Thursday, June 4...the first dramatized tour of Milan on a historic tram...don't miss it!

Want an overview of the city while having fun? A history buff, but you have to drag your Significant Other kicking and screaming to cultural stuff?

Drag no more!

Dramatram comes to your rescue...More......

...the first Thursday of every month during EXPO (and, let's hope, after!) first with a dramatized tour in English shortly after lunch, followed by a tour in Italian.

All on one of Milan's historic 1920s trams.

We went on the inauguration trip, yesterday, and it's really quite enjoyable, even for those you who might be familiar with the city's history and monuments.

Go!

The first trip is just around the corner, so hurry to get your tickets: Thursday, June 4, 2015.

For info and reservations: Dramatram.

Garibaldi station, the Bicocca university campus, the Arcimboldi theater and some practical notes

I went on an adventure with you in mind (well, for me going some place new, even nearby, is an adventure), and it didn't turn out at all like I thought it would, but it was productive, nonetheless.

It starts at the Porta Garibaldi train station......More......

...that is under these two new large towers (the area is being built up rapidly with high rises). The goal? An outlet that I'd seen in an ad. Not that I'm fixed on shopping, but knowing outlets can be helpful. Destination? The Greco-Pirelli-Bicocca train station.

Before leaving Milan's train stations, it's a good idea to get your return ticket, too. If the destination station is really small, there won't be an open ticket counter, and there might not even be a working ticket machine. Better to be safe than sorry! Touch the screen on the English flag, and follow the fairly easily comprehensible instructions...the ticket won't be much for such a short hop to the first station on this line. Maybe a few Euros. As long as the station is inside the city limits and is served by the light rail system called the "Passante," your normal Milanese bus tickets and passes will work on the Passante trains, too. Beware: some of these ticket machines take cash, while others only take "bancomat" cards (their version of our Automated Teller Machine cards), credit cards and pre-paid cards.

So, my platform was number 19...head straight out to the train lines and turn right, or left, as the case may be, right? Wrong! It's very VERY poorly marked until you actually know where you're going, and turn into the stair well, but all platforms here from 15 to 20 are on the other side of the lines going further into town, so you need to go downstairs, under those rails, and back up on the other side platform by platform.

Literally about 5 minutes later, and the train pulled into the station. Got off the train, and this is what I saw: bushes, an infinite stretch of rails and tall condo buildings. Behind us? A really small station.

Signage stank, so good thing I'd looked on the internet and at maps before going: I turned right, and figured that that white building--whatever it was--in the foreground was about where I needed to turn left into town. Yup, it was.

In the meantime, it turns out that that building is the famous Arcimboldi theatre that was the seat for La Scala operas while that opera house was being renovated, and now houses plays and the very popular Zelig live comedy show. Good to know that it's so easy to get to, really...now, if they only had early afternoon showings, I'd be willing to go.

Forging ahead a short walk, I found the street I was looking for, nestled in Bicocca's open campus of school and dorm buildings (Bicocca is the University of Milan's suburban campus). Turns out, though, that the outlet was a kind of single tag-ends store, not the mall I expected, and it was closed at that (well, it was Sunday afternoon).

Now what to do? A question to a welcome face in this area deserted like the piazzas in a De Chirico painting ("It's packed with people during the school year....") directed me to the two malls in relatively close walking distance, but, with the blazing sun, a quick bus ride away. Not really big on shopping malls in Italy, but, man, was I thirsty and hot. Names? Bicocca Village and Centro Commerciale Bonola. Both what Italians call "cathedrals in the desert." Must be the university summer vacation that creates this eery effect. Here's a snap of the purposefully rusty modern sculpture in front of the Bonola mall...which is not what you see in the background. That must be an office building. Sun wasn't in the right place for a snap of the outside of the mall.

Bicocca Village is a few minutes closer to the train station than the Centro Commerciale Bonola, but there's that eery De Chirico effect. The center at Viale Sarco (corner of via Chiese, set back a bit from Sarco) has a cinema. Stores open 11 A.M. to 10 P.M. Monday-Thursday, and until 11 P.M. on Friday and Saturday. Sundays in August most of the stores are closed (though the mall, itself, was open when I went, and a few stores, mostly the food stalls, were open); during the rest of the year, the stores close at 9 P.M. on Sunday. Other closures? August 15 and September 01. The restaurants stay open until midnight. The cinema also has its own hours. How to get there? You'll have to muddle through the Italian page, but it's laid out well enough, so hopefully you'll not have too many problems recognizing the names of the bus, tram and metro stops.

Centro Commerciale Bonola (via Quarenghi 23) is just a bit farther, and inside is a perfectly normal shopping mall with a do-it-yourself store called Brico (look in the yellow pages to find these handy stores in Milan) and an ENORMOUS supermarket-Walmart-style store combo. How to get there? It's not in English, either, but laid out clearly. Hours? Monday - Thursday 8:30 A.M. to 8:30 P.M., Friday and Saturday hours are a bit longer (8:30 A.M. to 9 P.M.), Sunday's a bit shorter (9 A.M. to 8 P.M.).

Nearby the two malls is the old abandoned Falck company steel factory. They keep talking about renovating it, and I hear that a small part has been opened, and rented out to up-and-coming businesses. Here's a sneak peek between the boarded up wall at the side walk.

Upshot of the afternoon?

I wouldn't go to all this trouble just to go to one of these two malls...what they offer is easier to get in town...but if you want to go to the Arcimboldi Theater, or you will be going to the Bicocca campus, now you know how to do it! Isn't that reassuring?!

Enjoy!

Coming to Milan in September? Like to plan ahead? Here's a brief preview!

If you'll be in Milan in September, whether travelling to Italy for a visit, or coming back from vacation, here are some ideas to brighten your days:...More......

Aug. 31 - Sept. 1, Strada delle Abbazie (Road of the Abbeys)
Walk or bike the itinerary, and enjoy activities, such as open air markets, along the way. For info (in Italian) and--scroll down a bit--a handy map, go here.

Sept. 5, OtHello, l' H è muta (yes, that's written correctly)
Part of MiTo, the music and cultural event staged contemporaneously in Milan and Torino, this is a humorous take IN ITALIAN on the Shakespearean classic.
Thursday, the 5th at 10 P.M.
Triennale Teatro d'Arte
numbered seats, E. 15-E. 20
Tel. 02 88464725 - 02 88464748
http://www.mitosettembremusica.it (in Italian, only)

Sept. 5-15, 18th edition of the Milano film Festival
Films, Italian and international, at this film festival
The web site is in English, too, but the info is poorly presented, and is incomplete.
Better than nuttin'.

Sept. 8, Domenica delle donne (Women's Sunday)
Health, beauty and fun for women and kids in the public park in via Palestro to raise awareness about women's roles in society.
Sunday, September 8, 10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Public garden, via Palestro
Free entrance
http://www.domenicadelledonne.it/domenica-delle-donne-2013/ (in Italian)

Sept. 15 and 29, Via lattea
Two more 'via Lattea' bike rides organized in the rural countryside around Milan.
Sept. 15: Parco Agricolo Sud along the Naviglio Grande, leaving from Gaggiano
Sept. 29: in the countryside around Pavia and inside the Ticino park, leaving from Bereguardo
At departure points, bikes may be rented for a "freely decided" donation to F.A.I.-Fondo Ambient Italiano (which takes care of historic buildings, and not just landscapes) of Euro 10, or above
Along the routes, volunteers are available with information
In the old farm houses, it will be possible to eat and drink

Fiera del Naviglio Grande
Every 4th Sunday of the month (except for July, August and December), 9 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Activities not specified, but probably have to do with food and knickknacks.
Parco di Palazzo Archinto
Via Corte dell'Arsenale, Robecco sul Naviglio
Entrance free
Organized by the "pro loco" ("for the place" association) of this city around Milan

Enjoy!

Blatant Plug for a Friend's One-Man Show (and the scoop about what I did with my Easter vacation)

Here's a blatant plug for a friend's one-man show: popular John Peter Sloan will delight (mostly in Italian) audiences at the Teatro Smeraldo, Milan, on the 12th of April, 2012, for more information and other cities, see http://www.teatrosmeraldo.it.

Go, John!

And now for the scoop about my Easter Sunday and Angel Monday...More......






Lovely, lovely, lovely: much needed rest and the healing comforting company of friends (none of whom are visible in this snap of the lovely weather to be had in the Piazza del Duomo on Easter day, the same angle appearing in a blog post months ago with the taxis waiting in dreary weather, http://mymilanitaly.blogspot.it/2010/11/milans-taxis.html).


Walked my friend to the tram, and spotted this spring-y little robot in a shop window on Via Torino.

Fade out Easter day, fade in Angel Monday...huh? 'What is Angel Monday?,' I can hear you asking. I'd never heard of it before coming to Italy, either, so don't feel silly. If you're not Catholic, you probably don't know, either.

It's the Monday immediately following Easter, and is a holy feast day dedicated to angels, so it's a public holiday, too. (Good going! This is one thing I *love* about living in Italy...the hectic pace of modern life is tempered with a sprinkling of a few more public holidays than in the U.S., well, at least it WAS...with the crunch, some of them have been cancelled, boo-hoo!)

Got another glimpse of one of the "crazy" new skyscrapers going up around town. This one in the Porta Nuova* area looks like it's pregnant.

*The second, newer, Porta Nuova, from the NeoClassical era, not the earlier, older one of the same name (that wasn't very clever, was it?) from the medieval period. I think I should do a post just on the gates of Milan.


Did I mention two excellent movies, too?

The first movie we saw, and had planned to see, is called "Magnifiche Presenze" ("Magnificent Presences") by Ozpetek, a Turk, who has lived many years in Rome, where the film is set (in Italian, but with a video, http://www.cinetv.info/film/commedie/magnifica-presenza-trama-e-trailer/). I'll only reveal what is clear from the billboards: a young man somehow comes into contact with spirits from the 1940s. A dream-like film, gorgeous to see, too, that explores the relationship between reality and fiction, but with a delicate touch. I'd enjoy seeing it, again, and that's always a good sign.

Wandering in a dreamy state, we chanced by the theater where the other film that had interested us was playing, but another one looked even better, and was more personally significant: "La scomparsa di Patò" (The Disappearance of Patò), book and screenplay by a wonderful author, Camilleri, http://www.comingsoon.it/Film/Scheda/Trama/?key=48318&film=La-scomparsa-di-Pato.

Is it crazy to see two films, one right after the other? Who cares?! In the right place at the right time, we launched ourselves into that experience, too. I was very curious to see how the film transposed the narrative--expressed through a series of letters and newspaper clippings--into film. I won't spoil the surprise, I'll only say that--except for the more obvious spelling out of the ending, which in the book is more delicately and effectively left to the reader's imagination--it was a delightful expression of the story.

The two-day holiday (with a bit of work thrown in so as not to feel guilty!) came to a delicious end: oh, what a heavenly smell and colors...the wisteria is blooming on via Monte Santo - Monte Grappa.

I hope your Easter and Angel Monday were restful and significant, too.

These pictures were snapped on Easter Sunday and Angel Monday with you in mind for your personal, non-commercial pleasure.

Enjoy!

Photoless Friday (26): wanna peek behind the curtain--so to speak--at La Scala?

Opera buffs, you won't want to miss this!

Until the 31st of December, there are regular Tuesday and Thursday 3 P.M. guided visits to the workshop where they create the scenographic magic for La Scala in the ex-steelworks Ansaldo company building, via Bergognone, 34.

Reservations in advance are required, call CIVITA at +39-02.433.53.521.

Ready for the really amazing bit?

It's only E.5!

Enjoy!

Photoless Friday (19): Famiglia Meneghina and theater in the Milanese dialect

Attended a round table of talks, last evening. The topic, for those non-scholarly, sounds like a snorer: "The new catalogue published by the Famiglia Meneghina of works in their library dedicated to theater in the Milanese dialect." If you made it even through half of that title, you probably also watch the History Channel, frequently. Really, though, it was fascinating, and well-done (Cosmos bless the speakers, none were long-winded)...More......

...even a bookworm, like myself, does have its limits of resistance to the physical and mental strain of sitting still in a dark room, and not letting my mind wander, or falling asleep after a long hard day of work, complicated often by low glucose levels.

Reading the program, the scariest proposition was the panoramic introduction to the evening's topic by the local city councilman for culture. Just at the words "Councilman's presentation...," I already was gripping my chair's seat and locking my elbows to keep myself from tumbling over in a sudden blow of sleep, but 't'wasn't so. He did get a bit windily philosophical on us, but kept it pretty brief and--amazing, but true--finally to the point, so that his talk really did set a larger cultural stage (pun not intended) for the rest of the evening dedicated to theater in the Milanese dialect.

An expert on theater in the Milanese dialect spoke briefly about the topic, itself. Here are a few of the most interesting factoids, which put the project being discussed in context.

Added to the "Italian Comedy" theater repertoire (ever heard of, for example, Pulcinella, or seen Picasso's paintings of the Italian comedy troupe? It's a centuries-long travelling theater tradition) at the very beginning of the 17th century (note for those not having read previous posts: we're talking about the period in Milan's history when it had been under Spanish Hapsburg domination for almost a hundred years) was the manservant, "Meneghino": well-meaning, good-hearted, dedicated, able, but a bit bumbling. Interesting to hear how the Milanese present, last night, still identify with this figure, as proven by hearty applause at appropriate points in the talk (even the word "hearty" somehow fits the stereotypical Milanese, now so watered down thanks to immigrants--including myself--that many lament its demise). But back to the factoids.

Theater in dialect in general had its ups and downs (these latter during periods scared of sharp and public criticism and of private cultural associations in which political discontent could breed and multiply), but Milanese dialect theater continued--in part thanks to the Famiglia Meneghina--even up into the 1990s, when, as a club it had to close its doors for financial reasons, and transform itself into a foundation to manage its large and precious collection dedicated to "things Milanese" (Milanesità), which it had begun shortly after its foundation in the early 1920s (it will not pass the notice of history buffs that we're talking about a period just after the close of WWI, during which identity and economic recovery were taking place). (It will not pass the notice of any reader that I like parenthetical comments.)

Next talked the expert responsible for the production of the catalogue, itself. That kind of talk really can be a scary snorer, if specialists don't keep their audiences in mind. Thankfully, this one did. She presented a few indicative and interesting examples (with images contained liberally in the catalogue), and didn't wear us down like Chinese water torture with a seemingly endless string of unrelated examples.

As any visitor to the Famiglia Meneghina web site will be able to see that (if they are able to read Italian...just bless yourself that the site isn't in the Milanese dialect), the very rich catalogue ripe for mining of the works in this small, but precious library, open by appointment to the public, is online. Their first published catalogue appeared a few years ago. It's enormous. The presentation of the second, smaller published catalogue, dedicated to the works of theater in the Milanese dialect (not just scripts, but also playbills, photos, and critics' reviews), which have entered the library in the last few years, was the occasion for last night's round table, closed brilliantly with his typical verve and conciseness by Alessandro Gerli, longtime president of first the club, and now the association dedicated to the library.

(For the scholars in my oh-so-vast reading public of ten, the central web site connecting an enormous number of all of the Italian libraries, public and private, large and small--Famiglia Meneghina included--is: http://azalai.cilea.it/mai/.)

As hard as I try, I will never be a great writer until I can resist pat phrases: a lovely time was had by all, as proven by the enthusiastic applause of those in the large full room.

Oh, and what does "Famiglia Meneghina" mean, you ask?

In the Milanese dialect, "Menego" is one of the nickname forms for "Domenigo/Domenico," and was adopted as the name for that Italian comedy figure of the Milanese manservant. The figure became so popular, that the name mutated into an adjective, and, added to the diminuitive form, identifies the "Famiglia/Family" of Milanese in a tender, affectionate and culturally-laden way.

If you're a scholar of things Milanese, this library--multum in parvum--is a must.