We took an extended weekend to visit Milan. After four short hours on a train, we were a world away in the big city. It is hard not to compare life in Milan to life in our Neapolitan home. Milan is great, but it is very different from Naples. The following are a couple of differences I noticed while I was away.
For one thing, although Italy is generally an expensive country, in Milan everything costs more than it does in Naples. It’s easy to see why. There is a lot of affluence in Milan. You can see it in their clothes. People in Naples tend to dress very comfortably. In Milan, large quantities of people on the street look like they just walked off the runway. It's beautiful. We were able to indulge our eyes in some fantastic window shopping. The abundance of designer brands that have shops in Milan is astounding. Designer clothing, shoes and handbags may generally cost more than I am willing to spend for such items, but they are fun to admire.
Milan is also colder than Naples – both the temperature and the people. That is not to say that people in Milan are rude, but rather that people in Naples are uncommonly warm and friendly. Many people in Milan assumed they wouldn’t be able to understand us, and therefore didn’t try. One day Justin and I said the exact same Italian phrase to two different servers. The first one kept insisting that she didn’t understand us. The second one understood us immediately. More people in Milan know English, so often people would pick up on the fact that we weren’t native Italian speakers and switch to English. Sometimes this is helpful, but we really like to practice our Italian. In Naples, everyone seems pleased that Justin and I try to speak Italian, even if it isn’t perfect. It is great for helping us learn. The people in Milan were far easier to understand than those in Naples, however. Many people in Naples speak in dialect or a mix of Italian and dialect and it is very tricky to comprehend.
Unfortunately, jaywalking is frowned upon in Milan. I love jaywalking, but Neapolitans love it even more than I. Occasionally while we were in Milan, Justin and I would launch into the street without a walk signal because there was no traffic. Usually no one followed us. On one occasion, I even drew some snide looks. We weren’t being unsafe; rather we were capitalizing on a traffic-free opportunity.
On the other hand, Milan operates like a well-oiled machine. The metro system is fantastic. I think the longest we ever had to wait for a subway was 5 minutes and on that occasion there were multiple announcements notifying us that the train was running late. In Naples, I’ve waited for 20 or even 30 minutes for trains to arrive only to find them stuffed beyond capacity. There is never any forewarning or apology. Everyone always gets on, but it can be uncomfortable, especially with a baby. Thankfully, people in both places offer me a seat when they see I have a baby strapped to my front.
The streets are very clean in Milan and I saw far less dog poop left on the sidewalks. Sometimes it feels like the Naples sidewalks are an extension of the garbage cans. It was nice to not have to constantly be dodging piles of dog poop in Milan (though because I have been practicing in Naples, I was not caught off guard by the couple of piles I did encounter).
Milan is also colder than Naples – both the temperature and the people. That is not to say that people in Milan are rude, but rather that people in Naples are uncommonly warm and friendly. Many people in Milan assumed they wouldn’t be able to understand us, and therefore didn’t try. One day Justin and I said the exact same Italian phrase to two different servers. The first one kept insisting that she didn’t understand us. The second one understood us immediately. More people in Milan know English, so often people would pick up on the fact that we weren’t native Italian speakers and switch to English. Sometimes this is helpful, but we really like to practice our Italian. In Naples, everyone seems pleased that Justin and I try to speak Italian, even if it isn’t perfect. It is great for helping us learn. The people in Milan were far easier to understand than those in Naples, however. Many people in Naples speak in dialect or a mix of Italian and dialect and it is very tricky to comprehend.
Unfortunately, jaywalking is frowned upon in Milan. I love jaywalking, but Neapolitans love it even more than I. Occasionally while we were in Milan, Justin and I would launch into the street without a walk signal because there was no traffic. Usually no one followed us. On one occasion, I even drew some snide looks. We weren’t being unsafe; rather we were capitalizing on a traffic-free opportunity.
On the other hand, Milan operates like a well-oiled machine. The metro system is fantastic. I think the longest we ever had to wait for a subway was 5 minutes and on that occasion there were multiple announcements notifying us that the train was running late. In Naples, I’ve waited for 20 or even 30 minutes for trains to arrive only to find them stuffed beyond capacity. There is never any forewarning or apology. Everyone always gets on, but it can be uncomfortable, especially with a baby. Thankfully, people in both places offer me a seat when they see I have a baby strapped to my front.
The streets are very clean in Milan and I saw far less dog poop left on the sidewalks. Sometimes it feels like the Naples sidewalks are an extension of the garbage cans. It was nice to not have to constantly be dodging piles of dog poop in Milan (though because I have been practicing in Naples, I was not caught off guard by the couple of piles I did encounter).
The food was fantastic. In Naples, they are very regionalistic—they don’t welcome foreign cuisine. It’s pizza or traditional Italian food or nothing. Fortunately, the food in Naples is fantastic, but Justin and I have had a hankering for some Indian food. Milan was the place to sate that desire. We first visited a sit down Indian restaurant. The plates were small and the food was surprisingly mild, but the food was delicious. We finished every last drop. At the second place we went to, the owner was shocked that we like Indian food even though we are both white. We also had some fantastic Italian food in Milan including traditional yellow (saffron) risotto. Yum.
The Milanesi also really liked Noelle, although they weren’t nearly as effusive about their feelings for her as Neapolitans are. One night we went to a restaurant that was highly ranked on TripAdvisor. Upon being seated, it immediately became apparent that it might not be a family friendly restaurant. It was a little bit swanky. As we sat down and took Noelle out of her pack, we were horrified to discover that she had blown out of her diaper and there was fecal matter saturating the entire backside of her onesie. This was the fourth—and worst—blow out of the weekend. I swept her off to the bathroom to change her entire outfit and hide my embarrassment. When I got back to the table, I found the cutest little high chair waiting for Noelle. As it turned out, the restaurant was kid friendly. And no one seemed to notice the poop problem that unfolded before our meal. The waiters cooed at and smiled at Noelle throughout the meal, but unlike in Naples, no one demanded to hold her. We were glad we were able to stay because the food was fantastic (Nerino Dieci – I highly recommend it!).
The Milanesi also really liked Noelle, although they weren’t nearly as effusive about their feelings for her as Neapolitans are. One night we went to a restaurant that was highly ranked on TripAdvisor. Upon being seated, it immediately became apparent that it might not be a family friendly restaurant. It was a little bit swanky. As we sat down and took Noelle out of her pack, we were horrified to discover that she had blown out of her diaper and there was fecal matter saturating the entire backside of her onesie. This was the fourth—and worst—blow out of the weekend. I swept her off to the bathroom to change her entire outfit and hide my embarrassment. When I got back to the table, I found the cutest little high chair waiting for Noelle. As it turned out, the restaurant was kid friendly. And no one seemed to notice the poop problem that unfolded before our meal. The waiters cooed at and smiled at Noelle throughout the meal, but unlike in Naples, no one demanded to hold her. We were glad we were able to stay because the food was fantastic (Nerino Dieci – I highly recommend it!).
We had a great time in Milan, but we are glad that we are living in Naples. Life is assuredly a bit more unpredictable here, but that’s what makes it interesting. A common phrase that people use whenever something nutty happens here is, “È Napoli!” meaning, in essence, “That’s Naples for ya!” Naples is all about expecting the unexpected, and that is unexpectedly fun.