Letter 77

I have to say, my last day in Italy was possibly my favourite. Milan managed to surprise me and completely change my opinion of the city. Visiting some of the quieter parts of the city, and especially the market, made me fall just a little bit in love with Milan. It also gave me a huge reason to come back and buy some of the wonderful antiques I spotted along the canals. Allow me to fill you in on my Sunday in Milan…

Navigli Antique Market

Luck was really on our side in Milan this weekend as not only was the weather beautiful, but it happened to be the last Sunday of the month, when exciting things happen in the city. The most exciting is the Navigli Flea Market where antique sellers flock to the southern canals of Milan to gather and sell their beautiful things. The rest of the locals also descend on this lovely area to buy everything from furniture to cameras and clothing to pocket watches. You can find anything here. If I hadn’t had a full backpack to take home with me, I could’ve bought many things. The market only happens once a month, so try to stay in Milan on the last weekend of the month! This is one of the best things I did in Italy and the area of Navigli was great to wander around – even without the market!

Cimitero Monumentale

I actually began my day much earlier than our visit to the market, where we went at midday. After waking early, as always, I decided not to waste my morning (or 48 hour metro card) and head to a park. On google maps the Monumental Cemetery is just a green space; in real life, it’s magnificent. It’s beyond a cemetery of any kind I’ve seen. Each grave is ornamented with statues, artwork and flowers people have left. The park contains work by many famous artists and architects and is entered through a stunning courtyard belong to a striking building and museum. I loved walking through both the building and the cemetery and found it fascinating seeing skyscrapers in the background of the classical architecture. I’m so glad I decided to head out to see this area, I loved it!

So my journey through Italy ends here. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 10 days where I have got to know three Italian cities and grown more fond of this staggeringly beautiful and diverse country. I feel like I will never get enough of Italy and am already thinking about when I’ll next come back.

Re-visiting Rome gave me a fresh impression of the city and it grew on me much more than my last visit. I spent more time relaxing and actually enjoying being in Rome than trying to see all it has to offer. I particularly loved spending time south-west of the river wandering through the streets and observing the locals.

Turin was paradise. It’s one of the loveliest cities I’ve ever had the pleasure to stay in and all I kept thinking was how I’d love to spend a month or two living here. For a small city it has so much to offer and I believe is very underrated. This also makes it all the more perfect because of the lack of tourists and sounds only of the Italian language.

Milan was probably the biggest surprise overall. I’d heard from many people that it’s not a great city and that my time would be better spent elsewhere. Whilst it may not be my favourite Italian city, I really enjoyed my time there. The market won me over and I became fond and rather protective of the city, wanting to tell everyone who had bad-mouthed it that they were wrong. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but more than anywhere else, Milan has shown me that you can always find something to love in a place.

For now, Ciao Italia.

From Lou

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