The dynamo behind the country's
"economic miracle",
MILAN
is a city like no other in Italy.
It's foggy in winter, muggy in
summer, and is closer in outlook, as
well as distance, to London than to
Palermo. This is no city of peeling
palazzi, cobbled piazzas and
la
dolce vita , but one in which
time is money, the pace fast, and
where consumerism and the work-ethic
rule the lives of its power-dressed
citizens.
Because of this most people pass
straight through, and if it's summer
and you're keen for sun and sea this
might well be the best thing you can
do; the weather, in August
especially, can be off-puttingly
humid. But at any other time of year
it's well worth giving Milan more of
a chance. It's a historic city, with
enough churches and museums to keep
you busy for a week - the Accademia
Brera, duomo and the church of Santa
Maria delle Grazie - but there are
also parks and cafés to relax in,
and the contemporary aspects of the
place represent the leading edge of
Italy's fashion and design industry.
