Things I like about living in Milan
The compactness of the city: I can walk to work if I wish. In fact, I do so most days. It takes 40 minutes, but I like the exercise. If I decide to take the tram due to bad weather or some other reason it takes me 20 minutes. I never lived this close to my work in London.
Also, because it's easy to live quite close to the centre since the place is so compact. I live about 15 minutes walk from the Duomo. To get to Linate Airport I can walk to San Babila and take a 20 minute bus journey to the airport. If I'm going to Malpensa it's a 15 minute walk to Cadorna station for the Malpensa Express. Most of the other activities I do are within walking distance too.
The public transportation system: Milan has buses, trams and a metro system, as well as their answer to Boris Bikes, a Radio Bus and Taxis. I haven't taken the public transport that much, but when I have done it was pretty efficient. Also it's not as expensive as London. I ususally by a carnet of 10 tickets for 13 euros and it takes about 2 weeks for me to get through them.
There's always something going on! I guess that's what you would expect in a major city. The good thing is the activities are within easy reach of home, since the place is quite compact. I have joined a book club where we read novels written in Engish and discuss. There are cycling groups (which I haven't been to yet), there are running races, and I have even been to a knitting crochet group. Last week was Milan Design Week so the worlds designers descended on the place and it gave the town a feelgood uber stylish aspect. There were lots of social gatherings, and sound systems etc and people giving away mini freebies. And I never actually went to these do's. They are what I came across on my way home! You never get bored in Milan!
Milan is a hub city: People always say that. Milan is considered as a working city. Most people who are there - Italians or foreigners are there for the work opportunities. Very few people are actual born and bred Milanese. It also seems that people's preference is to live in Milan during the week, and then escape from the place at weekends. It's central location means that it is easy to get to other parts of Italy by train or plane quite easily, and it is also easy to get to other European destinations. Many people just go up to the nearby mountains and lakes around Varese or Lake Como. I haven't yet been to these places, but I have managed to head south to Pavia, as well as the nearby quaint towns of Abbiategrasso and Vigevano on my bike. They were all pleasant days out away from the city.
The Navigli: These are the canals around Milan.In bygone days the city was very dependent on the canals for trade etc, but now they are pretty much disused and some of them are there now for leisure/ecological value. Near me are the Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese. These two navigli are also quite fashionable areas for going out - they are probably on a par with say, Old Street in London, or Bastille, in Paris. ie they were a bit industrial and working class previously, but old warehouses etc are being converted into arty shops and trendy bars. Lots of people hang out there on any night of the week.
I take my early morning exercise along the Naviglio Grande - either a run as far as the city limit of Milan, or a bike ride into the suburbs. On a weekend I go all the way along to Abbiategrasso, then take the Naviglio Bereguardo down to Pavia and then return to Milan via the Naviglio Pavese. That whole circuit is 50 miles, so it's good old work out. As it's pan flat it's not a hard 50 miles - a good warm up before tackling the mountains!
In the future I hope to follow the Naviglio Grande right to the end - to Sesto Calende, on the edge of Lake Maggiore. There is also the Naviglio Martesana which heads north-west towards Lecco via Gorgonzola. These canal paths make for pleasant traffic ways to explore the immediate area around Milan.
Things I don't like about Milan
Shabbiness and scruffiness: Maybe all Italian cities are like that but either I didn't take any notice because I was too busy enjoying the fun touristic things, or maybe Milan is particularly scruffy. There definitel seems to be more graffitti on the walls than I have seen in any town in Milan. In fact there seems to be more graffitti than even the roughest neighbourhoods of London!
I always used to think that Italians were not big smokers. If they aren't then they become big smokers when they arrive in Milan! There are always cigarette ends on the ground everywhere - so much that it just makes the place look so scruffy. Even the area around the Duomo is not that great. Then there is lots of other rubbish and forms of litter. The irony is you are always seeing dustcarts cleaning up the place, and people cleaning the pavement outside their properties, but it doesn't make much differenc!
Queuing: Or rather, the lack of it. When getting on a bus or other form of transport, nobody queues. It's just a case of piling on, every man and woman for themselves and with no regard for letting women or old people on first. They don't even let passengers off the transport first before climbing on. The same applies in a shop. If someone pushes in front of you, it's your problem. You have to summon the courage to square up to them and hold your position - not always easy to do, and of course being British you don't want to cause a scene over something relatively petty! (Occasionally, I have had to do so though!)
In an attempt to instil a queuing mentality, alot of shops, banks, cafes etc have a ticketing system where you pick up a ticket with your number and wait until our number is called before you get served. That's all fairly organised and people adhere to the system which is even very helpful. So now you get overkill of queuing. I went into a shop to look at mobile phones and even at the door to the shop a man asked me what I wanted to look at - data plans or phone calls only. He then issued me with the appropriate ticket and told me to queue in a particular space. Basically I couldn't go into the shop and browse. I had to pick up a number and queue, just to look at a options! The same goes in a bank, and even when buying a coffee and a sandwich. One place to queue up for your coffee, one place to get your sandwich and another place to pay! All very stilted and tedious, but I guess if that's what they do to stop Italians surging forward like animals then so be it. It's a shame that common politeness and descency can't just prevail.
Food is expensive: Or maybe I've been going to the wrong shops. I have been to a few supermarkets. All of them were tedious experiences as I couldn't find anything I liked, and the few things I did buy I ended up queuing for ages at the check-out. Most of the tills were unattended, and there was just one women having to deal with a queue of more than 10 people. And for all my trouble, the shopping bill still came out about 20-25% more than what I'd pay in London. Cereal is not less that 3euros 50 for a 375g box, compared with about £2 for one of the cheaper boxes of cereal in London. There is alot more choice in a Tesco supermarket than what you get in Milan. They don't seem to have any large supermarket chains like what you get in the UK. Britons are spoilt. In Milan we have to content ourselves with a chain called PAM and then some other small stores. There is a big Carrefour on the outskirts of the city, which will probably be good as this French chain of supermarkets is the 2nd biggest in the world and operate like Tesco - but bigger! That's a bit far for me to go to, so I think I will try the only Carrefour Local I have seen in Milan. It is 15 mins walk from me. I probably pass about 5 Italian supermarkets to get there, but I think it will be worthwhile and the quality and prices may be better. I must admit I have not tried the market yet. There is a bit twice-weekly one at Viale Papanaio, near me. People say the fruit and veg are good, so maybe I will try it. Maybe that's where I've been going wrong. Supermarkets are so 1970s - and when you go into one you will see that it is like stepping back in time!
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Tuesday 20 March 2012
First Bike Ride a Milano
I did my first bike ride in Milan last Saturday. It wasn't too far and thankfully, passed without any drama - well, apart from the tram that nearly ran into me!
Yes, riding around Milan's streets takes some getting used to. It's a little bit random. The road where I live has a cycle lane that is separate from the traffic, so you feel pretty safe in it. The only thing is it then suddenly comes to an end when you reach another busy road.
To get to the canal towpath where I wanted to ride involved going through the town centre. One section of road had tram lines on it so I made sure to give them a wide berth to avoid any mishaps. The only thing then is that the positioning of the lines meant that I was either riding quite close to parked cars so that made me vulnerable to folks opening their doors or pulling out. If I rode to the left of the tram lines I was practically riding in the middle of the road, which made me also vulnerable to traffic riding up behind or trying to overtake me.
I managed to find an optimuim position, but then went through a junction thinking I had right of way when a tram that was turning left in the on-coming lane almost ran into me. The driver didn't look too pleased and made one of those angry Italian driver faces, while I looked a bit embarrassed and sheepish!
Once past the tramlines, I then had to negotiate the cobbles. The weren't Paris-Roubaix cobbles, but medium sized old paving stones that are not neatly put together and jut out in random directions, so it still made for a bumpy ride.
So that was what I had to contend with, just the 10 minutes to get to the canal towpath, also known as the Naviglio Grande. It's a nice area for going out in a trendy bar. It's the type of place that was probably a bit run down and industrial previously, but has now become arty farty and hip.
There was a nice feel there on Saturday, and I felt tempted to stop off and hang out along the canal side (which is currently devoid of water at the moment). Instead I pushed on and followed the path to a small town called Abbiategrasso. Once past the Milan conurbation the area became greener and rural. The path is quite good for doing a training ride, and there were many cyclists out doing just that - as well as leisure cyclists. The route was also pan flat, which is good for me considering my very unfit state!
I plan to make this my regular quick spin ride as it is near where I am staying and easy to do - it is also traffic free, which is always good in a busy city like Milan.
Yes, riding around Milan's streets takes some getting used to. It's a little bit random. The road where I live has a cycle lane that is separate from the traffic, so you feel pretty safe in it. The only thing is it then suddenly comes to an end when you reach another busy road.
To get to the canal towpath where I wanted to ride involved going through the town centre. One section of road had tram lines on it so I made sure to give them a wide berth to avoid any mishaps. The only thing then is that the positioning of the lines meant that I was either riding quite close to parked cars so that made me vulnerable to folks opening their doors or pulling out. If I rode to the left of the tram lines I was practically riding in the middle of the road, which made me also vulnerable to traffic riding up behind or trying to overtake me.
I managed to find an optimuim position, but then went through a junction thinking I had right of way when a tram that was turning left in the on-coming lane almost ran into me. The driver didn't look too pleased and made one of those angry Italian driver faces, while I looked a bit embarrassed and sheepish!
Once past the tramlines, I then had to negotiate the cobbles. The weren't Paris-Roubaix cobbles, but medium sized old paving stones that are not neatly put together and jut out in random directions, so it still made for a bumpy ride.
So that was what I had to contend with, just the 10 minutes to get to the canal towpath, also known as the Naviglio Grande. It's a nice area for going out in a trendy bar. It's the type of place that was probably a bit run down and industrial previously, but has now become arty farty and hip.
There was a nice feel there on Saturday, and I felt tempted to stop off and hang out along the canal side (which is currently devoid of water at the moment). Instead I pushed on and followed the path to a small town called Abbiategrasso. Once past the Milan conurbation the area became greener and rural. The path is quite good for doing a training ride, and there were many cyclists out doing just that - as well as leisure cyclists. The route was also pan flat, which is good for me considering my very unfit state!
I plan to make this my regular quick spin ride as it is near where I am staying and easy to do - it is also traffic free, which is always good in a busy city like Milan.
Wednesday 14 March 2012
First Day at Work
I survived my first day at the ad agency!
In true style I arrived and was immediately set to work on a pitch. After quick introductions to my colleagues I was given a number of clinical papers to read up on about diabetes and was told that I'd be attending a pitch meeting tomorrow morning. In fact, it later transpired that one of the main contacts from the company was in town and he wanted to have a meeting and teleconference with some key opinion leaders as a preliminary meeting. And guess what, the client services manager asked if I would attend this meeting - these meetings actually. One meeting was scheduled for 4pm - ok. The other meeting was scheduled for 7pm - one hour after the office hours officially finish!! Well, I'm not afraid of hard work, and I don't mind staying late to complete work. I had been forewarned of this at my interview anyway. But being asked to do this on my first day, when I'd spent the whole of yesterday travelling, and I woke up this morning half asleep, was a bit much.
I initially said that I would attend the teleconference at 7pm, but when 6pm came and I could feel the shutters going down, plus my other colleagues were packing up to go home I began to question whether there really was any mileage in me staying back.
Also, the pitch is tomorrow - first thing. So from 9am until 2pm I will be stuck in this client meeting and will have to sound like I know all about diabetes and the management of impaired glucose tolerance, when I haven't done this stuff in depth for a few years! Err, not ideal.
I therefore excused myself from the meeting saying I would rather prepare for tomorrow. I'm not actually preparing anything right now. Maybe I shouldn't be writing this blog and should be still swotting up, but I need to do something else to relax!
On a less scary note, I met some of my colleagues who are very friendly. We had a nice lunch in a local restaurant and my boss paid for us. The food was really good - just as well as it's the only meal I'm having today!
I walked in to work from my flat - something that is completely unheard of in London. It was lovely to walk there across the park and along the boulevard in the morning sunshine - something that put me in a good mood. It took 25 minutes, but that is all good exercise.
Also, I've got a couple of things to look forward to this weekend - the Milan-San Remo bike race is on this Saturday so I hope to get out and see the riders. In the evening I am going to a St Patricks Day celebration, which has been organised by work colleagues. Also, I am going to a client symposium in Rome on 29th March, and have prolonged my stay there so I can do a bit of sightseeing. And the best thing of all about my stay in Milan so far is that there is a wool shop, just across the square from where I am staying, so I can crochet happy in the knowledge that I have easy access to all the yarn I need! Things are getting better!
In true style I arrived and was immediately set to work on a pitch. After quick introductions to my colleagues I was given a number of clinical papers to read up on about diabetes and was told that I'd be attending a pitch meeting tomorrow morning. In fact, it later transpired that one of the main contacts from the company was in town and he wanted to have a meeting and teleconference with some key opinion leaders as a preliminary meeting. And guess what, the client services manager asked if I would attend this meeting - these meetings actually. One meeting was scheduled for 4pm - ok. The other meeting was scheduled for 7pm - one hour after the office hours officially finish!! Well, I'm not afraid of hard work, and I don't mind staying late to complete work. I had been forewarned of this at my interview anyway. But being asked to do this on my first day, when I'd spent the whole of yesterday travelling, and I woke up this morning half asleep, was a bit much.
I initially said that I would attend the teleconference at 7pm, but when 6pm came and I could feel the shutters going down, plus my other colleagues were packing up to go home I began to question whether there really was any mileage in me staying back.
Also, the pitch is tomorrow - first thing. So from 9am until 2pm I will be stuck in this client meeting and will have to sound like I know all about diabetes and the management of impaired glucose tolerance, when I haven't done this stuff in depth for a few years! Err, not ideal.
I therefore excused myself from the meeting saying I would rather prepare for tomorrow. I'm not actually preparing anything right now. Maybe I shouldn't be writing this blog and should be still swotting up, but I need to do something else to relax!
On a less scary note, I met some of my colleagues who are very friendly. We had a nice lunch in a local restaurant and my boss paid for us. The food was really good - just as well as it's the only meal I'm having today!
I walked in to work from my flat - something that is completely unheard of in London. It was lovely to walk there across the park and along the boulevard in the morning sunshine - something that put me in a good mood. It took 25 minutes, but that is all good exercise.
Also, I've got a couple of things to look forward to this weekend - the Milan-San Remo bike race is on this Saturday so I hope to get out and see the riders. In the evening I am going to a St Patricks Day celebration, which has been organised by work colleagues. Also, I am going to a client symposium in Rome on 29th March, and have prolonged my stay there so I can do a bit of sightseeing. And the best thing of all about my stay in Milan so far is that there is a wool shop, just across the square from where I am staying, so I can crochet happy in the knowledge that I have easy access to all the yarn I need! Things are getting better!
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Hello Milan!
Officially, this should be Milan chick's rambling notes as this is now where I am based, and hopefully where I will be for the next 12 months.
I arrived here just today. My impressions, I can't really say as I was just whisked from Linate airport to somewhere in the business district of Milan.
I got a quick glimpse of the Duomo and the Brera area, which look nice enough. I only really saw the cycling up close from my taxi.
What I noticed is that drivers don't seem to an enormous amount of attention when they go down the road, but they pay just enough attention to narrowly avoid a collision, or screech to a halt in the last second.
Cyclists aren't much better though. Even though it was getting dark when I arrived, hardly anyone was using lights, and a luminous high visibility jacket was a definite no no. People are dressed in civvies, even high heels - and no helmets.
It's a far cry from what you see in London where people like to don lycra and not just any lycra but club kit or replica trade team kit. There appears to be a hierarchy on the road, depending on how much you look like a "serious" cyclist. Here, everyone just rides their bike without any hang-ups.
I have noticed that they do Boris Bikes here as well. They are known as Mi-Bike. There's a station at the end of my road, so I hope to try it out maybe this weekend. Also this weekend will be the Milan-San Remo professional cycle race - the first of the Spring Classic races. I'm looking forward to going up to the start and seeing the riders and hopefully soaking up the atmosphere.
In terms of my club cycling I hope to get out at some point and do some cycling locally with a club - though I would like to train first and learn to look good while riding, Italian style before I venture into the world of Italian club cycling!
The other thing that the few Italians have spoken about is bike theft. So no change there from London. They have just said to not leave a road bike unattended for a few minutes - even when locked. It the thieves can't steal the whole bike then they will just steal bits off it until you come back and just find only your frame left.
Maybe I won't leave my road bike in the shed downstairs.
Overall, I am quite positive about Milan. My flat is nice, and I am even picking up more Italian - so I can't complain. I am looking forward to more adventures here.
I arrived here just today. My impressions, I can't really say as I was just whisked from Linate airport to somewhere in the business district of Milan.
I got a quick glimpse of the Duomo and the Brera area, which look nice enough. I only really saw the cycling up close from my taxi.
What I noticed is that drivers don't seem to an enormous amount of attention when they go down the road, but they pay just enough attention to narrowly avoid a collision, or screech to a halt in the last second.
Cyclists aren't much better though. Even though it was getting dark when I arrived, hardly anyone was using lights, and a luminous high visibility jacket was a definite no no. People are dressed in civvies, even high heels - and no helmets.
It's a far cry from what you see in London where people like to don lycra and not just any lycra but club kit or replica trade team kit. There appears to be a hierarchy on the road, depending on how much you look like a "serious" cyclist. Here, everyone just rides their bike without any hang-ups.
I have noticed that they do Boris Bikes here as well. They are known as Mi-Bike. There's a station at the end of my road, so I hope to try it out maybe this weekend. Also this weekend will be the Milan-San Remo professional cycle race - the first of the Spring Classic races. I'm looking forward to going up to the start and seeing the riders and hopefully soaking up the atmosphere.
In terms of my club cycling I hope to get out at some point and do some cycling locally with a club - though I would like to train first and learn to look good while riding, Italian style before I venture into the world of Italian club cycling!
The other thing that the few Italians have spoken about is bike theft. So no change there from London. They have just said to not leave a road bike unattended for a few minutes - even when locked. It the thieves can't steal the whole bike then they will just steal bits off it until you come back and just find only your frame left.
Maybe I won't leave my road bike in the shed downstairs.
Overall, I am quite positive about Milan. My flat is nice, and I am even picking up more Italian - so I can't complain. I am looking forward to more adventures here.
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