4 May, Milan

May 4, 2023

Let's talk about pizza. I like pizza. I've eaten it for years from the Findus French bread pizza crap, from the deep fried Scottish, spray-on chippie pizza to watching hand spinning in Catenzaro Lido (

Catanzaro Lido

https://maps.app.goo.gl/c9e1hHzJYjZj5XkU6) in 1982. Then there has been the countless large chains which have bastardised the dish by adding chicken tikka and other such stuff. I can't believe people argue about the place of pineapple on a pizza when they are adding Indian food to it and still calling it pizza!

I don't love pizza. Typically the UK version is a disappointment so I tend to avoid it. However a few days ago in Cuneo I had a lovely pizza and on the basis of that experience I decided I would have pizza for dinner/supper after my ride to Milan. Google maps helped, yet again and I found a well recommended place near my hostel.

Their menu did not contain much that I was familiar with and after considering a 4 cheese pizza (easy option) I went for something I could fully translate. Have a look at my last (but first) photo on this page (actually page 2). A cheeseless pizza! I've seen and tasted pizza without tomato but without cheese! This was served with a tomato sauce, anchovies, capers and olives. Salt City Central. Initially I was sceptical. I'd obviously misunderstood the menu. Do I send it back or take one for the team and eat it?

I ate it. It was surprisingly good. Yes, salty but the quality of the tomato sauce balanced that to a greater degree. Would I have it again? Yes but only if I had company we went half and half.

I am not really sure what to say about Milan. It is certainly much more than I was expecting. My first glimpse of something great was the lively activity along the canal side as I cycled into the city. Loads of cafes, bars, restaurants and people just walking and eating and drinking and, well, doing the things people do.

Then I literally stumbled on the main square and the https://www.duomomilano.it/en/. What a sight that was!!

So I took a metro into the centre and walked and walked and walked.

Milan is a beautiful city with fabulous and very rich architecture. It has a festival feel about it and I think could easily be a city destination in the future. I'll add it to the everincreasing list.

Then it was ice cream time😂

I decided to give reviews a miss today and simply followed the crowd. Walking around Milan city centre I looked for the busiest Gelateria and joined the queue.

Interesting queue management. Choose your number of flavours and pay. You get a number and wait your turn.

I was 51 and the service at 38.......

I was solo but some tickets were 4 cones.....

The choice was more limited which gave me hope for flavour and quality despite proximity to Duomo di Milano.

I give you dark chocolate and raspberry. Both were marked with a green v suggesting vegetarian or, at a push, vegan.

Then it was a quick walk to be able to get the cathedral as a backdrop. I had to settle for the side. If I pushed on to the front I would have been wearing ice cream gloves.

It's interesting that ice cream here is served at warmer temperatures than home. It's soft before you start to taste. An ice cream in Scotland in January takes 3 hours to eat!

The raspberry was verging on sorbet and was reasonably raspberry in flavour. Not as deep and sharp as I wanted to counter the expected sweetness of the chocolate.

The chocolate was nice but lacking the intensity 70% Peruvian cocoa solids suggests.

Am I in danger of becoming blasé about ice cream in my pursuit of perfection?

I thought differential scoring was becoming harder but not today

Raspberry, fruit, 6/10

Dark chocolate, beige, 5/10

The backdrop, amazing detail and stone, 10/10.

Then I had to have a wee seat after finding a lovely shared square whilst I waited to meet up with Jimmy Carter a friend and former colleague. Although retired he was here to help a friend with some work in the Milan area. We jointly looked around the cathedral, having toured Ely Cathedral together last April. Then we wen for a beer and lots of chat. It really was so good to see him and catch up. To put some context on Jimmy. When I went to Vietnam I took over from Jimmy as he had to return to the UK unexpectedly. I have known him for many many years during our time with Mott MacDonald but our recent experience of me moving to Vietnam then visiting him and his lovely wife, Luise, in Cambridge has helped form a great friendship.

Then I went back to my new hostel. 23,000 steps and out and about from 0930 to almost 2130! I was knackered and I hadn't charged all my tech which was a big worry.

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Kelly IniguezBy chance, do you make homemade ice cream? I'm not a purist, as I use a motorized ice cream maker. Once I tried homemade, even the best store bought stuff was far inferior. I was making one batch as I finished the last one. Then I went and had blood work done. Too much indulging . . . I haven't made ice cream since. Sadly.
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