As Italy’s business and industrial capital, Milan moves with a fast pace. And as someone who grew up in the D.C. area and now lives in Chicago, the only pace I move in is LIGHTENING SPEED. I’d return to my Rome home for a nice vacation, but Milan is the city that works for me!
But this particular weekend, it was the other way around, and I was working for Milan! I packed all my cutest fall dresses for my 2-day trip because this week was a week unlike all others. THIS WAS FALL FASHION WEEK, BABY!
On Saturday morning, our group of six hit the ground running. We started by visiting Il Duomo, the large, magnificent cathedral that serves as Milan’s most recognizable landmark. There were two separate lines for admission: one for worshippers and one for visitors. The prayer line was shorter, so we took that one! I’m so glad that we did, though, because I was able to light a candle and say a prayer for my family, wishing them well while I’m abroad.
After that, we juxtaposed that spiritual experience with a materialistic one, walking next door to La Galleria, Milan’s outdoor shopping mall.
The strip malls where I live are lined with PetSmart and Target. In Milan, they are lined with Prada and Gucci. Looking back, I wish I had gone inside to take a look. At the time, I was too scared. Besides, I probably couldn’t even afford a pair of socks from one of those designer stores!
Apart from high fashion, La Galleria had a plethora of amazing bookstores to explore. Since my group consisted of 4 Ricci Scholars, a jazz musician, and a writer (myself), all of us went crazy over these bookstores’ seemingly endless selections. From sheet music to religious books to historical fiction to stationary (yeah that one was me), all of us found something with which to fill our brains (or in my case, with which to unload my brain!).
But the coolest part was seeing Naomi Campbell.
HAHA I fooled you there. Ms. Campbell didn’t physically grace the bookstore with her fabulousness, but there was an old picture of her on the wall doing a book signing there. So I can say that I breathed her air.
For some more affordable fashion, we took a trip to H&M, which was tucked in the far corner of La Galleria, away from Giorgio Armani and his expensive friends. But the cashier at H&M was so pleasantly surprised by my Italian language skills that she gave me a €5 gift card! There’s nothing better than getting paid to go shopping.
To conclude our trip to La Galleria, we indulged in the superstitious Milan tradition of spinning on your heel three times on the private parts of a floor mural of a bull. I couldn’t tell you why people do it, but it’s fun, and hopefully it’s lucky, too!
On Sunday, we went back downtown for an adventure at Sforza Castle. The interior had been renovated into a museum of sorts, housing many pieces of art and ancient artifacts, including Michelangelo’s final unfinished sculpture of La Pieta Rondanini (Mary crying over Jesus’ body after removing it from the cross) and an Egyptian mummy!
After a long day exploring Sforza Castle, we decided to complete a 3 kilometer long victory lap through Milan and to the train station. On the way there, we spotted a sculpture of a giant sewing machine. How appropriate for one of the world’s fashion capitals! I couldn’t help myself but to ask my friend Brenna to take a picture of me lying under the needle.
In the words of celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, “I. DIE.”
I title this blog Frogger because I think it accurately describes my daily life of trying to cross the street in China.
Beijing is set up via a system of Ring Roads, which I did not know until about 2 weeks ago.
What I like about many of the streets here is there are not a lot of lights and instead there are walkways either above or under the street. However, unless the street is really busy or a major one, people can generally cross where they please. Most of the time there is a smaller lane (similar to a bike lane) followed by larger lanes on each side and another smaller lane. It is crazy though the amount of cars that just drive especially in the bike lanes because they do not really obey lights. Small scooters and bikes even drive on the sidewalk!!! It’s nice because here in Beijing I’m not constantly walking around looking down at my phone because I have to pay attention. But it’s like Frogger in that you cross the bike lane, try to make it halfway across the cars lane, make it across the other cars lane, and then to the other bike lane all which is completely possible as long as you’re paying attention. I actually don’t even see many accidents here, because as crazy as traffic can get, people are actually paying attention to the roads and somehow know how to navigate the madness.
To add to my crazy foods list …. Last Sunday, we went for Dim Sum, and I ate Chicken Feet. I don’t think I’d ever eat it again, but it was at least worth trying.
There are tons of malls with western stores in China! My friend and I went to visit this very large one about 7 Subway stops away from my school and I was able to pick up some nice booties from Forever 21 for only RMB 20 (about 3.3 dollars!)
Last Saturday, some classmates and I visited the Temple of Heaven, which is such a majestical place filled with ancient Chinese architecture. It was in a huge park, so it was nice to also enjoy some green space away from the bustling of Beijing. The Temple of Heaven was conveniently located next to the Pearl Market so we were able to go and barter away for some souvenirs to bring back for friends. I always enjoy bartering because it is a great way for me to practice my Chinese to see how much of discount I can get on certain items.
We concluded that day by going to see an Andy Warhol exhibit in the 798 district of China. This district is very cool because it is the art district, though we missed much of the street excitement because we went at night, so I’m excited to go back and explore. The nice things about this exhibit though, was it was a bunch of contemporary art, my favorite being the balloon exhibit (silver clouds they were called) below.
There’s so much to do in Beijing and I already know I’m not going to do it all, but the random things we stumble upon like the art exhibit make this experience so much more meaningful.
Next week marks the Chinese National Holiday (I’m excited because that means a week of vacation!!!).
Yes, you read that title correctly. I fell in love last weekend. But not with a person, no. With Milan.
This past week was fashion week in Milan: one of the most famous events that happens in the fashion industry. Sure, fashion week happens in several large cities, but how many people can say that they were at the fashion capital of the world during that time? Very few people.My friends and I were a little hesitant to go because the train tickets were a little bit pricey, but I think that we got more than our money’s worth in experiences and a good time. Our train arrived in at Milano Centrale at 10 am and we were more than ready to take on the city! However, we ran into the small problem of not being able to find out where we needed to go. This would have been a problem, BUT a marvelous woman who was traveling alone named Katherine knew exactly where we wanted to go and SHE TOOK US THERE. We were so grateful and amazed that this even happened.
Our destination was to the Duomo which was the main shopping district/ the name of the Milan cathedral. The first plan for the day was to visit the cathedral. Next to the cathedral, was a line of people in red tents, so we checked that out before getting the tickets. To our surprise, the line was actually a line to gain FREE ACCESS to the terrace of the cathedral. All they had to do was calculate our heart rate before and after walking up the stairs. Of course we jumped on this opportunity that saved us 14 euros. The rest of the day was spent wandering around Milan and enjoying this new city.
On Sunday, we spent more time exploring the city, but the most important things were to see The Last Supper and go to a fashion show. Before arriving in Milan, I looked up some places where fashion shows were going to be happening. We went in with an idea, but we actually had no idea where to go. Looking extremely lost allowed us to meet two Italian girls who were looking for the same show. So, we worked together and walked 2 miles to the Dolce and Gabbana fashion show. It was insane how many people were there and how fabulous the models and attendees looked!
After all of the fashion bloggers and models cleared, we headed to the Santa Maria Della Grazie museum to see The Last Supper. When we arrived at the museum, the worker explained to a man before us in line that there were no more tickets available and that we should have made reservations 2 weeks ago. We were pretty bummed about this because it’s such an iconic piece of Christianity and it would have been incredible to see it in person. When we stepped outside, my friend realized that the man who was in front of us in line was Michael Phelps with his fiancée and manager. We were 2 feet away from a celebrity and didn’t even realize it!To continue on our day, we decided to check out a castle that was close by that also gave us discounted tickets for being students! That was our last expedition for the day and we headed back to Milano Centrale to go back home.
So when I said that I fell in love with Milan, it’s probably understandable how. We had such a good time when we were there! Now, my heart is divided between Chicago, Rome, and Milan.
Another weekend, another trip. And let it be noted that I am so So SO tired, but it’s okay. To quote my friend Sam, “You can sleep when you’re dead.” I took my aching body and sat on a train for 3 hours so I could spend my weekend in Milan. It’s a city I’ve always wanted to go to, and to top it all off, it was fashion week. I wouldn’t say I’m a fashion guru at all, since my wardrobe basically consists of a t-shirt, shorts, and my Birkenstocks. But since all my friends felt the need to dress cute, I tried my best to not look like a complete fashion faux pas.
Let’s talk about that Duomo for a quick second. My friends and I are walking into the city center, and we turn the corner and there it is. The magnificent and absolutely gigantic Duomo. I have a feeling I wasn’t expecting much because when I finally did see it, I was completely taken aback. Not just by its sheer size, but the detail that covers every square inch of its outside walls. Just upon quick observation, I could see and appreciate how much effort and work went into creating such a church. And with beauty comes tourists. The line to get in was a little unreal. It was twisting and turning all throughout the piazza in front, and we were all worried that we weren’t going to be able to go inside. But, we took our chances and bought tickets.
TIP #1: Buy a pass. I forgot the exact name for it, but for 11 euro, you can go into the Duomo, on its terrace (via the stairs), into the museum, and into another church. Or for 13 euro, you get all the same stuff, but you can take the elevator. I’ll talk about them later, but save your two euro and take the stairs. They ain’t bad.
While waiting for the line to die down a bit, we walked amongst the shops. And this experience was truly scary. I could basically hear my credit card crying because I wanted to buy every single thing I saw. Right next to the Duomo, there is this street that leads to this outdoor building that consists of not one, but TWO Prada stores, a Gucci store, and a Versace store. It felt nice for a solid two seconds to pretend that I could afford any of that stuff, and then I remembered ‘Oh wait Clare. You are incredibly poor. Keep walking girl.’ I went into the stores because I hate myself, and I love to see myself cry. Just kidding. Kind of.
Story Time #1: I went into the Prada store and fell in LOVE with these sunglasses. They were $400. You know, that’s total chump change. Basically, I knew I wasn’t worthy enough to even touch them. One of the salespeople was eyeing me because he could just smell the poorness on me, and there was no way he was going to let me touch those glasses. But no one tells me what to do, so naturally, what do I do? I put them on. And they felt so nice on my face, and I looked so cute. Oh the sheer pain I felt when I had to put them down and walk away. And when I finally did walk away, the salesperson honest to god grabbed them, wiped my poor people sweat off of it, and rearranged it back on the shelf. I had a good laugh about it, but I was dying on the inside. It’s fine, I’m fine.
After witnessing a woman purchase two purses for a grand total of $2,500, I knew I had to get out of there. But before walking out the doors, I made a vow that one day I am going to walk back in there and purchase those sunglasses and maybe even a matching purse. Just another thing motivating me to work harder in school. (Hey Mom. Hey Dad. I promise I’m doing school stuff. I’m gonna go purchase this 80 euro bag first though.)
Anyways, continuing on, we went back to the Duomo and waited in line. My friend timed how long our wait was, and he said it was only 9 minutes. Felt longer though because every 3 seconds, we had a guy come up to us asking if we wanted to purchase a selfie stick or trying to tie bracelets around our wrists.
TIP #2: If this happens to you, and it will, just say “No grazie” over and over again until they leave you alone. I wish I counted how many times I said it, but honestly it was at least 50 times. Also, there are men who will literally throw bracelets at you and then chase after you saying you have to pay for it. Just pluck it off you, drop it on the ground, and walk away. It’s a little rude, but it’s also rude of them to throw things at you. ALSO, DON’T LET THEM TIE THE BRACELETS AROUND YOUR WRIST. They will do it, and then make you pay for it. So, just say no and keep walking.
We went into the Duomo and walked around. Incredible is all I have to say. The ceilings were so high, the paintings so detailed. Everything was over the top, but it all seemed to work together. With the pass, you also get to venture down into the archeological area. At first, it just looks like a lot of rocks, but some of those rocks were graves in which they found hundreds of bodies. It’s worth checking out. We then went outside and began our ascension up the 250 stairs. Okay, it sounds a lot worse than it actually was. Yes, once I reached the top, I was out of breath, but I have also been consuming more carbs than a normal person should, and I have not seen the inside of a gym in maybe three months. So, you’ll probably fare a lot better than me, trust me. Also, the view alone is so worth a bit of sweat. You could see everything. The piazza, down the streets, over the tops of buildings, everything.
#Views
I’m really not even going to try to describe it because I will definitely not do it justice. I would climb those stairs over and over again if they led to views like this. And if you keep walking (and up a few more stairs), you get to the terrace and UM OMG. One part was under construction, but it was still one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. The picture below received 100 likes on Instagram, a true monumental moment in my social media history. You are guaranteed some incredible pictures and even better memories. One memory being I witnessed a girl dropping her phone, it falling down the slope of the roof as you see in the picture, and slipping into the construction area and right off the Duomo. It was really traumatizing to witness, and I felt so bad for her. So beware of your belongings people!
Story Time #2: Okay, so we leave the terrace and walk back down to the flatter roof part. We are just about to descend the stairs back down to the bottom when all of a sudden, out the corner of my eye, I see someone. It didn’t register in my mind who exactly this person was, but I’ve definitely seen them before. And then, I remember and let out a shriek, “It’s Michael Phelps.” I’ve never seen the look of horror cross someone’s face so fast like it did on his face. He’s been spotted, and he was not happy about it. My friends and I kind of chase after him because, you know, he’s just a 25 time Olympic gold medal winner. And kind of one of the most famous athletes of today. He was with his fiancé and baby, so I understood the hope of not being spotted, but kind of hard not to notice you when you’re wearing a bright purple shirt buddy. Next time, go with a subtler shirt, so you blend in with the crowd better. I started to feel really bad because he was not feeling this sudden attention, so I kind of left him alone and just stared while the rest of my friends took pictures of him. “OF” being the important word because he wouldn’t let us take pictures with him. Anyways, he finally freed himself from our craziness. Regardless of his attitude, it was a surreal moment. How often can you say that you were chilling on the roof of the Duomo in Milan and you suddenly meet Michael Phelps? Probably not often.
My friend/roommate with the man, the myth, the legend. She told him ‘congratulations’ lol
Milan was a dream and more. It’s pace and lifestyle are so different from Rome. It was a much faster pace and way more modern, which makes sense seeing as Rome is basically one big archeological site. Not that Milan doesn’t have it’s history, but I noticed people care less about that and more about it being the fashion capital of the world. It definitely lives up to its title. Ciao for now Milano, I will be back one day to buy loads and loads of Prada.
As Italy’s business and industrial capital, Milan moves with a fast pace. And as someone who grew up in the D.C. area and now lives in Chicago, the only pace I move in is LIGHTENING SPEED. I’d return to my Rome home for a nice vacation, but Milan is the city that works for me!
