Atypical Milan. Sasha, Andrey, hello! Thank you very much for the meeting. For a very long time I want to know from you how your project began and what is the main mission

A week ago we returned from a trip to Milan, and in this post I want to talk about my impressions of this city and leave a kind of review about Milan.

1. Let's start with the fact that the population of the city is 1.3 million people, together with the suburbs, this figure exceeds 7 million people!

But the city has a serious problem with roads: the city and suburbs are simply buried in them. The first time was such that we almost missed the plane due to traffic jams, usually there are dedicated lanes for public transport, there are very few of them here.

2. The ecology in the city is terrible, it's hard to breathe in it, most likely the chemical production, mechanical engineering, and a large number of smelly mopeds are to blame. Look how hazy the city is.

3. left ambivalent feelings: on the one hand, the new, most environmentally friendly, silent buses drive in the city, there are new trams, but old trams have been preserved in the city center. On the other hand, transport is poorly cleaned, and periodically there is nothing to breathe due to dust.

4. Behavior on the roads. Again, unlike other cities in Italy, Milanese do not drive fast, without jerks, one might even say with some lethargy and without traffic violations, they always let pedestrians through. Bicycles are also very popular in Milan; there are many bike paths and street bike rentals in the city.

5. There are a lot of evil spirits in the city in the form of beggars, thieves, pickpockets and swindlers. So watch your pockets, bags and backpacks. The beggars here like to hang out at the ticket machines, trying to help you and collect your change. One such villain tried to take the change for his help, the change was 3 Euros, he was still indignant when he received nothing. Большинство же ниггеров навязчиво занимается продажей палок селфи, зонтиков, роз, корма для голубей, каких-то браслетиков.

In the photo you see a respectable Italian businessman who failed to push a batch of fashion items.

6. About people. Italians from Milan are not like other Italians. They give up their seat in transport, speak calmly and quietly, always try to help, while being modest and polite. And of course, the Milanese love to dress up beautifully, wear expensive shoes and glasses, and dress up their dogs in expensive clothes.

7. According to the population and the state of the city, it is clear that the city is rich. And no wonder, because Milan gives 9% of Italy's GDP, and the whole of Lombardy gives 20% of GDP (this is, for example, the entire GDP of Belgium or Switzerland). Companies such as UniCredit, Alfa Romeo, Pirelli, Armani, Versace, Valentino are based here. Unicredit even built a 231-meter-high skyscraper for itself, but the photo shows a different building.

8. Lovers of history, architecture and art should visit the city. There are more than 40 large museums, the most interesting in my opinion are the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology and the Ambrosian Pinacoteca. Also, be sure to see the painting "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci. Well, you will definitely be amazed by the Milan Cathedral and the Sforza Castle.

9. Prices in hotels and restaurants in the city are very high. Finding a decent hotel for less than 70 Euros is almost impossible, plus you have to add the tourist tax for an overnight stay. As for restaurants, this is generally a song, they arrange a day off on any day of the week, they start cooking hot after 19.00, the cost of a modest dinner for two will be 50 Euros. Drinks, even in simple restaurants, are sold at greatly inflated prices, for example, homemade wine, which in Naples or Rome will cost 5-8 Euros per liter, here you will cost at least 18. The prices in supermarkets pleased: they are noticeably lower than in Spain, Switzerland or France.

“Strange and strange,” cried Alice, “more and more wonderful!”

One of the most successful designers of our time, Alessandro Michele, continues to take Gucci to new heights. The brand, which until recently was considered the glamorous heritage of the 2000s, is experiencing a “new renaissance” - the authoritative publication The Business of Fashion, after analyzing millions of requests, named it the number one brand in the world, which managed to get ahead of such strong competitors as Balenciaga and Vetements.

However, Demna Gvasalia's influence on Michele's work is clear: in the new season, the designer goes even more eclectic, diluting the casual chic of the 1970s and the baboushka style with elements of everyday city uniforms, sports details and unexpected accessories. The designer clearly strives to surprise and make a show, and all elements of the show work for this: from the invitation, made in the form of a timer, to the scenery depicting a surgical room, in which, according to Michele, similar processes are going on as in the creative workshop - incisions , stitching, reconstruction.

Following the popular trend of combining men's and women's shows, the designer presents almost a good hundred looks, most of which are unisex. Yes, a woman in trousers today will surprise few people, but a man in a skirt is no longer perceived as nonsense. The already eccentric sets enhance the surreal details: twin heads in the hands of the models or an exact copy of the dragon cub, with which one of the models appeared, created by the Italian visual effects company Makinarium.

In the new season, Michele plays on contrasts and layering: he adds a peplum of sparkling beaded fringe and a knitted balaclava to the classic office set; "closes" the costume in the spirit of the 1970s with an age-appropriate clothing cover; dresses men in ethnic caftans and rhinestone jewelry; tucks sweaters into shorts worn over bulging underwear. The collection contains many references to cinema, which in recent years often turns to stories of the past, and musical references: hairstyles and make-up of models, for example, are a clear homage to the work of David Bowie.

Ethnic embroidery, Asian motifs, preppy style, elements of deconstructivism, sequins and rhinestones... Alessandro Michele generously mixes the ingredients of a phenomenal success, involving the audience of the show in an exciting game: to see beauty in the ugly and ugliness in the excessive, emasculated beauty.

Few people associate Milan with skyscrapers, but, nevertheless, they are here too. A few years ago, a business district appeared in the Porta Garibaldi station area, which I'm always tempted to call "Moscow City" :)

The Italians, in their characteristic manner, spit and rant on the topic “The country is in crisis, why the heck did so many billions have to be pumped into the construction of this huge complex ?!” Of course, they trump with their deep knowledge that it was not without mafia, bribery and money laundering)))

And those of the tourists who got to this complex, on the contrary, are completely delighted - at every step you can see how someone photographs the glass bends of buildings so unusual for Italy.

There is even a kindergarten named after Anna Politkovskaya.
The garden is more like an alley, but very well maintained and pleasing to the eye.

In the glass, in addition to a bunch of offices, there is a large shopping center and a bunch of shops, including high fashion brands.

In one of the huge showcases, a new Moschino collection flaunts, entirely dedicated to Looney Tunes cartoons :)

For lovers of bears - fluffy handbags.

If you walk along the legendary Corso Como, then at the very end on the square you will stumble upon the store of the famous Italian brand EATALY.

If you like Italian food, it's impossible not to fall in love with this place.
It will always captivate hungry travelers at first sight))) Several floors of food from all regions of Italy are not for the faint of heart!)))

In general, this project is worthy of a separate post and someday I will collect pictures from all cities to summarize it together))) But it is the Milanese store that is perhaps my favorite.

Here they know how to surprise something :)

Bananas, strawberries, carrots and greens are artificial, and all citruses are a natural product - chopped and dried in the sun.

And as creative Italians love and know how, attention to detail:

You can buy a melon or a watermelon directly from the wheels :)

It’s better not to talk about local coffee and sweets on an empty stomach - here you can really be pleasantly surprised, even if you are a plush professional;)

Another local declaration of love for Fiatics :) Shop in a street cafe in front of EATALY.

For lovers of Neapolitan pizza, check out the Rosso Pomodoro pizza chain. They are in many cities of Italy.
There are also several in Milan. If the thirst for pizza caught in the same area Corso Como and Corso Garibaldi, then one of the restaurants is right on the square in front of the exit from the metro green line Moscova.

Pizza here is made by Neapolitans and in a wood-fired oven. The taste is approved by the inhabitants of Naples themselves, by the way;)

By the way, the entire area near the aforementioned streets is one of the oldest and favorite places for Italians for aperitifs. Despite the fact that now many establishments have gone on their traditional August vacation, there are still a lot of open establishments here.

Although you can’t really tell from the pictures that there are living souls here :) In August, everything dies out in the big cities of Italy.

And this is Italian greetings to Russian sanctions :) Stenochka in one of the newly opened restaurants.

Judging by the abundance of rhinestones, not so poor Yorick.

And here again is the Garibaldi glass zone, but already at dusk.

View from one of the halls leading to the mall.

With the onset of darkness, luminous multi-colored fountains light up here :)

People here just run around like that) And by the way, this is a chic way to cool off in the prohibitive Italian heat of this year. The only thing that helps a little :)

These streets are one of my favorites in Milan. Something is always changing here, something is happening ... But, nevertheless, there is no tourist flea market - basically, the Italians themselves drink their aperitifs and pop in the open air :) And a walk here always turns out to be invariably pleasant ...

I love to get acquainted with the stories of projects that were created by a group of enthusiasts and became popular. It seems to me that such ideas inspire and are a vivid example of the fact that no matter how many people, it is important that they are united by a common goal. A meeting of talented, creative young people who, for one reason or another, moved to Italy, led to the creation of the online magazine MilanWeek, which, as you know, I love very much. It contains a wealth of information about events, tips and guides around the city, interviews with interesting people... Even with Oleg Tinkov. How the guys succeeded in all this, we discussed with Sasha and Andrey over a cup of aromatic coffee. Read below what we did.

Sasha, Andrey, hello! Thank you very much for the meeting. For a very long time I want to know from you how your project began and what is the main mission?

Sasha: The project officially launched in September 2014 with the publication of our first article on the site. For me, the story began a couple of months before: in the spring, after a cool winter, there was more desire to go out in the evenings, visit exhibitions, film festivals, Sunday fairs, take part in sports competitions, and just walk around Milan.

Every day I found all the information about upcoming events on Italian websites, subscribed to newsletters, learned about some from friends or on Facebook.

In this post I will talk about the city of Milan. I personally liked it very much, like all the others))

Today, on the way to Piazzale Roma, we could not resist and bought another magnet and another small mask))) We decided to get to the island on which the bus will be waiting for us in a civilized way - by people mover. The entrance to the people mover station is located to the left of the exit to the bridge to the mainland. The fare is 1.5 euros. We bought tickets in advance - at the bus stop in Piazzale Roma.
People Mover- these are two cable-drawn trailers without a driver, ... consider the funicular, only the cable is from below, not from above. The journey from terminal to terminal takes about 3 minutes, there are three stops on the line, two of them are terminal. We got to the end. The bus was already at the stop. Which bus?)) Of course, Megabus, which brought us BOTH to Milan for 14.6 euros. We drove for almost 4.5 hours.

Milan is a completely different city. In general, in this journey through Italy, we seem to be traveling in time: Rome - antiquity, Florence and Venice - the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (but different, Florence - the city of education, creativity, grace and noble wealth; Venice - the city of businessmen, closed on their own pleasures, who built stone walls and put on masks to fence themselves off from everyone), Milan is a modern metropolis.

Having descended into the metro, according to tradition, we did not see the ticket office, so we immediately went to the newsstand - there we bought cards for travel in the metro: subscriptions for 24 hours for 4.5 euros. Milan has four metro lines. Yes, in general there are no problems with transport in Milan - a bunch of buses, tolleybuses and trams. We saw an unmanned train for the first time, sat in the first car in front of the windshield))) Well, when else can you feel like a subway driver?))) We got off at the Zara station and reached our hotel on foot - Idea Hotel Milano Bicocca (4 stars). The hotel, in principle, is not bad, but it doesn’t pull 4 stars ((, and it’s far from the metro (but you can drive a couple of stops by bus). But right next to the hotel there is a BIG store)) True, it works until 21:00 ( Probably closes earlier on weekends. Wi-Fi in the rooms does not pull, walked through the floors, went down to the hall, barely catches everywhere - it will be possible to see the mail, but no more.
Milan is a completely modern city, but in its center quarters of a hundred years ago, the medieval Sforza Castle and Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) coexist very harmoniously.

We liked the center of Milan very much. The first thing you see in the center is the Gothic spiers of the Duomo, as they call it. Milan Cathedral, its full name is not always easy to pronounce - the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nashente. This is a completely different Duomo compared to Florentine. But, he is just as grandiose and unrealistically delightful. As I have written more than once, I have a weakness for the Gothic architectural style. And I tell you: the Milan Cathedral is something!!!, the Duomo of Milan is something exceptionally airy, soaring and new. 135 spiers and 3200 statues on the facade...! “This is a flaming gothic, baby!”, - you can say so)) The cathedral has the largest stained-glass windows in the entire Christian world. This cathedral was built for 600 years and the final form of the white marble facade was already approved by Napoleon. It is the fifth largest church in the world and the fourth largest in Europe, and is the only Gothic church in Europe built entirely of white marble. So we didn’t even have a question whether it was worth going into it. We bought a ticket in a nearby small building to the right of the cathedral (not in the museum, although you can probably buy it there), as there was a snake queue at the ticket office near the Duomo. And we are busy people and we don’t like to stand in lines, so we walked along the temple and found where to buy almost without a queue (there is an information stand, near that inconspicuous building on the right). They bought a ticket for everything at once (baptistery, treasury, dungeons, stairs to the roof, Duomo Museum) and it cost 11 euros per person (here they saved on the elevator to the roof - they walked with legs). Entrance to the cathedral itself is free.

Inside the cathedral is beautiful, like all Gothic churches - a lot of light, "air and lightness", stained glass windows, lancet vaults, tall "fragile" columns. Just add to all this the scope and size, after all, the fifth largest church in the world (the cathedral can accommodate 40,000 people !!!) - and you will have a rough idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow it looked grandiose and exciting and inspiring. Taking pictures there is almost useless, not enough lens coverage. In the center there is a descent to the crypt where the relics of St. Charles Borromeo are kept.

Next we went to the Duomo Museum. The entrance to the museum is exactly to the right of the entrance to the cathedral, on the same square.
in Milan (Museo del Duomo) keeps the original works from the cathedral. There you can see a bunch of interesting things up close: sculptures, bas-reliefs, stained-glass windows, architectural elements (for example, gargoyle drains, as in Parisian Notre Dame) and much more. Sculptures struck with their authenticity and detail, and stained glass windows with their elegance, precision of detail and shades of colors. It is better to come here after visiting the cathedral itself. There you will see everything as a whole and from afar, but here you will look at everything up close and marvel at the diligence and skill of your ancestors. For some reason, there are not many people in the museum, and that’s great)) There are a lot of halls, but they are small and very often you want to stop and take a better look at one of the exhibits, so the absence of crowds of ubiquitous tourists-hunters behind the scenes and a tick in your in terms of visits only pleases.

To visit the Duomo and its museum, you need to allocate at least two hours, and preferably three (especially if you want to sit and lie on the roof). The cathedral is open from 07:00 to 18:45, roof terraces 09:00-18:00.

On the same square, Piazza del Duomo, there is also the Novecento Museum - an art gallery. But we didn't go there. Also on the square, to the left of the entrance to the Cathedral, is located Gallery Vittorio Emmanuele(Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II), this is a shopping gallery-passage. By the way, this is one of the first passages in Europe (“passage” is a type of shopping center, where shops are located in tiers to the left and right of the aisle-gallery, and on top there is a glass dome roof). Going inside the gallery, Vika and I immediately remembered similar galleries in Paris, Brussels, ... and GUM in Moscow. There is nothing special to see there - all the boutiques of famous brands. You can just walk under the high arches, look around and up and go to the neighboring square near the La Scala Opera House (Piazza della Scala)). There, like many other places in the center of Milan, free wifi zone at an acceptable speed. In the evening there are a lot of young people here, apparently a popular place for meetings and hangouts. And a lot of molesters molested. We already have a decent experience of communicating with molesters (Southeast Asia, Paris), but the local “professionals” (absolutely always African-Americans) are completely insolent and assertive-impudent and simply ignoring, or “thank you, no need "does not help - they can grab you by the hand, stand in front of you on the way, and indignantly gesticulate and lament when you send them severely and fairly ... to where they are supposed to be sent in this case))) True, I had to act so harshly only once, but there the woman didn’t want to understand that we really don’t need her books and I don’t like it when they grab my hands distracting me from the conversation with my companion))

Next, we headed towards Sforzesco Castle. Castello Sforzesco ( Castello Sforzesco), is the second most important attraction in Milan. This red brick castle is very reminiscent of the Moscow Kremlin (it was built in the 14th century). In general, it’s cool when the castle is right in the city and you don’t have to take friends from distant countries to another city, as we do (the closest popular castles to Minsk are in Mir and Lida). The castle is perfectly preserved (most likely it was meticulously restored) and now it houses seven museums (of course, the entrance to them is paid). Entrance to the territory of the fortress is free (free) in summer 07:00-19:00, in winter 07:00-18:00. Museums in the castle are open Tue-Sun. from 9:00 to 17:30 (Mondays and holidays are days off). But, there is a freebie))) On Friday afternoon (after 14:00) visiting all the museums of the castle is free. And, it seems like, on other days, an hour before closing is also free, but .. this needs to be checked.
Behind the castle is Sempione Park(occupies 47 hectares). On the opposite side of the park from the castle is Peace Arch, - a huge, simply grandiose 25-meter granite arch ... but we didn’t see it ((. We immediately went towards the center, because we really wanted to eat))) well, I wanted to see a lot more)) In particular, take a walk along Golden Square Milan (Quadrilatero d'Oro). Actually, we walked along this Golden Square rather "for show". We have already seen all this in Rome - the same streets with the same boutiques and maybe some others (shopaholics and connoisseurs of modern fashion will forgive me these words). Shops, shops, shops… handbags, clothes, shoes, accessories… well-trained salesmen. Something tells me that none of the locals buy anything there, which means there are “more correct” places for those who want to stock up on branded clothes, ... but it’s more like a showroom)) It’s like we used to have buying a car: first you go around the market, look, compare, choose, and then buy from an ad on the Internet)) For those who still want to wear things from famous brands, but still consider money, there are outlets. There are enough of them in Milan (there are both in the city and outside the city) and there you can satisfy your unbearable desire to buy a new handbag, jacket or dress))

I will also add about one super-attraction of Milan, I think that many will be interested. In Milan, you have the opportunity to look at one of the most famous frescoes - Leonardo da Vinci (yes, this is not a painting !! I was surprised too). It is located in the refectory (read - in the dining room) at the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie (not far from the Conciliazione or Cadorna metro stations). And everyone is delighted with it, I tell you. We did not manage to look at it, but I imagine, because the delight and admiration from the frescoes of the Vatican Museum are fresh in my memory. But buying a ticket to visit this fresco is not so easy. It is mega-popular and therefore tickets must be bought in advance, at least a month in advance (almost like the Eiffel Tower). If in advance (2-3 months in advance), you can buy here www.vivaticket.it (price - 8 euros). You may be lucky and you will buy tickets there for closer dates, but these are 1-2 dates for 1-2 time intervals for the current month. But, there is a salvation - you can buy The Last Supper Ticket, it is more expensive, for 17-18 euros, but you can look at the masterpiece. You can buy this “super spontaneous ticket” on the website - selectitaly.com Yes, by the way, 15 minutes are allotted for contemplation of the masterpiece and 25-30 people are allowed into this canteen at a time.

In the evening, we traditionally got rid of almost all the remnants of our money by exchanging them for souvenirs and sweets home

In the morning we walked briskly to the central railway station ( Milano Centrale), from where shuttles (Shuttle Bus) go to the airport. If you stand facing the entrance to the station building (which is more like a museum with massive arches-entrances with columns), then the shuttle parking lot will be to the right of it. There are several carrier companies, a lot of people and buses. For 5 euros per person you will be taken to Bergamo Airport (Orio al Serio). Buses Milan - Bergamo Airport leave approximately every 15 minutes (maybe more often, given the number of companies. Terravision, for example, has a bus every 15 minutes) and go to the airport for about an hour. The airport is not located in Bergamo, but aside (by the way, the airport is also called "Milan-Bergamo"). The town itself is very picturesquely spread out on the hills at the foot of the Alps. It looks very cozy, calm and not touristy ... from afar))) In general, Vika and I said to each other at the same time that it would be nice to visit it for a day next time

The Bergamo airport itself is very simple and straightforward, like all small airports. So ..., you will figure it out on the spot yourself if anything)) There is a cool souvenir there!

On this, I perhaps finish my story about this trip to Italy. Since then, everything was simple and already somehow ordinary: a flight to Vilnius, where literally an hour and a half after landing we took a train to Minsk (which I already wrote about earlier). I don’t know about anyone else, but on the last day of the trip we almost always have no money left either on cards or in cash (the cunning souvenir sellers are to blame for everything, offering us such a huge selection of all sorts of useless, but cool things-drunks). So this time, with the last money, we bought one cup of coffee for two at the station in Vilnius

See you on a new journey