We arrived in Milan after dark, after the temperature had dropped. The train station had an air of suspicion. Ross and I encountered a moment of confusion finding the metro station and, though I didn't tell him, I was afraid of the empty hallways we walked and the graffiti covered buildings we passed above ground. On our map it seemed like the metro was connected to the train station. However, the halls we were walking had no metro signs or directions and there were no indicators outside either. After walking the wrong way to a cross street we figured out finding the metro, bought two day urban passes, and took off on the speedy metro for our hotel. Ross and I have our moments with maps, directions, and signs. Sometimes he's better, sometimes I am at navigating. He led the way to our hotel and both of us were thankful when the man at the desk spoke English. To this point in our trip we'd mastered the basic touristy stuff: hi, bye, how much, where....but the rest was unintelligible. I had picked out our hotel in Turin and while it was certainly charming and nice, this choice, picked out by Mrs. Badgett was cooler. The hotel was actually a converted monastery across from a church which housed 'The Last Supper'. From the interior of the hotel the cloister in the middle was separated by glass windows so guests could still enjoy them without actually going out into the cold. Into another tiny elevator Ross and I squeezed ourselves and found our rooms down a modern, elegant hallway. The rooms were bigger than the ones at Alpi, but I felt like they were not as welcoming. The Alpi beds were much more comfortable and the bathrooms bigger and nicer. Yet the monastery rooms had the most lovely shared balcony which made me forget all about the interior. Over the rooftop Ross and I on our shared balcony had a gorgeous view of the lit up top of the church Maria del Grazie. I tried to take pictures which didn't turn out unfortunately because the sight was very pretty. After settling into our rooms and consulting the guidebook Ross and I left the hotel for dinner.
On then off the metro and we found ourselves at a nice plaza (Cordusio). Immediately the camera came out. Standing in the plaza we could see straight down multiple streets. Down one (Via Dante) we could see hanging lanterns slowly changing colors. Down another (Thomasso Grossi) we could see something blue glittering against the night sky. Down yet another came a trolley completely covered in white Christmas lights like something from a toy store. Ross was patient enough to allow me about twenty minutes of picture taking, oohing, and aahing before reminding me we could check each street out in detail in the daylight. Off we went to find a meal.
It was a disaster. I felt so bad. We must have walked around the same few streets for a good thirty minutes searching for two restaurants which turned out to be closed. As I worried about the time (it was quite late) and the only restaurants now open closing due to the hour, Ross suggested finding a big street. Big streets tend to have places to eat right? As Ross and I blindly walked along following the flow of pedestrian traffic we literally stumbled across THE Milan sight, the Duomo and the plaza duomo. She was gorgeous, rising up against the black velvet sky with fiery stain glass windows and spot lights on the spires. The Duomo stopped Ross and I in our tracks, and although we were quite hungry and tired of walking in the cold, we couldn't help just standing for a moment admiring the beauty of the cathedral. A bit irritable, not with Ross, but with myself for not anticipating that so many restaurants would be closed between Christmas and New Year's I suggested a few more restaurants from my book in the same area we'd already been. Ross was sweet about my moodiness. I felt so awful for us walking around for over an hour in the cold. By now he'd had gotten a hang for the streets we needed, but despite him navigating us back exactly to where our new restaurant choices should have been, we found nothing open. At this point I started to do what I do when I lost patience. I become a take charge, whatever goes, kinda gal. We'd passed an open restaurant called the Santa Marta multiple times, but not understanding the menu and wary of the higher prices we'd rejected it each time. That was our place. It had to be our dinner place or I'd give up and eat overpriced, mini-fridge candy back at the hotel. Thankfully the Santa Marta was still open.
Ross and I were shown to our seats, we ordered and then we waited for our meals. While waiting, another couple arrived, an event that made me feel less bad about entering a restaurant at 10:30 pm for dinner. Ross and I watched as a party of twelve at the end of the restaurant went through their last course, then drinks, then dessert, then more drinks - somewhere in there all the men took a smoke break together in typical european fashion. Our food arrived.
I was envious of Ross' plate from the moment I saw it. He'd ordered Milanese risotto and steak without really knowing what he'd get. I had opted for the safer otption of white rice, chicken, and vegetables. My plate was really yummy, but Ross' was outstanding. We found out that we loved Milanese risotto which was the cheesiest, thickest most delicious rice I've ever put into my mouth. With a chuckle, Ross watched as I had multiple "tastes" of his plate. Warmed by the jovial atmosphere and the good food we spent a good while reveling in the restaurant. Our dessert was an apple pie over vanilla creme gelatto. We left the Santa Marta with full stomachs and lighter wallets - the meal was a bit pricey but I suppose understandably so considering it was the only one open. I think we paid moreso for the good atmosphere and the open doors than the food, well and the risotto - YUM! It was definitely bedtime after a long day - even though we'd gotten up late the day had been packed with walking and seeing, then travel, then dinner stress. It had been a good day though and I was so excited to see Milan in the daylight the next morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment