Travelling: Milan

I have been quite fortunate to be invited to Milan at the beginning of December when everybody's already Xmass-minded. And so the streets of Duomo glow with a multitude of lamps and other twinkling ornaments while fat Italian Santas wander around fashionable shops and boutiques.



































Surprising as it might be, I wasn't attracted to Prada and Armani stores but rather to all those cosy, stylish cafes and osterias where life goes on vigorously no matter of strikes (yes, it happened :) or international conferences...








































Of course, I don't have to mention what they've got in those cafes...
















Awesome capuccino in the morning will not make you Italian but certainly will heat your blood a bit :)

Then there are those small neighborhood markets where even in December veggies appear in opulence and full color range...

















and those delicacy shops where you can hunt for gorgeous wine..
















panettone Xmass cakes...

















fontina, pecorino, mozarella or local gorgonzolla. For a cheese lover like me it reminded heaven.


















But it seems that you really find yourself up in the clouds only when you finally sit at the table with a glass of red wine and good friend beside you.

















I had splendid spaghetti with botarga of tuna and fresh tomatoes...

















Others chose linguine with pesto..


















Maybe I shouldn't reveal how much I eat (guess ladies do not wolf down their plates) but I can't resist to show wonderful pizza margherita I also had the other night.

















What else? Well, good wine Milanese people - a bit lazy, very disorganized but incredibly charming and friendly, especially if they can help you to install the microphone :)