I recently moved a couple of weeks in this city that has been my home for 15 years and I had not visited for many years.
Milan preserved a memory a bit 'gray, cold, fog and people travel that does not have time to use good manners.
The central station was a place a little 'oppressive, sad were those where the prevailing images of toxic leaning at various angles and the homeless with their plastic bags ...
I open here a little digression on the homeless. It will also be a free choice, will also be right that someone decides to break away from life "usual" to do what you believe, but honestly, I really think that a bum can do what he wants? Who really would choose a life of violence, misery, filth, cold ... Forgive me but the bums that I happened to meet (and I've met, I talked with them ... with the result of feeling deep anguish every time) people were mentally ill, alcoholics or drug addicts ... Closed in parentheses.
However, in spite of what I expected to find, I got down from the train station and found a modern, relatively clean and renewed. There were shops full of light and activity (not as sad that those stores were a few years ago). People were even more serene and gentle. Some, surprise, they smiled!
Out of curiosity I took a stroll downtown to find that Corso Vittorio Emanuele of my twenties where I had spent many happy days. What a surprise to discover that here everything seemed cleaner, lively, even playful.
The Rinascente was no longer covered in scaffolding sad, the dome had been cleaned up and looked around there was brisk and cheerful.
Maybe it was sunny days and maybe people were reacting to its first rays, the long-awaited ... what a surprise!
I've also not miss a stroll in Paolo Sarpi in Milan's Chinatown, where I could find the flavors of excellent Chinese cuisine ... Where I come from Chinese restaurants are rare and seldom visited the kitchen and leave much to be desired ... and in my time in France I discovered that Chinese food was under the influence of French culture ...
I missed the flavors of Chinese cooking "Italian" ... But what
struck me the most was the kindness and the smile of people in metro.
Well, I'm glad I made this trip, I'm happy to have found old friends and am happy with the positive changes in the city ...
Congratulations to Milan who have made the changes!
