Three perfect days in Milan

About this time last July, we visited Milan. The main reason for our visit was Bruce Springsteen's concert at Stadio San Siro, but also, we've never been to Milan before and wanted to explore the city a bit. Turned out (unsurprisingly) that we loved it and that three days in the city are sometimes just what you need for a perfect summer escape. 

On our first day, we arrived just in time to catch the golden hour over the Duomo (Milan Cathedral) rooftop. Touristy as it may sound, but climbing that rooftop would be a shame to miss. It took six centuries to finish the construction (from 1386.-1965.), almost 80 architects and engineers, and an organization called Fabbrica del Duomo, which has been responsible for preservation and restoration of the cathedral for more than 600 years now. With the construction spam so wide, it is hard to talk about unified style, but in the end, it is predominantly gothic and neo-gothic, and one glimpse of its lush ornamentation including flying buttresses, spires, gargoyles, and sculptures will leave no doubt about it. You don't always get the chance to see the architectural ornamentation up close; that, with a bird view of the piazza in front of the cathedral and people looking like figurines in a model train landscape, makes this rooftop one of the most interesting spots in the city.

Since Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is located right next to the cathedral, we had just enough time before dinner for admiring both Italian architecture and style (and I'm not only referring to the shops but to elegantly dressed Italians as well!). The gallery was designed by Giuseppe Mangoni in the second half of the 19th century, with the epoch's characteristic glass and steel dome and vaults construction. The legend says that if you spin three times below the central dome it will bring good luck. I did do that, and only afterwards read that this is causing damage to the floor mosaic (note to self- don't act like a classic tourist.).

First in the line of restaurants we tried in Milan was Trippa, based on the good Tripadvisor reviews. It was indeed good, I couldn't say spectacular, but the funny part was meeting two other Bruce Springsteen fans sitting on the table next to us. Stories from past concerts have been shared, along with a couple of guesses which songs was he going to play this time and the general conclusion how Bruce loves his Italian fans and how concerts in Italy are the best.

We had luck finding the apartment, not only because it was located 15 minutes walk from the stadium, but also because it was located about 5 minutes walk from the Gelateria Baci Sottozero, a place where I had a lot of pistachio ice-cream and Luka a lot of Sicilian cannoli. Both for breakfast and dinner. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, well, lucky you.

Pave

For a real breakfast next day, we headed to Pave, a bakery situated on a completely opposite side of the city, which didn't stop us from hopping on a metro, and having first in a row of three most delicious breakfasts we've had in a while. There were little sandwiches made of crunchy croissants, creamy cheese and walnuts, plum cakes and muffins, mint milk and freshly pressed juice, just about anything a sweet tooth's heart could wish for. It also had a young staff, funky old school furniture, and a large open space perfect for people watching- needless to stay, we didn't do breakfast the Italian way (that is, having something sweet and a quick sip of coffee on the counter). 

Our plan was to visit the Castello Sforzesco afterwards, a giant castle built by Duke of Milan in the 15th century. We circled the castle from the outside, were lured into the greenery of the Sempione park in front of it, and then discovered that there was a Milan Triennale taking place, with a part of the exhibition in the Triennale building inside the park. As contemporary art aficionados, we couldn't resist that, so we left Castello Sforzesco for some other time, and spent the next two days exploring the Triennale exhibitions. I think that even for people who are not that into contemporary art, this would be very interesting, as there were interior design, contemporary pottery and jewelry included, along with a couple of interactive sound installations, and an amazing exhibition on human technologies tracing back to prehistory, with final exhibits such as drones and fake eyelashes (called Neo-Prehistory). We took many photos, but I've cut that selection to a couple of ones I found most interesting.

Next, a lunch at Brunello, a restaurant proposed by Jamie Oliver's magazine (whose article on Milan was consulted many times before our trip). Brunello is a modern osteria, beautifully furnished, cozy, and most importantly serves delicious food. I went overboard with ordering a cotoletta a la Milanese on a hot summer day (I had to try it, it was great, could barely walk afterwards), Luka had the tuna steak with mayo, and we split the pesto pasta for a starter. Each thing on that menu was delicious, well thought of and nicely presented. It is one of those restaurants I would return to over and over again. 

Conveniently, that neighborhood was also home to one of the architectural wonders I've been wanting to see for a while, Milan's Vertical Forest. It is a complex of two residential skyscrapers whose facade is home to more than 900 trees, planted on its balconies, providing residents with shade, fresh oxygen, moderate temperatures, noise protection and beautiful greenery. Boeri Studio's idea was to stop spreading the cities horizontally in order to avoid taking precious land for agriculture, but at the same time providing much-needed greenery, and the result is in my opinion fantastic. Now I'm very curious to see one of those apartments from the inside.

That evening was all about the concert. We went to the apartment earlier, to rest and have a couple of drinks before heading to the stadium. Next to the stadium, we had a grappa (which has sort of become a tradition for us before Bruce's concerts in Italy), then almost stayed outside because of the tickets that for some reason wouldn't pass the control, and in the end, ended at what turned out to be one of the best concerts of our lives. Everyone was in the mood: the fans, Bruce, the E Street Band. It was positive energy, shared emotions, and a very loud singalong for more than 3 hours. Some of the songs he pulled out will always make me think of Milan. Just an amazing experience.

Next morning was for Pinacoteca di Brera and Brera district. Brera gallery hosts one of the greatest collections of Italian painting, such as Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus or Mantegna's The Dead Christ and Three Mourners. You could spend a whole day in Brera's spacious and cool rooms on a hot summer day, enjoying both art and architecture, but we only had a morning. We wanted to explore more. Brera district is charming, with its streets on a human scale, restaurants, bars and cool shops. I couldn't help but enter a lovely jewelry store from a brand called Rosso Prezioso, founded by young Milanese designers who wanted to create a line of high-quality Italian design (which they did). I bought a pair of wooden earrings that look like precious stones, and are now one of my favorite pieces of jewelry as well as a lovely memory of our Milan trip.

For lunch, we headed to famous, nearby Latteria San Marco, a tiny restaurant praised by all food-related people I follow (Jamie Oliver, Mimi Thorisson for example). The owners both grow and cook the food they serve, and it is the simplest (in a good way) Italian food based on high quality produce. What did I enjoy most? Strawberry dessert and chatting with another guest and the owner about how Bruce Springsteen visited with his family once. It seems that everything evolved around the concert those days.

We spent the rest of the afternoon on the Triennale again. It was that good, and it was a necessity to hide away from the heat (it was July in the city after all). In the evening, we headed to the Navigli district where we had a fabulous plate of cold cuts at Ciaccia Coi Ciccioli, and then took a long walk down the canal. I think summer evening was a perfect time to explore this area, because all of those people, both young and old, lively bars, music, monitors broadcasting the Soccer World Cup, vendors selling beer out of the ice buckets on the floor. It felt like proper summer in the city.

We left Milano the next day completely excited and blown away by the concert, food, art and the beat of the city. I would dare to say that it was one of my favorite city escapes so far. And that I can't wait to go back.

*I wanted to say thank you to all the people following me on a regular basis (Hi, mom!), and all the people bumping into my blog online, finding it useful and interesting sometimes. It is really so much fun sharing this stories with you, and I always love to hear from you, be it just to say hi, share opinions or ask a question. I'm here and let's connect! A.

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Secret Istria: Zarecje, Draguc and Kotli

Still excited about our last weekend's day trip to Dvigrad we wanted to explore more and started planning new Istrian adventures already on Monday! We figured that May is the perfect time to wander, April's rainy weather is gone and the heat is not in its full swing, yet. We were thinking water this time, so our plan was Zarecki krov, Kotli, Sopot waterfall. The only thing about day trips in Istria is that you think one thing, but end up wherever a beautiful view or a perky road takes you. 

As we took the fastest road to Zarecje, the first part of our trip went without distractions. I have actually never heard of this little gem near the city of Pazin- a spot where river Pazincica created a waterfall over a cave and a little lake below. We were greeted by the sounds of the river cascading to the lake and a real frog orchestra! The water was perfectly fresh (but not too cold) to dip our feet and walk to the edge of the waterfall. I imagined jumping in those green waters on a hot summer day, but for now, I didn't take it further than just imagining.

We continued down the road to the village of Kotli, winding up and down the Istrian countryside, wondering at lovely little churches, sheep herds, roadside flowers and big white clouds. Suddenly, a view of the beautiful tiny town of Draguc opened up in front of us and lured us into its sleepy atmosphere of cobbled streets, spectacular views, and complete calm. We visited Draguc a couple of years ago and fell in love with it at first sight. I was excited to take a walk down to the little chapel of Sv Rok, perched on a meadow at the edge of the town. There was no one there, so we sat on its porch, taking in the sun and the views that are just too beautiful to describe.

We walked back to the main square which is also a viewpoint of the rolling hills of central Istria and Butoniga lake. We sat for a beer in a bar (which is the only bar in town) and it was there that the thought of calm, village life crossed my mind. We chatted a bit with the waitress and a lady that came for a drink- they told us that there were about 40 people living there with a couple of more families visiting on weekends. The youngest dweller is 14 years old, and with her growing up, there are no children left in this sleepy place. I wondered if the beauty and peacefulness that surround this town could make up for the absence of active social life, stores, school, pharmacy, anything that we are used to in the city. It kind of reminded me of an enchanted castle from Sleeping Beauty that was asleep for the last hundred years, it's beauty still there, waiting to be brought back to life. Could it be real, is a question that I'm trying to figure out now, a couple of days later. I'll be back to that place.

We waved the Sleeping Beauty goodbye and drove off down the narrow road to Kotli village. In Kotli, the river Rečina (the locals call it Mirna) formed cascades and hollows whose shapes resemble cauldrons, hence the name (the word "kotao" in Croatian means "cauldron"). I couldn't help but think of magic potions and Harry Potter's The Leaky Cauldron; it seems that every corner of Istrian countryside evokes some fairy tale, legend or fable. Interesting thing about Kotli cascades is that you can walk among them when the waters are not too high, so we descended to the spot that forms the biggest cascade, sat on the warm stone and watched the green river, the trees, the play of shadows and light that mild afternoon sun created and just took in the moment. From that spot, the river looked like a movie set for a hidden paradise, or some nook of the Russian countryside beautifully captured in one of my favorite books, Turgenev's A Sportsman's Sketches. 

There is a lovely inn next to the river (conveniently called "Kotlic"-"Little cauldron") that serves simple local dishes- homemade pasta with asparagus or mushrooms, sausages with sauerkraut, fried potatoes, dumplings with plums and cinnamon etc. I liked this restaurant so much that I included it in the list of my favorite restaurants in Istria. We had a lunch with a view and then decided to leave the Sopot waterfall for some next adventure, and enjoy the rest of the afternoon walking down the river trail and taking photos of the wildflowers scattered all over the path. There were people searching for wild asparagus, but we were on a hunt for elderflowers, we wanted to make some juice. Driving back to the main road, we did find one petit elderflower tree, which had just enough flowers for us to make a couple of liters. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

How did you spend your weekend, was there any enchanted castle, bright wildflower or at least a delicious cake on your path? I would love to hear all about it.

For more Istrian day trips head here or here. 

Secret Istria: Dvigrad and Lim Bay

Yesterday we woke up to a sunny morning, which got us in the mood for a bit of exploring. The forecast said that the rain, clouds and cold wind would start at about 3 pm (and so they did!), and we knew we had half a day at our disposal, preferably somewhere close. An hour later, a bottle of water, two cheesy puff pastry rolls and a bowl of strawberries in a tote bag, Johnny Cash and June Carter singing from the radio, we were driving in the direction of the abandoned medieval town of Dvigrad. 

Till yesterday, we were always eyeing the ruins from the viaduct over Lim Valley, talking about how we have to visit one day, and how dreamy it looked from over there. I was expecting unapproachable tower, a couple of crumbling walls, and a lot of wildflowers waiting for me to photograph them. At first glance, it seemed that Dvigrad is going to be exactly that, until we started to walk among the ruins, following the marked route, and then the abandoned town started opening in front of us. All wrapped up in lush greenery, there were the sleepy cobbled streets, houses that were deserted a long time ago, steep towers and walls, a Romanesque church overlooking a vast open space of what was once main town square. My mind started evoking (or better yet, imagining) scenes of what was once life in this place: a hubbub of people, horses and carriages on a market day, a creak of the massive wooden gate closing before the battle, ringing of church bells before the mass or as a warning of raging fire... I couldn't stop wondering: Was there music inside those city walls? What drinks did they have in the local pub? What did they cook and would we like some of those recipes today? How did their language sound? What did they look like?

Historical records say that already in the middle of the 17th century there were only three families left there, the town was completely abandoned in the 18th century. Left to decay for three centuries, it being still there (although in ruins) is such a richness, both historical and aesthetic. The silence, the views of the vast green valley, the opportunity to walk those streets certainly got my mind wandering. And it turned out that the cloudy weather just intensified the experience- it made grey stone walls a bit greyer, lush greenery a bit greener and occasional pops of flowery color a bit brighter.

We had some time left before the rain, Lim Bay wasn't far away so we decided to revisit as the last time we visited was quite some time ago. Not much has changed- the color of the water was still dark green, there were fresh oysters available to buy straight from the mussel farm, a couple of restaurants from the socialist era were still having a decent number of guests. We walked the seafront, wondered at all the mussel shells at the shore and decided that we'll be back next time with a small rowboat and a bucket of ice for transporting the mussels to our kitchen table. Already feeling excited about summer day trips and summer feasts!

* For more day trip ideas in Istria head here or here.

** Are there any dreamy locations next to a place where you live in? I'm curious to know!

Beautiful landscapes: Italian San Pellegrino and Alpe Lusia

It's been a while since spring has sprung- magnolia blossoms are gone, cherry and plum blossoms are gone, the bridal-wreath spirea growing on our terrace is in full white bloom, and lavender just started popping out little green heads that will soon turn pale lavender colour- a sign that summer is just over a month away. And I decided to write a post about our wintery visit to the Italian Dolomites. The main reason I am doing this now (and not two months ago) is that I'm legging behind with my posts, but also, last month's weather was kind of crazy here in Croatia. In the middle of April, the temperatures dropped drastically with strong wings on the coast and even snow in some parts of the country. A reminder that spring is still spring- a beautiful, unpredictable season of sunny days, flowers and bright green nature, but also of chilly evenings, rain, and occasional snow. Not just a short step between winter and summer, that seemed to be happening the last few years. So.

Back to our wintery escape in Dolomites. I love mountains- just a few days spent on the sharp mountain air surrounded by snowy peaks clear my mind and recharge my body. I also love skiing, spending the entire day in the open, rushing down the slopes, being phisically active, drinking hot chocolate in the mountain huts, all of it. So each year, we try to choose a nice area, that is not owerflown with skiers or overbuilt with hotel chains. This year, we also wanted to go somewhere relatively close to us, so we ended up in ski area San Pellegrino / Alpe Lusia in Italian Veneto region (yes, apart from Venice, Verona, Padova, Vicenza and other beautiful towns, there is also skiing in Veneto). 

For the first time in years, we stayed at a hotel where we had breakfast in the morning and dinner waiting for us after a long skiing day, and I have to admit it was one of the best skiing holidays (in the true sense of the word). The area itself is beautiful, Italian Dolomites being somewhat rougher than Austrian Alps- lay your eyes on those sharp rocky peaks and you instantly know you're in the Dolomites. What I loved most about San Pellegrino and Alpe Lusia ski area were wide, well kept slopes with not as many skiers as one would expect, and breathtaking vistas all around. Soaking in the scenery was one part of the beauty, rushing down the perfectly laid slopes the other. Even the food and the architecture of the huts were few steps ahead of most Alpine huts I've been to. Savoring a local dish with a beautifully framed mountain view? Yes, please! So we spent five days of sun (and trust me, we had our fair share of snowy storms and dense fog in our skiing history), wind biting us on the ckeeks, real skiing fun, hot chocolate with cream, magenta colored sunsets, some good Italian wine (extra points for that!), and the feeling of exhaustion that is good for you, exhaustion of being out in the open all day, something that has become a luxury in this frenzy world.

I feel like we found our spot, a place to return to. 

*This article was made possible thanks to Ski Area San Pellegrino and Ski Area Alpe Lusia. We had an amazing time and we're truly hoping to be back.