Showing posts with label Milan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milan. Show all posts
Postcard from Mallorca: our Palma apartment
When my co-writer and photo- grapher husband Terry and I aren't on the road doing research, and therefore don't need to move hotels every night or two, we prefer to try a few hotels in a city and then spend the rest of the time in an apartment. If we're working on a city guidebook for big cities such as Buenos Aires or Amsterdam or Milan, then we might spend a couple of months or more holed up in a place, pounding the pavements most days, writing in the afternoons and evenings, then heading out at night to try restaurants and bars. Our aim during these stints is to live like locals and get to know the locals as much as we can so we can find those hidden gems only locals and expats know about. Mallorca has been no different, except, because the island is small, we've spent just a couple of weeks in the city of Palma, and the rest of the time on the road, driving around the island. We spent two weeks in this sprawling, rustic-chic apartment in a renovated historic building in the old city owned by a lovely man (a former fashion designer) who has as much character and charm as the atmospheric accommodation he rents out. I found the place on Owners Direct, an excellent site which (along with vrbo.com) I've used all over the world and absolutely love because there's no middle man. You can check them both out here. Is renting apartments something you do when travelling? And how often would you rent and why?
Our Italy books hit the shelves!
I almost forgot to tell you... as my regular Cool Travel Guide readers know, we spent a lot of time in Italy last year researching and photographing first editions of new travel guidebooks, starting with a month in Calabria, then a month in Milan, followed by more than a month in the Italian Lakes region and Northern Italy. Our Calabria book written for the Thomas Cook Travellers series hit the shelves in late April (see this post), and our Northern Italy book for the same series will be released in a couple of weeks (you can buy it here). While we're proud of all of our Italian books - Terry shot beautiful photos for them and we put a lot of work into researching and writing them, a book that we're especially proud of (it took even more blood, sweat and tears during particularly challenging circumstances), is our book released last month on the Italian Lakes, including Milan and Po Valley Towns, which we wrote for Footprint's new Italia series. Do have a flick through them when you're next in a bookshop. And don't hesitate to let me know if you ever need tips on travel in Italy.
The Navigli: Milan's hippest neighbourhood
You may not read about it in travel magazines or newspapers yet The Navigli has long been Milan’s hippest and most happening neighbourhood. It was when we wrote Lonely Planet’s Best of Milan four years ago and having just spent a month there again renting an apartment on Ripa di Porta Ticinese overlooking the liveliest part of the canal (navigli means canals, and there are in fact two), we can say with some authority that it still is the place to go for aperitivi (early evening drinks and snacks) and, boasting some of Milan’s best ristorantes, trattorias and enotecas, it’s also the neighbourhood to head for dinner. Curiously, however, most of the major guidebooks leave it out or give it little coverage, and very few review its restaurants. Yet the streets are buzzy every night of the week. While mid-week sees local art students, aspiring models and bohemian types filling the tables at the pavement bars and eateries, on the weekends the streets heave with Italians from other parts of the city, along with foreigners (expats and travellers), although very few compared to the Brera. There’s no other area in Milan that has an atmosphere as buzzy as the Navigli nor has the density of excellent eateries and bars. And it’s not only an after-dark destination. The canals are lined with myriad bookshops, art galleries, antique shops, and vintage clothes stores (pictured). In a sprawling car park at the end of the main drag there’s a grungy clothes market every Saturday that sees the city’s Goths trekking here, while on the last Sunday of the month there’s an antiques fair that lines both sides of the canal. Save a visit until late afternoon when you can browse the shops, have an aperitivo overlooking the water, listen to some jazz, and then stay on for dinner.
Life of a Travel Writer: when the travel writer comes to her senses
After only five hours sleep, a not so great day yesterday, and still feeling bleary eyed and in need of a few hours more, this weary travel writer nevertheless rose early this morning and went downstairs. Even before putting on the coffee she opened the French doors in the living-dining area (now their cluttered office) in the little Milano apartment (see here), and she looked out to see a cobalt blue sky. It was a relief after several weeks of dreary grey skies and occasional rain showers, punctuated by haze and fog, or, at best, blue sky with light cloud cover, none of which are optimum conditions for shooting books. Especially to photo editors and art directors who always want to see cerulean, no matter what Terry says about clouds being a photographer's friend. But as the writer watched the suited Milanese with briefcases in hand, the models carrying portfolios, and the students with backpacks slung over their shoulders, all rushing up and down the stairs of the charming bridges that cross the Navigli canal, on their way to work and school, she also felt relieved. Relieved that she didn't have a 9 to 5 routine (really 7 to 6, or even 6 to 7 when you count breakfast, shower and travel), that she didn't have to sit in rush hour traffic or on a crowded train, and then go through the monotonous motions of the day, which no matter how interesting a job is and how fascinating the people are you with work, still involves a routine. The travel writer decided she would rather go without sleep, food and showers, and have these periods of intense work and long days at a computer, to have the weeks when they're driving through stunning landscapes in places like Crete or Syria or enjoying sunsets over castles and beaches in Italy and Turkey. Especially if the computer is in front of a window looking on to the streets of Milan. And Amsterdam. And Buenos Aires. And Brussels... And so the travel writer came to her senses.The photo? Our work space in Brussels two years ago. Grey skies there too, but we didn't mind with that view.
Italians passionate? Si! Especially when it comes to football
By Terry Carter*Something that strikes us about Italians is their love of football**. In Amantea in Calabria a few weeks ago the local’s favourite team had just won a match so we were stuck in our car for a while in the middle of the celebratory procession through town. We were the only ones not tooting our horn or hanging out of the car cheering! Here in Milan in our apartment on the Navigli last week we knew Euro 2008 was on when we heard screaming and cheering from the local bars down on the street below. We turned the TV on to see Italy playing the Netherlands. Every time Italy had a shot at a goal (and missed) the collective groans echoed through the streets. After their loss, the locals quietly streamed out of the bars, jumped on their biciclettas and Vespas and headed home. On Fridays the streets are generally filled with locals heading for aperitivo hour at the local outdoor bars. But last Friday the streets were empty. We were thinking it was probably the threatening weather or Friday the 13th keeping locals at home. But then loud cheer echoed through the streets. Euro 2008. We turned on the TV to see Italy playing Romania. Even with the sound turned down we could tell how the game was going by the noise emanating from the bars. Very little noise means Italy is not doing well. Groans mean they’ve had a shot at goal and missed. Wild cheering indicates a goal from Italy, while silence means the other side has scored. As I write this, the game between Italy and France has not long started. The mood of the whole neighbourhood will change depending on what happens in the next hour and half. Italians. Passionate? No denying it. Even in the streets of ‘reserved’ Milan. Gotta go - the football's on.
* Terry is my husband, co-author and occasional co-blogger
** generally called soccer in countries where it’s not the main form of football
At home in Milano: remembering the importance of having a room with view
While some writing and photography commissions keep us on the road for a while crisscrossing regions and countries, as we've just done researching the Calabria guidebook, others, such as city guides, require us to settle down in one place for a while to do research. Usually we rent an apartment and create the 'home' we miss when we're on the road and we endeavor to live like locals as much as possible. This post is the first in a series called 'At home in (insert city)', which I'll write whenever we're based in one place for a while, and where I'll share both the fun stuff and the occasional frustrations of living in 'foreign' cities. We're in Milano now and the image is that of the French doors in our dining and living area and the view from our fourth floor across to an apartment block that's typical of our neighborhood, the Navigli. Navigli refers to the two canals that run through this lively area of Milan, a neighborhood jam-packed with restaurants, bars and cafes and funky little shops, that still has a village feel. From the window I can see elderly ladies who've dressed up to go to shopping exchange niceties with friends they bumped into on the street, dreadlocked Italian students with their art portfolios over their shoulders cycling home from university, and on the balcony opposite a a hip young gay couple sipping something in champagne flutes, as they too enjoy the action down below. We arrived a week ago and after we unpacked and set up our work space on the dining table, I looked out the window and said to Terry: "We need to make sure we always rent apartments with a room with a view - it's just so inspiring." Terry agreed. The view provides a constant source of entertainment, amusement, information, and of course, inspiration. We not only enjoy what we glimpse when we glance up from our work, but we sit in front of the window and appreciate the aspect more fully when we take breaks for coffee or lunch or a glass of vino bianchi in the evenings. Those are the times when, looking out that window, we learn about the rhythms and rituals of the everyday lives of the locals as we watch them go about their daily business, heading off to work, returning home, eating out, meeting friends for drinks, even watching the football together as they were in the bars tonight. Aside from the 'research value', it's just such a joy to take in the vistas and the vibe of life on the street. And enjoy the changing light.
When guided tours are close to spiritual experiences: I've been converted
I'm converted. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. I can now reveal I'm addicted to cool guided tours. My definition? Enriching, focused, well thought-out, specialized tours to compelling places with small groups (so miniscule you can remember everyone's names), led by super qualified and highly specialized guides who are as fascinating as the places you're visiting. (Read this post for my criteria for selecting guides.) I am now so hooked on these things that we've not long finished a series of walking tours in Rome with Context that I'm already begging them for more and finding out where I can score my next walk - Venice next month! But can I make it until then?! The cause of this change in heart, taste and opinion? Two superb organizations, Context and Viator, with whom we did a series of exceptional walking tours, private visits and bespoke tours in Rome recently. Now, because you know how much I've disliked my experience of guided tours in the past (read my post: Good guides, bad guides: the bad guides), you're probably thinking these must have been rather extraordinary experiences to change my mind. They were. But I'm in Milan now, and it's aperitivi hour and time for pre-dinner drinks so I'll get back to you tomorrow to tell you more about the walks, and Calabria, and Milan. Ciao!Pictured? The Vatican Museums after hours. Yes, that's right - when everyone else has gone home. There were just eight of us on Viator's private tour and everyone agreed it was worth every cent for the sublime experience of enjoying the Sistine Chapel in silence.