All good things must come to an end. It's time to move on and leave Milan behind. Feels a bit sad, but it's always invigorating to turn a new page in life.
Last days in Milan. Here in front of the Monumento a Sandro Pertini.
Already now I know I'm going to miss many enjoyable Milanese things and habits. Milan is a vibrant city and always alive. It’s never boring. There's constantly something going on, an exhibition or an event to be seen, a band coming to town – or just something new and awesome popping up which can broaden your horizons.
There's also something very special and pleasant about the Milanese way of life. People here know how to enjoy life. Not taking too much stress about mundane things or about problems you can't solve. Taking those long lunches and family dinners, or just sitting outside on a piazza or by the canal in the evening with a glass of wine and talking about life.
Yes, it's a hectic city with busy people and that explains why many other Italians consider the Milanese to be somewhat rude and arrogant. But let's face it, compared to many other major cities and societies, Milan is really not that busy and the people are definitely not that rude. Compared to Helsinki everything works a lot more slowly and peacefully – yes, you might even say more ineffectively – and I'm not only talking about the notorious public sector with its crippling bureaucracy.
Most of the people I've met here have in fact been very nice. The locals are more often than not polite, friendly, and civilized. In a cafe or boutique you'll get friendly service if you're friendly yourself. I guess it proves that the Golden Rule works: one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.
I will certainly miss all the fun people I’ve met here. Friends from near and far, many of which have already moved on and left Milan behind. I’ll miss the nice ladies at the local grocery and the football-crazy guys at the neighbouring pizzeria. I’ll even miss the barista from the local cafe, who tricked me into a Caffè corretto con Sambuca (horrible combo!).
Milan is at its best during the spring months of April and May. That's when many nice events take place, like the Design Week. During this time I've been able to do a lot of photography, which I love. I guess this is a good time to leave Milan, as the summer will soon begin for real and it'll get too hot and too packed with tourists.
I'll spend most of this summer and autumn in Hanko Finland, being busy with Hotel Villa Maija. I'm really looking forward to that! What happens then after autumn remains to be seen, but whatever it's going to be, hopefully it'll be something warm and sunny.
Thank you Milan. So long and thanks for all the pasta! Hope to see you again some day and until then – Arrivederci!
Sunset over Naviglio Grande.