We wanted to dig deeper into Milan and this mission was summed up in 10 points, our personal to-do list before going back north:
1
The most famous piece of architecture in Milano is the Cathedral, or Duomo. Therefore we must investigate it at its fullest. This would give us a good excuse to get up in the tower and enjoy the Milanesian cityscape.
Niklas: Interior: Yes! Exterior: Yes!
Louise: Interior: Yes! Exterior: No.
2We are living in a land where opera has some big solid roots. Many operas are Italian, so even if we don’t particularly fancy operas we should go to see one just for the spirit. Furhermore, Milano can brag about the Teatro La Scala, which is one of the most prestigious and worldwide recognized stages for opera. According to some rumors prices can be very low if you are a student and if you buy a ticket on the same day as the opera is shown. So no excuses for not going!
Niklas: No!
Louise: No!
3Italy is also a country that has a long tradition with football. The national team has lifted the world cup four times and Italian football teams used to play an important role in the European football scene. Milan has two teams, AC Milan and FC Inter and the local derby is considered the event of the year for their fans. It would be extremely cool to be part of the crowd and feel the atmosphere. However, probably it is not gonna happen since none of us are really football fans, so we don’t see the appealing of queuing for hours for having the privilege of paying a ridiculous amount of money for a ticket. But since football has to be experienced we should buy ourselves a cheap ticket for a cheap match between some non-famous teams! Just so we can brag of being inside the stadium:)
Niklas: Yes! - Denmark vs. Italy!
Louise: No!
4When you say Italy, you say espresso. We need to drink a really good and strong espresso for breakfast. It’s what Italians do and normally it’s the only thing they take for breakfast. Just to wake up and be fresh. According to the experts in the field, there are few places that are contending the title of best espresso of the city. So we will try and see if they are correct!
Niklas: Yes! So good!
Louise: Yes!
5Hand signs: if you have ever seen a movie with Italians most likely you have noticed the extensive use of hand signs or gestures. We are coming from a country where body language is limited to the necessary, so it is interesting to see Italians in action and we must learn a few very useful ones:)
Niklas: Yes!
Louise: Yes!
6Next to the Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele located and underneath the Galleria there is a picture showing a bull. Some time ago, someone, probably in order to attract tourists, spread the rumor that by spinning your heel on the balls of the bull you would ensure yourself luck for the time to come. As a result, tourists are actually queuing for smashing the balls of the bull and the city of Milan has to periodically replace the tiles because of the extensive spinning that wears the tiles. And we off course should go as tourists and have our milanesian luck.
Niklas: Yes!
Louise: Yes!
7
When living abroad it's both useful, but also polite towards the people to have a basic knowledge for the new language. So we must learn the most useful Italian phrases, words and idioms and maybe even attend italian classes so we can eventually pass an Italian course.
Niklas: Sort of!
Louise: Yes!
But neither took an italian teached course at Politecnico.
8Enjoy and participate in some of the various festivals taking place in the autumn.
Niklas: Yes! Milan Movie festival!
Louise: Yes! Venice and Milan Film festival!
9
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous Italian painters and one of his most notable pieces the fresco painting "the Last Supper" is located in the center of Milan. Funny enough, only a limited group of people can have the privilege to access simultaneously to the fresco, so we will have to book a few months in advance.
Niklas: Yes!
Louise: Yes!
10
The main reason for us to stay a long time in Milano is off course an Erasmus study abroad. Therefore its a definite must to pass our 5th semester in Politecnico even when considering Italian standards and methods for exams which are quite different from the Danish system. This is off course our main goal, so we should hopefully succeed in that :)
Niklas: Yes!
Louise: Yes!
//Niklas
