Milan - Much Better Second Impression

What did I say previously about Milan having to get better? Well, what a difference a day makes because it certainly improved during my first full day here.

It helped that the weather was beautiful. It was still a little cool, low 50s, but the sun was out in full force. Knowing that my initial impressions were based upon a very limited exposure to the city, I decided to buy a pass for the metro and rid around and see different parts of the city. I still didn’t really know where I should go, but when in doubt, I usually just hop on the subway and get off at a stop where multiple lines cross. The thinking is that if more than one train is going there, there must be something for them to see, right?

I’m not exactly sure why the word “duomo” sounded familiar and I don’t know what it means, though I think it refers to a cathedral, but I saw that two lines met at the Duomo metro stop, so I decided that it would be my first trip on my metro pass. It was a good choice, too, if I do say so myself because coming out of the metro, my eye was caught by a magnificent, large white church that was glowing in the unexpected sunlight. I walked around and took some pictures and walked around the neighborhood a little bit. There were a lot more restaurants, generally touristy, and a lot of shops ranging from D&G to little souvenir shops. Of course, I went to the little souvenir shops and got my Milanese shopping out of the way.

After stopping for a bite, I decided to check out the location of the one landmark in Milan of which I had already been aware. Both AC Milan and my favorite European club, Inter Milan, call the San Siro their home. Generally, one of them plays at home every weekend in the Italian Serie A. I picked an Inter Milan home weekend for my trip here. After getting off at the nearest metro stop, I walked for almost thirty minutes before arriving to the stadium. Since the game I am going to is a night game, I figured I’d get better pictures on this day trip, so I walked around the stadium and took some pictures. There is no grand entrance to the stadium and no façade telling you that you are at the historic San Siro. Rather, it appears like just an ordinary steel structure from the outside. That’s okay with me, though, because I want to see it from the inside. That’ll come Sunday night.

After walking around all day, I came back to my hotel for an hour or so to type up some of these entries and to watch a little Italian television. I won’t go into that again.

At night, I went back to the Duomo stop to try to find something to eat. Nothing caught my eye. I ended up coming back to the Loreto stop, about two kilometers from my hotel and look around that area. Primarily, I was looking for a pizzeria because I really wanted to have my first pizza in Italy.

I found a pizzeria after a short walk around Loreto. Before I tell you about my pizza, let me tell you what I’ve found out at most of the pizzerias I’ve seen in Milan. For the most part, the restaurants serve various meals in two courses and pizza as another option. The large majority of the pizzas that I’ve seen here come in one size, large. Generally, they cost between nine and thirteen dollars depending on the toppings.

Now, let me tell you about my pizza. I’m a simple man and I have simple tastes. I ordered my pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella and ham. I sat and waited while I watched the Italian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. (Oddly enough, I found that I could answer the low-money questions correctly even though I don’t speak any Italian.) When the pizza came, it was beautiful. The crust was thin and very, very crisp. The tomato sauce was not visible. I could see a thin layer of mozzarella cooked to a toasty brown with strips of ham on top. It was what I expected.

So, how did it taste? Umm . . . good. I can’t say with authority that it was the best pizza that I ever had – I didn’t have a kobe beef moment – but it was an excellent pizza. I never did see any tomato sauce, but I could taste it. For me, that was perfect because although I like tomato sauce I don’t like the excessive amounts that many places in the States tend to use. There wasn’t a ton of cheese, but it was very good quality and was enough to make me happy. The ham had cooked on top of the pizza to a crispness that I am not accustomed to on American pizza and it was perhaps the best part of all. The flavors worked together extremely well and I ate the whole thing. Crust and all. That’s a tremendous compliment coming from me.

Okay, so I’m much happier with Milan now. The weather is supposed to be grey tomorrow, so we’ll see how it goes. No matter the weather, though, my outlook on the city is a little sunnier.