Romans in Milan? No problem! Just make sure you’re prepared for the cold (fur hats and thick coats), and if in doubt, ask the traffic cops (“noio volevan savuar…” – read caption of B&W picture below*). Here in the north, the climate is different—try explaining that to the African heat wave that’s engulfed Europe these past few days: it’s practically melting…
Joking aside, a week-long trip to Milan got me thinking about a number of things. From how much I enjoy this city, despite being a Roman of Samnite origins (i.e. a ‘southerner’), to how I generally find the Milanese quite likeable (though it always depends on the individual). Apart from the fact that when dealing with the public (and I’m told this is the case in Naples too), you find a level of courtesy that’s increasingly rare in Rome (though perhaps things are improving), it’s still a major Italian city (albeit far smaller than Rome), and as such, it’s splendid in the city centre but has the usual problems in the suburbs. Specifically, I was at the Politecnico di Milano, not for work but to accompany my teenage son to a summer course offered by the prestigious institute named after Leonardo da Vinci. It was the second time: last year it was just the two of us (a wonderful father-son trip) and this year the whole family came along. As was the case last year, I had to carry on working remotely. This year my wife was able to come, but she had to go sightseeing on her own. Working within a university provided me with my first opportunity for reflection.
That is the question!
