Milan Day 4 2012, More Of

Yi and I were to meet at the Duomo about 11 am. Her students were doing their workshop projects on the Duomo Square that morning and one of my SIL's nephews was visiting from London.

Walking to the Duomo from our apartment in the morning took about 25 minutes. I could've taken the tram for 1.50 euros, but I preferred to walk, peer at the shop windows and bite into a croissant on the way.


Halloween was in a couple of days.


Those steaks reminded me of Florence, Italy.




Halfway to the Duomo was a public square where people gather and perform or just chill (literally).




In the city center now.


The Duomo.


She/he is perfectly trimmed.


There were two lines outside Luini Panzerotti, on the left and right, each stretching to the end of the street. Apparently Luini invented the panzerotti, a deep-fried bread with filling inside. 


This panzerotti is filled with just tomato sauce and mozzarella. It tasted okay, a 7/10, and I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Maybe I expected more because there's always long lines at this place. The panzerotti was almost like the Chinese hum jim bang but softer and finer in texture. On another day, I had the salami picante filling and it was slightly better. I also tried the sweet panzarotti with a short crust and peach filling. Cheap at 2.80 euros (less for the ones with sweet filling), the panzerotti is a clever variation of the pizza for people on the go.

Yi went back to uni while A and I went to La Scala, the famous theatre in Milan. Photos are not allowed in the theatre which was fully booked months ahead. Entrance into the theatre for visitors was 6 euros, and we were allowed to go to a box on the third floor (I think there were 7 floors?) to look at the prep of the stage. It reminded me of The Phantom Of The Opera, and I felt like I was one of the audience watching the Phantom's Opera.


Part of the theatre houses music relics such as Lizt's piano, musical instruments that are hundreds of years old, and a large collection of automatons such as the above which still work and churn out captivating music.


I especially like this prototype music record. It still plays, and plays beautifully.


From there, A and I went to Brera, the high class shopping, dining and residential area of Milan.








We had gelato 3 times that day--Grom's, Amorino and Cioccolat Italiani. They were all good but the next time I am in Italy, I will avoid these touristy gelateria and head for the neighborhood gelateria, the kind that have dark wooden furniture that look like they have been there for the last seventy years.


Dinner was at one of the Salsamenteria de Parma chain of restaurants near Brera.




Red wine served in bowls?! I prefer wine glasses, thank you.


This is burrata, creamy milky stringy very fresh mozzarella wrapped in mozzarella. Came with a large basket of crusty bread.


Burrata is even better than ordinary mozzarella! The stringy, stretchy cheese fibers are buttery and creamy and I recommend this as one of the things to eat before leaving this planet!




I wanted soups, soups, soups and expected thick, hearty soups but both these soups were watery and not delicious. From hereon, the dinner went downhill.




The waiter had recommended this, a New Year's dish. It tasted like spam and we couldn't finish it.


I had read somewhere that trippa (tripe) and beans is a Milanese dish so I ordered this even though I don't particularly like tripe. I should have been wiser. It tasted of tripe and beans, nothing special, and it was boring. The meal came to 53 euros for three of us, which was very reasonable but we were all a little bit disappointed because only the starter was good.