Waking up in Milan

I’m still shaking off the zzzzzzzz’s from our travel day so if i start to sound incoherent toss caffè on me.  The trip from the airport to the center of Milan by cab is €90 – we had too many bags to take the train.  Jack keeps saying we have to leave more stuff in Italy and get down to one carry-on.  I’m sure he is right – but why does he have two giant suitcases and I only have one????  The apartment we rented is not in the heart of the city – we love the neighborhood vibe and lack of tourists.  To get there by train we would have to take the Malpensa Express train (www.malpensaexpress.it) and at Cadorna Station take the red line metro.  Easy, but not with enough luggage to outfit a baseball team.

Our host, Claudia, met us at the apartment – Via Livraghi 1/A. Yes, yes, it was Jack who did the research and found the place on VRBO.com (vacation rentals by owner).  The rent is considerably less  – way less – think less than €100 a day – than we would pay in a hotel and we have a cute one bedroom flat on the 7th floor in a real neighborhood. Of course it has an elevator – who would carry umpteen bags up seven flights?  Not us!  Claudia provided maps and information on Milan, recommendations for restaurants and volunteered to drive us out to Bellagio on Lago Como next Monday.  She is wonderful!!  We are one block from the Metro stop “Villa San Giovanni”.  Our goal today – if I ever stop staring at the views of the city out the windows- is to hop the metro to the center of the city and just reconnoiter.

Last night we followed Claudia’s advice and ate dinner at Mamma Lina di Milano.  Our apartment is really on the corner of Via Livraghi (a private street I might add) and the thoroughfare Via le Monza.  Since all we had to do was cross V.le Monza to get to Mamma Lina and we could barely walk it was a no brainer.  The exterior looks like any urban building but the interior –

A hidden garden greeted us.  The tables are to the right.

The fare is “tipica Pugliese” from Puglia.  (Check out their website at www.mammalina.it) We both started with an incredibly creamy mozzarella cheese on a bed of rucola.  The description said it was bathed in cream – yummy.  Too tired to think, we both had the same entrée – scallops served in their shells with diced asparagus and an angelically light sauce.  Yes, it was seafood heaven.  A side of steamed but herbed vegetables and we were happy eaters.

Almost too pretty to eat – but  we did.

What – it is almost noon.  Too late to get a cappuccino and try out the bar on our block.  Rats, I’ll have to start moving earlier tomorrow.  We are off to see the famous Duomo and explore the center of Milan.  I’ll have more to say domani.  Ci vediamo a presto.