Milano

semrich

semrich

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I'll decide what gear to take, we will be there for six days and I'm just wondering about any suggestions for things to do and see that are outside of the typical tour book domain.
 
I agree on the previous comments about Milan's industrial ethos. This said, the Milanese are renowned for their amazingly chic and fashionable attire - Milan alongside Paris, London and New York is among the "capitals" of fashion. The Cathedral Square with its adjoining Galleria -and its pack of Nikon FM photographers plying the tourists!- and the nearby shopping streets are a must, in spite of the crowds. Eating is exceptionally good, albeit on the expensive side. If you have an interest in vintage cars, Alfa Romeo has an astonishing four- floor car museum in the satellite town of Pero, west of Milan, where photography (flash included) is positively encouraged. The restaurants alongside the (artificial, originally built for barge transport) canal, are the more original and rustic, most of which have outdoor sitting. Milan can be very humid in the summer months, so be prepared for occasional discomfort. I used to spend 3-4 working days on business per month there in the period 1990 - 2002 and I have very fond memories of the place and its people. I wish you an enjoyable stay but (without being alarmed) do watch out for innocent looking young pickpockets...
 
6 days in Milano would be too many. 2 to 3 would be more than enough. You can consider various day trips. Verona (of Romeo and Juliet fame), the upper city of Bergamo and one of the lakes (Como or Garda) would be fun. Also, whilst in Milano, try not to miss La Scala, the world famous opera house just round the back of the Galleria. You must go inside to see it.

Bring plenty of films and post your pics to share with us after your stay.

Another word of advice, never give money to beggers. For once you gave to one, a whole queue will follow. And watch out for those gipsy looking mothers (very often carrying a child) with young children. They are very good pickpockets.
 
Milano is 3 hours away from Portofino:

http://orario.trenitalia.com/b2c/TimeTable?stazin=milano+centrale&stazout=santa+margherita+ligure&datag=30&datam=05&dataa=2008&timsh=7&timsm=25&x=23&y=12&lang=it&nreq=5&channel=tcom

You need to reach Santa Margherita Ligure and then take a bus...

portofino.jpg
 
Windscale said:
6 days in Milano would be too many. 2 to 3 would be more than enough. You can consider various day trips. Verona (of Romeo and Juliet fame), the upper city of Bergamo and one of the lakes (Como or Garda) would be fun. Also, whilst in Milano, try not to miss La Scala, the world famous opera house just round the back of the Galleria. You must go inside to see it.

Bring plenty of films and post your pics to share with us after your stay.

Another word of advice, never give money to beggers. For once you gave to one, a whole queue will follow. And watch out for those gipsy looking mothers (very often carrying a child) with young children. They are very good pickpockets.
Click to expand...

I go to Milano for the food -- and for that, or for the company mentioned in an earlier post, six days might not be too many. But the idea of day trips is a good one, and I would add Mantova to the menu -- seat of the Gonzaga, with many things to see and photograph. And a typical cuisine that differs from Milano. It was voted most livable city in Italy. Did I mention the food? And not too far from Bologna -- a great eating city. But maybe you are not going for the food.

Don't know what you consider the usual tourist haunts -- I am always attracted by the roof of the Duomo, from which you get a panoramic view of the city and a huge set of shots to choose from. The Duomo exterior is itself interesting these days, after an extensive cleaning.

Via Dante, leading from the Duomo to the Castello Sforzesco, frequently has interesting photo exhibits -- outside. Don't know what might be showing when you are scheduled there. It is also where you can find New Old Camera, specializing in used cameras, with a heavy load of Leicas. With the current exchange rate, this may be less than enticing, but you can always look, and, on some items, it has recently had prices that parallel US prices.

I agree that part of the attraction of Milan is the street scene -- which in some ways I would put more like New York.

More if you're interested -- but you may not need anything more if you have a local guide.
 
Parco Sempione is an elegant park to stroll around in. On the weekends, it's a great place to watch the locals at leisure and maybe do a bit of shooting. The Torre Branca is an interesting structure that you can ascend and have fantastic views of the city. You might try to catch an exhibit at the Triennale, which is a great museum within the park that is dedicated to design and architecture. The museum cafe has dozens of different chairs that are all iconic designs that you can sit on and try out. You can also buy a lunch kit at the cafe and have a little picnic in the park outside.

If you are interested in design, near the park is the former studio of the legendary industrial designer Achille Castiglione. His most famous work is perhaps the Arco lamp, that ball shaped floor lamp with the aluminum arc and the marble base. His studio is now a museum where you can see much of his work. His wife and daughter show you around and it's a fascinating insight into a great thinker's process.

For something really off the beaten path, check out the Cimiterio Monumentale, a sprawling cemetery where you'll find incredible mausoleums for the wealthiest Italian clans done up in Art Deco styles.

Finally, there is a nice flea market on Sundays in the Navigli area, where the canals are on the west side of town. It's a great place to find old books, vintage sunglasses and the sort. Plus it's a nice way to see how the locals shop.

Milan is usually not well regarded as it isn't as pretty as other Italian cities. But I find there is a lot of beauty to be found in Milan, you just have to look a little closer.

Parco Sempione - http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/italy/milan/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154678895082
Triennale Museum - http://www.triennale.it/Index.php?lang=_eng
Studio Museo Castiglioni - http://www.triennale.it/triennale/sito_html/castiglioni/index.htm
 
Thank you all for your replies, seems like some good stuff there, I've copied and printed them all to take with me.

As chut says: "there is a lot of beauty to be found in Milan, you just have to look a little closer" all this information will help.
 
Milano?

Nobody said the "Cenacolo" of Leonardo da Vinci

There is also a castle, just near "NewOldCamera"

You can visit the "Museo della scienza e della tecnica": well, a bit too much "old style", but there you can go into a submarine (where you will find the main use of the torpedo tubes in an italian submarine ... ;-) )

After dinner go to the "Navigli" (somebody told you something about this area)

Do you like car races? Monza is really near...

Also Genova, with it's old narrow streets and the Aquarium can be a nice place for a day visit, or Torino, with the old centre, the museum of the Cinema, and the egiptian museum (i think it should be the second biggest in the world)

Venezia is not so far, Padova is a nice old city, and if you like the sea and the beaches, you can spend a day in Liguria (east of Genova: Sestri Levante, West: Varigotti)

Another "one-day trip" copuld be to Val Camonica, where you can see some prehistoric graffiti on the rocks engraved by the ancient "Camuni" ...

A lot of things to do, don't worry!

Ciao,
Franco
 
The Beretta showroom in Milan!! Absolutely amazing!! Downstairs they have their gunroom. At the end is a circular room with their "fine" guns (some reaching well above $100k). Even if you aren't into firearms; the woodwork on these guns is something else.

As far as photography - I'd go with the main train station there in town. Pretty standard, but I'm sure you could fit in some great shots in there.
 
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