Milano

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The apertivo captial of the world

So here I am at Milano, Italy, my first stop on our round the world gig and I am all jangling nerves, thrilled at the fact that one half of the Pai-Traman duo has embarked on a trip that will change lives – ours and those touched by us, and be remembered for a long long time (well at least by us).

Dee arrives into Milano 3 days after I, and hopefully I have not caused mayhem by then

Chapter 1: The Flight

Now here’s a snippet of what transpired prior to embarking off the airplane. Post landing and docking, I reached out for my trusted Lowerpro camera backpack from the cabin baggage bin and unzipped it to hand out my business card to the gorgeous Milano girl sitting next to me on the flight.I was mildly surprised to not find my cards where I thought I had stashed them in my backpack. Now I am someone who leaves it all to the last minute, hence was only just mildly surprised. I then looked around the rest of my backpack to find my notebook and pen so I could write down my contact details, only to not find them, and my feelings of surprise multiplied by a fraction of 0.24. It then shifted to utter horror when I saw instead of my prized canon 5d mark2 there lied a Nikon impostor in the camera slot. I looked up, my eyes widened in horror as to what could possibly have transpired during the flight – did someone nick my camera gear and replace it all with Nikon gear? Was this some sort of sick advertising ploy by Nikon? WHERE IS MY CAMERA?!

I then felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to face a woman with equal amount of horror written all over her face. I looked down and noticed that clasped in her hands was a Lowerpro camera backpack and voila! it all came together. Apologies, unacceptance from her, and a tug later, walked away from the plane with my sanity and camera intact.

Chapter 2: Malpensa Aerporto

Now as it happens to most of us, what we picture about a certain place can be beaten to smithereens when you actually get to it. As it so happened, with Milano being the fashion capital of the world, I visualised an airport far more posh than Singapore and Dubai but what I saw was frighteningly similar to Bombay’s Chatrapathi Sivaji Airport.

As it happens in Bombay and most of Asia, as soon as we landed there was a Usain Bolt like dash to immigration by all and sundry. As I made my way through hordes of people, realised that the concept of queueing was alien to Milano. And of course, witnessed a few angry Italiano men get into a spat and scuffle on who was more brash and loud (well not quite, but that was what it seemed to me). From what I have seen in my 5 days in Italy, there does seem to exist the nervous, shy or quiet Italian man.

Chapter 3: Couchsurfing

Niccolo or Kojo as he is more affectionately known by those close to him, was my first ever couch surfing host. He was a life saver in that, whilst most people in Milano declined having to host a bloke, Niccolo invited me over to stay with him and his 2 room mates – Pepe and Fabio. I was to stay in Pepe’s room and was his first ever couch surfer. Having hosted close to 40 people over the last year in Sydney, I was eager to experience what the other side of the fence had to offer and I was not disappointed. Pepe gave me the 5 star treatment, right from making the bed ready for me to sleep to cooking his famous pasta as soon as I had arrived. I have nothing but love and respect for this champion of a person.

Today is my last day in Milano with these boys and the lovely Chiara, a fellow surfer with who I struck an instant rapport and have signed the 40+ singles pact, not to forget she is renowned for cooking the best 6am pasta meal I’ve ever had, and the thought of leaving their home brings upon me a sadness which I normally experience when going away from family. They’ve treated me like their brother, cooked for me, taken me out to parties, chatted away till the wee hours of the morning and the entire experience has only reinforced my belief that couchsurfing is the next best thing after sex (no sliced bread references here). Any community that brings the world closer and to your door step can only be a good thing.

Whether you have a family or not, feel like you do not have time or might be uncomfortable with hosting strangers in your house, my only words of advice to you would be – do it and marvel at how such a simple act of humanity will change your life! People make the world and your world will only be enriched when you open the doors of your life to them.


From left: Giovanni (Niccolo’s first ever CSer), Niccolo, Pepi, I, Chiara and Beyza

Chapter 4: Vogue Fashion Night, Apertivo and how to party

I have to thank my stars that my visit to Milano conincided with the International Fashion week that was scheduled to run for a week. I could not contain my excitement when Niccolo told me we’d be parading the streets on the Vogue Fashion night. What he did not tell me was that we’d be doing it wearing ‘morph suits’.

It was madness all around as Niccolo, Pepi, Chiara along with 3 fellow German surfers – Tina, Maike and Veronica made our way to Montepereleone where we were received by thousands of screaming women and kids. I felt like an A-lister with people (read very attractive women with their best gear on) coming over to me asking to take a photo with ‘Mummy Mia’ (the name I had given myself for the night). I was being grabbed, hugged, rubbed, kissed by hordes of very excitable girls and at one point had to hold onto Chiara to get a grip. Without sounding too crass, the experience was truly orgasmic.

Now a typical night out in Australia involves people getting onto the grog around 7pm onwards, drinking your body weight in alcohol, sifting through multiple nighclubs, getting kicked of an equal number of them, forgetting to eat and then craving a burger at a dingy Maccas outlet – not exactly a pleasant experience (unless you are of Justin Bieber’s age). The nightlife in Milano reminded me of that in Buenos Aires where people party to enjoy themselves with their mates, remember it all and then wake up next morning to go about their business without consuming truck loads of panadol – vastly different to how it’s done back home where people drink to get drunk and play silly.

The nightlife in Milano kicks off with an ‘apertivo’ at a bar – a wonderful wonderful concept, where buffet food is served and people only pay for what they drink. A novel concept, that gets people to be social on weeknights as well. I wonder if we have any such bars back home, probably a business idea I could explore with Dee once I am back?

Once done with the apertivo by 10pm, people go out to a local pub to have a few beers/cocktails before heading onward to shake a leg at a nightclub (usually by 2am or so). I went out 3 out of the 5 nights I was in Milano and not once was I ‘blind’ inspite of partying until 5am. A way of life I would definitely bring back with me when I get home. (PS I can picture my mates already throwing brickbats at me given that I am the face of your typical drunk Australian). Change is due.


From left: Maike, Niccolo, I, Chiara,Pepi, Georjio and Veronica

Chapter 5: Mission: Como

Lago Como is a lake about 80kms to the North of Milano and envelopes the pretty town of… you guessed it – Como. I was told that the easiest and cheapest way to get there was by a train from Milano Centrale. Little did I know the challenge that lied ahead.

I got to Milano Centrale, purchased a ticket from the easy to use ticketing machine and went out to the platforms to find my train. After surfing through 21 platforms in over 20 mins, I failed to find a sign that said ‘Lago Como’ and sought out to find help from the not so helpful station staff. I tried to have a conversation using my limited Italian with a man in uniform who told me that I had to change trains and needed to get on the train to Zurich. Promptly, I found the platform where the train to Zurich was departing on jumped onto it. A minute later another man in uniform with a stoic look approached and demanded to see my ticket. Upon showing him my ticket, his startled look told me that I was definitely not on track to get to Como. In one swift movement, he yanked my hand and pulled me out from the train onto the platform just as the train was pulling away yelling out – ZURICH NO COMO!

I gathered that the kind uniformed gentleman from before might have been wrong with his direction to me; or that I had grossly misinterpreted his directions. Of course, it turned out to be the latter as I was to find out later when I approached the first visitor friendly person at the visitors information centre at the station who was nice enough to tell me with a smile that trains to Como and various other destinations were cancelled because of a strike and that the only trains operating were that to Zurich. God bless the gentleman with the ‘stoic to startled in 1 millisecond’ face!

Not one to give up or be put off by the thought of catching trains unintentionally to other countries, later that night at a Couchsurfing (CS) gathering, I promised all around me that I would make it to Como, come what may.

Next morning, in lieu of keeping Mission Como going, I was on my way again to Milano Centrale all the more determined to get onto the train to Como. Repeat sequence – ticket purchased, look for signs across 21 platforms to Como, find none, hunt down station staff for assistance get none. I then looked for the friendly guy at the tourist information centre and was aghast to find out that it was his day off. With a shrug of the shoulders, the lady at the counter told me that trains to Como did not depart from Milano Centrale, but from Cadorna which was 4 stops away from Milano Centrale. A metro ride later, I was at Cadorna on platform 18 sinking in views of the train that would finally get me to my destination. I raised my hands in celebration, pumped fists et al much to a bunch of not so amused onlookers.


View from the top of the hill of Lago Como

Milano will have always have a special place in my heart because of the people who made it a memorable experience for Dee and I. This is to you Niccolo, Pepi,

Next stop – Cinque Terre

The facts

Couch Surfing – wwww.couchsurfing.org
Train bookings to Como (book in advance where you can to save) – wwww.trenitalia.com
PHotos from Milano and Como – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152091849525402.902555.546970401&type=1
Best Pizzeria in town – Fresco & Cimmino

Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle 2

12 Responses

  1. Abbas
    | Reply

    Here I am waiting in the emergency room with my daughters with a bad gastric,so that’s my Monday morning. Hit fb got your blog link,what a pleasant read. Feel like I’ve been to Italy briefly, well done Rohan!

    • Rohan
      | Reply

      Thanks mate, hope your little one gets better soon. Cheers for the encouragement, I’ll keep writing!

  2. Shweta
    | Reply

    I loved the comparison to between the Sydney and Italian nightlife.. The Italian one sound like the kind of nightlife I would enjoy.. Keep up the blogs.. 🙂

    • Rohan
      | Reply

      Thanks Shweta, nightlife is definitely magical here. Time we changed the Australian drinking culture

  3. Mom
    | Reply

    Wow Rohan!! It made an awesome read…loved every bit of it..keep writing..and visiting places and sharing your experiences with us..I feel like I am travelling with you..tc.

  4. Venkat
    | Reply

    Rohan . It was nice to read your adventure and the phots were impressive. Keep it going.

  5. Shivam
    | Reply

    wow Ro …got a talent for writing!

  6. John D
    | Reply

    Fantastico

    • Rohan
      | Reply

      You’d love this place mate – long drives at night all night 🙂

  7. Gordon Robb
    | Reply

    You are having way way too much fun.

    SOP has not changed. Cofffee breaks not as much fun.

    Nidhal cannot even look at the pictures because she misses Italy and of course the fashion so much.

    Rana is busy cooking an oreo’s cake in the kitchen for her friend’s 16th birthday plus chocolate strawberries none of which I am allowed to eat. The cake is ridiculously sweet (I tasted some when she was not looking) so I think she is showing her scottish ancestry.

    • Rohan
      | Reply

      It’s true – we are having a whale of a time here in Italy, it’s truly magical in every sense. Tomorrow we head to Venice which can only enhance our experience of it.

      Looks like not much has changed since we left the Sydney scene. Say hello to the family and Deepa says hello to you guys

  8. kojo
    | Reply

    I found a friend, a new brother, a treasure!!! All the best duede!!!

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