Milan's on lockdown

Right now, you may have heard that the city of Milan, the Region of Lombardy, and, indeed, all of Italy is on lockdown to avoid the contagion of the corona virus. The streets are almost deserted, though primary services - including supermarkets - are available.

So, here's a snap of the real Madonna from the top of our cathedral clicked in happier times.

Don't believe in her? That's OK, just enjoy the beauty.

Virtual hugs,...

Strike...again...today (25 Oct 2019), pretty much everything from public transportation to schools

In honor of a new friend, who likes to blog and take photographs, too, I've come back to you, dear ones, to tell you that there's another strike, today, what's new?

In Milan, the public transport will be striking from 8:45 AM until 3 PM, then again from 6 PM until the end of service (at least in Milan there's a chance of getting to work and back home).

Pretty much everything else is striking, too:...


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... planes, trains, schools, public entities (such as museums, offices,...).

Good luck getting anything done, today. At least it's not raining, here, anyway.

Walk around, look at the city, enjoy some pasta and ice cream despite the nip in the air.

The rat race starts back up, again, tomorrow.

Strike 27 Jan 2017, 9AM-5PM: Malpensa Express (Milan-Malpensa-Milan)

Starting off the new year with bad news (sorry!): a strike.

27 Jan 2017, 9AM-5PM, Malpensa Express.

The Malpensa Express (the "trenino" between Milan and the Malpensa airport) is going to be unavailable, or available in fits and starts, between 9AM and 5PM on the 27th of January.

The first Malpensa express trains from the Cadorna station begin running at just before 6:30 AM, for example, so if you need to get to the airport, you'd better get organized early.

Here's the web site in English for more train, ticket counter and station times.

Best of luck!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

In Italy, and hunting for some fantastic gelato?

This is the post for you!...More......

Run through the mouthwatering ice cream possibilities in this slide show looking for one in the town where you are, or, why not?!, plan your vacation around a tour of these 50 (plus one) 'gelaterie.' The site is in Italian, but the names of the stores and addresses are clear.

Why plus one?

Because they missed out on "Il Massimo del Gelato" (The Maximum/Maximillian of Gelato...the play on words between "maximum" and the founder's name is delightful) in Milan offering the thickest, creamiest, tastiest ice cream I think that I have ever tasted in my whole life.

They are opening an ice cream shop in Corso Magenta next to the Palazzo Litta, while their principal seat is in the Corso Sempione area at via Lodovico Castelvetro, 18.

That seat is open Tues-Sun noon-midnight, closed on Mondays (as lots of things that stay open in Italy on the weekends are).

You're going to thank me...but maybe your scales won't!

Enjoy!

P.S., I rarely post pics that I haven't snapped, myself, but, heads-up, this tasty one comes from their website.

Alas, another train strike: from 9 PM today, 23 June, for 24 hours

There is lots of great stuff happening in Milan...it's just that I'm hoppin' with work, so only have time to pass you bad news ... yet another national and local TRAIN strike. If you're not taking a train, you're good to go.

If you are taking a train, you'll be pretty much stuck from 9 PM, today, until one minute before 9 P.M., tomorrow. If you're in a rush, ask about the "pullman," the city-to-city busses. In fact, they sometimes are more convenient than the trains (from Milan to Siena, for example).

If that's all that's worrying you, you can skip the rest of this message...and I wish you good travelling.

If you want to stay updated about potential strikes of all kinds in Italy, ... ...More...

...and if you can read a bit of Italian, go to the official Ministry of Infrastructure "strikes" page by clicking here.

Even if you can't read Italian, here are a few hints and words that will help you.

First of all, when writing the date, Italians put the DAY before the MONTH: 23-06-2016. (It's easy to spot when the day number is higher than 12, but remember it when we're in the first couple of weeks of the month.) The web page has the STARTING date in the far left hand column. The END date is in the second to the left column.

Second, you'll need to look at the "sector" (settore) in the fourth from the left column. SECTORS: general (generale), plane (aereo), busses/trams/metro (trasporto pubblico locale), trains (ferroviario), boats (marittimo), cargo (trasporto merci), helicopters (elicotteri), taxi (taxi), roads--probably for the toll ones (circolazione e sicurezza stradale), cross-sector (intersettoriale) and finally Ncc (apparently: noleggio con conducente = car rental with a driver).

Third, you'll need to look at the "category" (categoria) in the middle column, as this is where you'll be able to see, for example, if the place YOU are interested in is involved (for example, if you scan the column entries, you'll see city and / or region names).

Fourth, the "modality" (modalità) column fourth from the right is where you'll see the times. Italy regulates itself on the 24-hour clock. (13:00 is 1 P.M., 14:00 is 2 P.M., etc. Once you get used to it, it's great.)

Finally, the "relevance" (rilevanza) column third from the right is where you'll see whether it's national (nazionale) or local (locale).

Unless you're versed in which union (sindacato) covers which field, that info in the third column from the left won't be helpful.


If you get brave, you can click on the two blue filter buttons in the upper left, and try to sort the news out by relevance (rilevanza) or sector (settore).


At the time of this writing, the RSS feed link wasn't working. (I've dropped them a line...although a lot of good that will probably do....).


Hope this is helpful! Bookmark it, so you have the info at hand for the next time...gotta run! Bye!

Hurry! Free entry for a few more hours: Archaeological Museum, Milan

Free entry to museums every now and then is a nice thing. Our entry fee helps to sustain their activities, but who says "no" to a thank you freebie every once in a while?
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Milan's Archaeological Museum is set up on an area that used to be part of the city's ancient imperial Roman walls and circus...no kidding...that later housed the city's most prestigious female monastery, eventually overseen by none other than a Sforza abbess.

Have you been, but a long time ago? Go, again. They've renewed the exhibits quite a bit over the last few years.

Archaeological Museum of Milan
Corso Magenta, 15
http://www.comune.milano.it/wps/portal/ist/it/vivicitta/luoghicultura/Musei_Spazi_espositivi/Museo_Archeologico (in Italian)
Tues-Sun, 9:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M. (last entry, 5:00 P.M.)

Rain, Rain, go away... well, no, stay for a bit...

Rain is predicted for a few days. It's true, it can clean the air, but it is a bit of a hassle in the city. The fields need the rain, though, and the snow packs need to be rejuvenated to give us water throughout the rest of the year.

Hunker down, put on rain coats and galoshes, and just tough it out.

As my dad says, "You're not made of sugar. You won't melt."

Sugar and spice and everything nice...

Enjoy!

Breaking News: Piazza Cordusio problematical from 4 to 8+ PM

The nice traffic lady of our morning news just let slip the news: Piazza Cordusio will be a sticky mess (not quite her words), today, from 4 to 8 P.M. (and after), thanks to a protest gathering.

Visiting the city, and need a hint for how to cross the piazza? Easy peasy: take the MM1 red metro line from the Duomo to Cairoli (the Piazza Castello stop).

The last couple of days have been gorgeous, cold, but gorgeous, notwithstanding the weatherman's prediction of clouds. Hope we get more of the same, today.

Bring your umbrella, rain is on the way for the weekend. (How do the weather gods do that? When it has to rain - and we're glad it does - it seems it always rains on the weekend.)

Enjoy!

Gorgeous day at the Sforza Castle in Milan

Gorgeous day...Sunday...long weekend (so feeling relatively guilt-free about not starting the preparation of the following week's lessons)...first thought? Photos at the lovely Milanese castle. Here's...More...

...the front façade facing toward the city.

The original kernel was a gate on the ancient Roman walls around the city, protecting the city from invasion from without.

In the Middle Ages, under the Visconti family, it was enlarged, and became a military fortress, protecting the city from without, but also serving as a last resort to protect the Visconti (who still lived in the ducal palace next to the Duomo) from the Milanese. Decidedly a change.

Having married the Visconti heiress (as a woman, unable to take political control) and being one of the time's most powerful and successful generals-for-hire, Francesca Sforza added these round (a then new development, which better deflected the then still stone cannon balls) defensive towers. If you look under the Sforza heraldic crest, you'll see that the rustication still shows damage from cannon balls. (Some of the stone cannon balls are on display in the inner moats of the castle; when cannon balls became made of iron towards the end of the 15th century -- this innovation was introduced by the invading French -- this kind of fortress was no longer able to withstand the blows, and so military architecture and defensive strategy had to change. Nevertheless, this castle, to which further defensive structures continued to be added over the centuries, was considered unconquerable...in fact, it was a traitor that let the invading French in. The story of its fate in the 19th century is for another day.)

In the 3rd quarter of the 15th century, under the Sforza family, part of it was transformed to house the princely quarters (a sign of the duke's nervousness, but also the cause of some lovely frescoes and a beautiful court in the palace area of the fortress).

Towards the end of the 15th century after the assassination of the duke, the duchess Bona of Savoy - mother of the rightful heir, still a minor - built this defensive tower over the entrance that leads from the large military grounds inside the castle to a smaller, more easily defendable part of the castle. Didn't work. Her brother-in-law, a younger brother of the murdered duke, took over, and reigned until he, too, was dethroned, this time by the invading French.

In the meantime...those are my translations on the info panels scattered throughout the open grounds of the castle! They are still there after yea so many years. What a satisfaction.

Monday morning hugs to all,

Star

P.S., Pooh on those who say, in error, that Milan is a gray industrial city with bad weather and nothing to see!

Marathon messes up street level traffic from 8 AM to 5 PM - Sunday 3 April 2016

Marathon messes up street level traffic from 8 AM to 5 PM - Sunday 3 April 2016.

Title says it all.

Sigh.

Hope to have better news, soon.

Wednesday 16 Dec 2015...public transportation strike in Milan

Sorry to always be the bearer of bad tidings, but am so SWAMPED with work (no complaining, in times like these!) that I can alert you only to potential strikes.

Public Local Transportation strike in Milan from 8:45 A.M. to 12:45 P.M. ... only four hours, this time ... whew!

Here's hoping that next trimester will be a little less heavy, work-wise.

Hugs for the strike, you might need them.

Please, folks, use professionals for your translations!

Just can't stand it anymore.

Companies big and small ... please use professionals for your translations.

Really, for enormous companies with mega-budgets, like ATM and Trenitalia, there's absolutely no excuse.

I'm just sayin'.

For those of you who don't read Italian, the beginning says: "The hamster of the neighbor of the cousin of the parrish priest of the maid."


(Credit where credit is due: It's my graphic, but the photo is from http://www.rwg.bz/private/hamster/facepalm-hamster.png)

National train strike from 6 PM today (26 Nov) to 6 PM tomorrow (27 Nov)

Travelling by train in Italy today or tomorrow?

Good luck, even with the Malpensa Express special train...More......

...between Cadorna in Milan and the Malpensa international airport.

Tomorrow, there also will be some local public transportation strikes, but the official Italian Ministry of Transportation web site says nothing about Milan.

At least the workers waited to strike until after Expo...let's hope it gets cleared up before the Christmas season.

So, what to do if you need to get to Malpensa?

You'll have to find a helpful friend, or take a taxi.

Be sure to always take only official taxis because these are covered by insurance and have to adhere to equipment and comportment standards, among which is the clear posting of the costs between Milan and the two airports. Last time I noticed, the costs between Milan and Malpensa were around a flat Euro 120.00. (Yes, that's one hundred and twenty Euros.)

Can hardly say my usual "enjoy!," can I?

Roses by any other name ... the Profume Museum in Milan

Stuff we take for granted can, when you start pulling at the threads of its history, fascinate, enthuse and enthrall. The little private Perfume Museum in Milan does just that....More......

Born of a private collector's passion, the museum is just a few steps away from the Cenisio stop on Milan's appropriately named n. 5 lilac line (in case that reference was too obscure for you, how about Chanel n. 5 and the profume of flowers?).

When you get to the address, don't let the unassuming apartment building fool you; it's in a small semi-basement apartment brightened with lights and lots of large clean glass cases housing hundreds and hundreds of examples.

No labels, though, but the visits are obligatorily guided, anyway, by the enthusiastic collector and founder, so you won't miss them.

Two basic threads seemed to interweave, separate and weave, again: the changing fashions of both smell and packaging (and, hence, marketing...OK that makes three threads).

Though perfumes are known to us from just about the beginning of history (i.e., writing, about 3300 BC), the collection concentrates on the period from the late 19th century, when perfumes for ladies -- as far as I can remember of all the info I was trying to absorb -- tended to be of single flowers, pure in their idealized asexual view of women, up to the roaring Twenties, when the social life of ladies burst out of more than corsets, embracing the birth of sensual complex fragrances, up to our own time.

Similarly, perfumes originally were produced, like medicines, by neighborhood pharmacists, and so were packaged anonymously in the same anonymous rectangular bottles also used for medicines. In the early 20th century, the need to attract attention in the ever industrially expanding universe of perfumes also provided fertile ground for the birth and development of creative bottle designs.

My personal favorite? This one for Chanel, created by a stroke of genius and the designer's sneak peak at the tailor's bust Mae West sent to Chanel for the creation of her clothes.


MUSEO DEL PROFUMO (Perfume Museum)
via Messina, 55 - buzzer 5 then 9 then ENTER
347.434.9240
museodelprofumo@virgilio.it

Entrance fee: E. 10,00 per person, a minimum of two people

Hours: every day from 10 AM to 3 PM

The Typewriter Museum in Milan

Like to write? Ever used a typewriter, whether manual or electric? Love it when history comes alive through a close look at the everyday objects that surround us? ...More......

Then the Typewriter Museum in Milan is right for you!

About halfway between Maciachini and Zara on the yellow metro line, this little private museum born of a collector's passion is -- I admit -- ...

...a bit fusty, a bit severe with its row upon row upon row of industrial-style shelving packed with lots and lots of machines id'd with a bare minimum of info, but don't let this discourage you...for two reasons.

(1) The owner-founder-director-guide is absolutely engaging and enthralling, and

(2) Soon, the museum will have my single sheet in English that will let you pick out a few of the more important examples to see the collection at your own pace (the museum so enthused me that I volunteered to do it!).

There are about 500 machines in the collection, including calculators, that cover pretty much the whole history of typewriters from the end of the 19th century up to computers.

The premises are small and simple because it's an entirely privately organized and funded museum that doesn't charge admission...considering helping out by buying one of the very reasonably priced publications.


MUSEO DELLA MACCHINA DA SCRIVERE (Typewriter Museum)
via F.L. Menabrea, 10 - 20159 Milano
347.884.5560
umberto1935@libero.it
http://www.umbertodidonato.org

Entrance fee: free

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 3 - 7 PM

Better call ahead if you want a visit or info in English.