very good. Everything in Delicatessen was excellent.
It was a warm day, she had finished class early on the first day and was exhilarated by her experience so we celebrated with some pastries at Delicatessen, just minutes away from our apartment.
Another day, another treat at Delicatessan and all were yummy.
Lunch at NABAR, the univeristies' cafeteria, was okay at first but on the second day we ate a veggie quiche that was bitter and a soup that was super salty and then I had spada (swordfish) that had a weird taste which sent shivers down my arms and from then on I preferred to prepare lunch for myself, since the apartment was just minutes away.
Lunch like this was not cheap, about 12 to 14 euros.
5 comments:
Terri, this is Ms. Envy here. :) You are making me miss Italy SO MUCH! These pictures of the food! Arrrghhh! Terrific posts and photos - and Yi's looking prettier!
Esther
I agree, the tarts and cakes look divine. I would eat those for breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of weird tasting fish and salty soup.
Hello Yi! Great to see that you were in NABA! WOW! A few info that you might be interested in =)
The shoe soles: they are usually smooth because before we use them we have them custom soled with a thin rubber sole.
Inquisitive people: this has not to do with not being used to Asians but with hospitality. Asking questions and showing interest in a foreigner is to be read as a display of extra attention. And yes, italians are curious people =)
The price: unfortunately Milan is an expensive city and 12 euros is the price of a cheap lunch. Next time you'll have better luck if you choose some street food instead of sitting at the table for lunch: it's cheaper and tastier.
PS: if you have to see one city in Italy it should be either Rome or Florence or Venice, that's right. But please why do you say "Even Florence" Are you kidding? What crappy city are you talking about? :)
Chiara (born in Florence, currently living in Rome)
esther: go again!
blurting: i miss the cakes n tarts the most:(
chiara: oh, tq. wish i knew about the shoes b4. makes sense bc another layer of rubber sole would make them thicker. my daughter was complaining tt she cold feel the cold ground thru her new ankle boots.
sorry, i don't mean florence is a crappy city. in fact, i love florence, and u can see my posts on florence if you go to my travel links.
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