European cities are famous for the contrast between their centers - medieval, cramped, crooked, often walled in even to this day - and their modern outskirts, with highrises, fast food, parking problems and sameness. But Milan in northern Italy is not like that. It is dynamic all the way through. There are numerous neighborhoods with food as good as in the snobbishly overcharging areas east of the Duomo in the fashion and jewelry district. And most impressive of all is the area called Porta Nuova, where architects were allowed to go crazy, building skyscrapers in odd shapes, and apartment buildings looking like forests stood on their ends. It is a nontraditional European city, very different from its Italian cousins to the south.

For one thing, Milan still has its city airport Linate right within it (the big international airport Malpensa might as well be in a different province). The Metro goes right to it and for €2.20, you can get right into town in 25 minutes. Just tap your credit card. It will account for free transfers by itself.

Citroen	Renault	Tiny business/service car

Milan is also a city of electric cars. As I write this in the fall of 2023, I would say that 35-40% of vehicles are already electrics. Huge numbers of tiny, single person vehicles allow drivers to get where they need to and park facing the curb, allowing for many more vehicles to park. This recognizes several things: gasoline costs north of $9 a gallon, almost all city trips are single person anyway, and if there are longer distances or more passengers, the metro and the surface train services are spectacularly easy. So the streets are noticeably quieter than in American cities. And the variety of cars Americans have never seen or heard of grows seemingly daily. We saw all of two American cars in our week there: a Jeep and a Ford Ka (still the best car name ever), which it stopped making about five years ago. But lots of French and Chinese brands.

Our first stop was Princi, a bakery chain with sourdough breads well worth going out of your way for, and a chocolate bread unequalled anywhere – and we actively seek them out! Restaurants abound, and are long leisurely affairs. Princi even serves food, wine and beer, and you can eat on their generous patio by the funky shopping street Garibaldi.

But a couple of negatives stand out. For one thing, in restaurants you generally get charged €3.50 just for sitting down. Nancy always asks for a glass of tap water, but the waiters there invariably refuse. You have to purchase a glass of water, usually about €3.75 for a refilled (hopefully refrigerated) bottle. This means your bill is already €10.50 or more before you even look at a menu.

La Scala	Duomo	Victor Emanuel II Shopping

The iconic traditional sites of Milan, the Duomo, the Victor Emanuel II Shopping Centre and La Scala, are within a block of each other. The great irony is of course the supposedly religious centre of the Duomo, is just meters away from the extreme, over the top shopping center, home to all the world’s most overpriced brands. A hamburger costs €32, if you want to say you ate there. Even if it is in the shape of a cross, the shopping centre is still crass and commercial to be living side by side with the massive cathedral. On the other hand, the church itself has joined in. It costs US $25 per person to go inside. Pay to pray. Or stay away.

We also hit the heat wave of 2023 (though we weren’t supposed to). Considering how elevated Milan is, and the fact it is just an hour further north to the Alps and Switzerland, it was 32C (90F) every day, and humid. It didn’t stop us from walking five miles a day, as every new city requires of us, but it was draining and drenching.

Leaving Como	Bellagio	Porta Nuova

We broke up the stay with a side trip up to Lake Como, an inverted Y of three long narrow channels nestled among the Lower Alps. The shorelines are packed with gorgeous estates (see photo at top) We spent the bulk of our time in Bellagio, a pretty, mountainside town of 8000 right at the center of the Y, with views of 270°. The towns along the lake are locked in to tourism, and are amazingly efficient machines to get you in and out, while appearing relaxed and gracious. Very impressive service. But in exchange, authenticity goes out the window. The town of Como itself has 80,000 residents, making it far from rustic and charming. It is the original center of the silk industry, begun in the era of Julius Caesar, and which now outrproduces China. This is where the famous fashion industry of Milan originates, and we saw all kinds of loud, colorful dresses and pyjama pantsuits on the female office workers in Milan. It was striking for New Yorkers used to all black all the time.