In the midst of showers there was a day without rain in Milan. A late afternoon where the tables were waiting for dinner decking and where the shoppers had already gone home for a quick siesta before aperitifs.

Some cities resonate with us as individuals, while others do not. Some places make us feel like good friends while others make us feel like visitors, guests at best. It is as if the life and energy of a city made of concrete and asphalt must match our inner workings made of nerves and gray matter. It matters not even the city itself is considered beautiful or interesting. Some  Some love Milan and I do not. Even if Brera is quaint with its impossibly wobbly cobblestones, boutiques, and wine bars, it is only a tiny area and the rest of Milan is noisy, busy, dusty, and filled with shops to consume and keep me thinking I need something more in my life (like the latest fashion).

Although perhaps I only need to look down and discover the beautiful mosaique floors of the galleries, instead of the shop windows. And perhaps I should be grateful I get to visit Milan. After all, it is a luxury to widen one’s views so much once can distinguish between places and cultures that resonate and those that do not.

(Milan, Italy; July 2018)