Coaching for Pizza: A Fine Spring Day Exploring More of Milano's Neighborhoods

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

A Fine Spring Day Exploring More of Milano's Neighborhoods

Monday, 26 March, 2018

I have now been living in beautiful northern Italy for an amazing . . .

. . . days!

I was up and about at a reasonable time and easily decided to take advantage of the warm Spring day to do a little sightseeing in Milano.

First stop . . .

. . . Milano's Naviglio neighborhood

This is Milano's old canal area that was used back in the day for transporting goods to and from central Milano.

Today the Naviglio is a nightlife hub

for dining, adult beverages and fun

I opted for a nice outdoor table

at this Naviglio bistro for a

delicious plate of spinach risotto

One of the first things I noticed during today's travels was a big increase in the number of young English speaking, American tourists.

Then I remembered, it's Spring Break for many American students back in the USA.

Ah the Irish . . .

I ducked into a small Naviglio courtyard while searching for another of the sites in my book 111 Places in Milan That You Must Not Miss.

It was a rustic courtyard indeed

It was also an artsy courtyard area

Another courtyard loaded with . . .

. . . artists . . .

. . . with artsy business signs

Finally I found my first site of the day . . .

#104 Vicolo dei Lavandai

When men did the washing

A 19th-century, open air laundry

In 1800s Milano doing laundry was considered work for men.

Families who could afford it would bring their dirty clothes and bedding to this spot to the Confraternity dei Lavandai, i.e., the Fraternity of Washmen, for cleaning.

Water used to flow down this

dry bed to help the washmen

who worked to the sides

The Naviglio's

Chiesa Madonna delle Grazie

In front of the Chiesa's

WWII Memorial Wall

It was nice inside this Chiesa

that dates back to "only" 1909

Nice altar ready for

Easter Sunday

Blue ceiling

Blue is the color usually associated with the Madonna or Blessed Virgin Mary.

This was another site from my book

I can't count this one just yet as they were closed on Monday.

Thus I did not have a chance to enter and rummage around.

They bill themselves as

"Rock 'n' Roll Luthiers"

Luthiers are makers of stringed instruments such as guitars and basses. The owners hand make and repair all sorts of stringed instruments in the shop.

But not today.

Colorful buildings on the Naviglio

An Alphonse Mucha

inspired beer sign

Rustic Naviglio building

The Naviglio is a GREAT place

to be on a sunny day

Cocktails to go?

These boats start their 90 minute

canal tours again in April

Perfect timing for Laurie's arrival on the Continent.

Old cities with canals are scenic

to say the least

It was time to move on . . .

She sat over there for a smoke break

while I sat here to do a little reading

Porta Ticinese

While strolling the area, I stumbled upon what might be Milano's one and only . . .

. . . CUBAN restaurant!

And it was a branch of Havana's

famed La Bodeguita del Medio

It is closed on Mondays, I'll return to be sure.

Frozen in time

I was heading to another book inspired site . . .

#73 Reminders of War

The air-raid shelter of Porta Lodovica

This building with a nice

courtyard was the spot

I was searching for this exact spot

The big "R" standing for the Italian word rifugio meaning shelter.

The US most definitely does

NOT stand for United States

These initials are for the words uscita di sicurezza which in Italian means emergency exit.

These signs were vital during WWII when the Allies' bombs pummeled Milano.

After Mussolini's speech on June 10, 1940 in which he announced that Italy had entered the war, these symbols and rifugios throughout the city came to represent the difference between life and death to the many of Milano's citizens.