About the city that stole my heart...

Another grey afternoon in Germany. I was watching a movie and sipping my hot chocolate. My thoughts slowly got lost and I found myself dreaming of sunshine, long summer nights and a nice glass of white wine.

That wasn't going to happen any time soon in this little, grey town I thought. I had only been home a few days and already wanted to leave again.. my mom thought I was crazy, absolutely bonkers. I had spent nearly 2 years in Asia and Australia and got bored of being at home after only three days? Here's the thing, it didn't quite feel like home anyore.

I tried to figure out where I wanted to go. Italy came to my mind. I had never been. All I knew about that country was: good pizza, good wine, lots of sunshine.

That was enough to convince me to pack my bags. Only 3 days later I was on a plane to Milan. I had found an au pair family and was ready for a new adventure.

This is a love letter

This is a love letter to Milan, the city that stole my heart.

Be prepared to fall just as hard as I did.

I will take you on a journey to let you see the city through my eyes.

Un cappuccio, per favore!

After a few days in Italy, I had found my girls. We were soon inseperable and did pretty much everything together. We would meet often meet in the afternoon, go shopping for a night out and dinner, cooked pasta with pesto and drank way too much wine. The next day would usually start with a coffee date to talk about everything that had happened the night before

One of these typical coffee mornings, I finally realized something: 'cappuccio' was simply the cool way of saying 'cappuccino' in this fashionable city. As usual, I ordered my cappuccio and brioche.

The brioche alla ricotta was an accidental discovery. They were out of my favorite (chocolate) and I had to try something new. That's when I realized that heaven was a place on earth. This little piece of delisiousness made my day, everyday. (my personal favorite you'll find at Granaio)

Ciao belle!

After our daily coffee date, it was time to enjoy the beautiful weather. The second we left the café, we heard 'Ciao Belle' from the other side of the road, a boy waving as if he knew us. I'm German, so my first reaction was: 'What the hell does he want?! ' In Germany, it is seen as somewhat rude if a guy approaches girls that way, but I'll come back to that a bit later.

The sun was shining and we wanted to spend the day in the parc, always from the buzzing Duomo. We made our way down Via Dante and had to stop every now and then. Streetartists had taken over the place and were fascinating the audience with their music, dance performances and other crazy talents.

Solo amore

When we arrived at Parco Sempione, we spread out our blanket and enjoyed the sun. We started talking about the city we lived in, the city we now called home.

Dear Milan,

I have never told you how much I love you, but oh dear, have I shown you!

Walking down the streets, I often look up. Admiring beautiful architecture and plants growing up the walls to the very top, making each house look like a piece of art.

Walking by one of the countless cafés, I catch myself smiling each time. This smell of good coffee is nothing but pure happiness. It makes its' way up your nose and fills the whole body, leaving you with a craving for a nice cappuccio...

And then there's pizza.. a nice big margharita, that's the Italian way. There's no need for all the fancy extra stuff. In the simplicity, lies the pure deliciousness.

But it's not just the food and the looks of you, Milan. It's more than that.

It's all the little things that create an atmosphere of being home.

It's the old lady enjoying her coffee, dressed in her chicest outfit, reading the Vogue.

It's the boy saying 'Ciao bella' from the other side of the road. And you just have to smile because it's simply meant in a cute way.

It's eating ice cream twice a day with no guilt, because you have to try all the flavours.

It's sitting out side at Navigli for aperitivo. Sipping on cocktails until late at night.

It's going out until the sun rises, eating a panini in front of the club before heading back home.

It's trying to get around with a broken Italian because English is not an option.

It's about going out for dinner and wine. A lot!

It's about living life to its fullest.

It's about loving life.

And that is why I love you, Milan.

You have stolen my heart for many reasons.

But most importantly, you have given me the feeling of being home.

And for that, I will always be grateful.

I hope that people don't just check my city off of a list. Take some time and try to see it thorugh my eyes. I'm sure you will fall just as hard as I did...

A la prossima Milano, ti amo!