Ciao (Hello)

a day late, a euro short

I made it! I’m in Italy! Sorry for the radio silence to those who were worried!

Travel went smoothly from New York to Milan—all the planes, trains, and automobiles were on time and easy enough to figure out. I found myself at Erin & Mark’s in the late afternoon, oddly feeling like I was just in a new neighborhood in NYC.

And then I entered their apartment courtyard.

Their lovely apartment is in the Sempione area, adjacent to the city’s largest park and Castello Sforzesco, which we took a stroll through. As evening set, we wandered around Brera, popping into shops like Seletti and finally ending up for a 6pm espresso at 10 Corso Como. (We had tried to see a Caravaggio at Pinacoteca di Brera, but it was closing.)

After catching up with Erin, we headed home before a late (for me) dinner at Nebbia, which had lovely interpretations of Milanese classics. The food in Northern Italy is heavy—think risotto, polenta, meat—but it was the perfect meal for a chilly day. Apologies in advance for the terrible food pics (hopefully slightly better than Martha’s). I will do a lot for this crew, but I won’t stand on chairs in restaurants to get the money shot.

My highlight: chicken liver mousse with caramelized onion on toasted brioche. Think meat butter but light on taste and texture.

On our arrival home, we were greeted by Michotto—the apartment’s resident feline. He allowed us a few pets, which was very much appreciated. Then, I slept like a rock. So far, no jet lag.