My Word with Douglas E. Welch

What are your favorite sights in the city? Share in the comments!

Pettinaroli and Figli, Storefront, Milano, Italia

I ended up taking lots of photos of storefronts during this trip. There are so many interesting and unique displays and often the stores themselves are just as unique.

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How do you design your garden? Share in the comments!

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What are your thoughts on street photography? Share in the comments!

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Could your city or town us a piazza? Share in the comments!

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine and Piazza

Another amazing part of Italian life is the piazza — the outdoor living room of Italian towns large and small. 

I sat at the cafe here, having my espresso and chocolate crossing and watching the world go by — a wonderful thing to do at any time of day. 

I remember this day specifically as I walked into the cafe and ordered a ”caffe, per favore.” As I am clearly NOT and Italian and with Milano being a big tourist town, he responded ”Caffe normale?” This was my cue to use my somewhat limited and strangely accented Italian to say let him know I spoke a few words and, indeed, wanted the usual coffee that the Milanese drink. He was quite happy I spoke Italian and I explained that my wife’s family was Italian so I had to learn the language a bit. 

This happened again and again in Milan and led to some great conversations in both English and Italian with shopkeepers, bar owners, and restauranteurs throughout my trip. 

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Learn more about Milan

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
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What does “city life” mean to you? Share in the comments!

Daily Life In Milano, Italia

Trams and bikes and people and history. This is what makes up a typical day in Milano

I only had a few opportunities to ride the trams in Milan, but their ever-present nature, convenience and the audible ambiance they bring to the town are amazing. Sometimes, we would sit in our hotel room with the windows open and just listen to city life go by. With is quite different than our life here in suburban Los Angeles.

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
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What have you spotted along your way? Share in the comments!

Down the street, Milano, Italia

Just one of the many amazing views as we walked about Milan last September. Along with their grand boulevards there are many tiny streets — almost alleys really — like this which give frames views of piazzi, churches and other architecture in the city. It is at times like these where you begin to wonder what year it is until you see something modern that snaps you back to your own time.

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Learn more about black and white photography

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Learn more about Milan

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

What would your sculpture look like? Share in the comments!

Napoleon as a Greek god, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milano, Italia

Kind of a grand sculpture, don’t you think? But then Napoleon was known for an extremely large ego, so perhaps this explains it. 
Quite a dramatic centerpiece to the museum which also hosts the Accademia di Belle Arti (School of Fine Arts)

We passed through on our way to the Reunification museum and the Botanic Gardens seen in earlier pictures. 

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Learn more about Milan

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

Do you do street photography? How? Why? Share in the comments!

On The Street, Via Dante, Milano, Italia

I have never been one to practice street photography much, probably because I’m too self-conscious about it and worry about bad reactions from people. 

That said, one afternoon we pulled up at a kiosk to rest our feet and have a snack while we waited to meet family for dinner. 

Via Dante is a large, wide, now pedestrian-only Avenue in central Milan, right near a major subway station. It is a main location for the evening passeggiata or evening stroll so familiar in Italian towns of all sizes. 

This location allowed me to casually sit and capture people as they strolled by without attracting too much attention to myself, so I felt comfortable enough to try out some spontaneous street photography. 

What’s interesting is that these photos bring back some of the fondest memories as they make me feel I am there again more than any photos of dusty history or buildings. 

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
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What do doorways mean to you? Share in the comments!

Doorways of Milano

Who lives here? What do they do? Where does this doorway lead?

I found myself asking these questions every time we passed an entry like this. I collected many such pictures on our trip to Milan last September and have often done the same on past trips to Italy. They are always so fascinating especially when they give such tantalizing views of what lies beyond. 

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Learn more about Milan

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library