ShanghaiVelo: Doppio Espresso - SV Does Milan DAY 2!

We finally arrived at our hotel - what a relief! The only issue is I am missing one large piece of luggage - MY BIKE! I have done my legal research now and based on the Montreal Convention, even if Lufthansa did lose my bike they would only be liable to pay me around EUR 1,100 - HELP! That bike has carbon Campy on it and a lot of 'chi-chi's! Any lawyers out there willing to help me. . . . . ? There wasn't much point in getting upset. I'm in Milan! Alex and I travel quite a lot, and quite well together. Usually our first day in a new city is filled with 'the walk'. Quite simply, we just put our shoes on and walk. There is no plan, no destination, we simply aim to get a feel for the city. First impressions of Milan are brilliant - beautiful people. Alex commented that it seems like the milanese men are more beautiful than the women! (Note to self: do not take future wife to a city where she makes comments like this. . . ). As we have started to explore you start to notice what makes this city so special.

There is a surprising mix of architecture that puts modernism beside Renaissance beauty, and Rococo beside art nouveau.

One thing we have already fallen in love with is dropping by a bar in the late afternoon and discovering a spread of beautiful snacks laid out - all you have to do is order a drink (or 2) and you eat for free! Similar to Shanghai, the beauty in Milan comes from taking a detour past the designer shops and chic boutiques and having a look at the beautiful green courtyards hidden behind the buildings. There are many surpises inside the churches, museums and cemeteries.

The beautiful tiny details of Milan seen here under the soffits of a local home

The Duomo - Italy's throw down to the gothic!

So! To get back on track - what do you do on your first proper day in Milan - GET A HAIR CUT! O.K. so I'm sure there were other ideas, but I went straight for a Milanese barber. In Milan appearance is key, so I wanted to tidy up. As well, you don't want to have a bad haircut on the podium . . .

I would like to introduce everyone to Mr. Tommaso Gagliardi! The man, the legend. . .

I couldn't resist the barber with the painted picture of the Venus de Milo on his sign. The shop was called Acconciature Maschili - Pulizia Viso -. Now I speak NO italian so we had to make do with French - I think this means "Mens Hair - Face Shave or Clean Face" and this is exactly what Tommaso gave me! We discussed that because I am too skinny that I needed a specific type of hair cut! He also explained that he had studied in Rome under a master coiffeur many years ago. The man was a legend - and lets be honest I still have 3.5 weeks until my wedding - I can stand a bit of a risk. When Tomasso finished he explained that the spiky look was very 'moderne' and that all the men right now are wearing it forward which was a terrible mistake. . .I should keep the spikes! Ok, I haven't worn my hair in spikes since I was 6, but Tomasso is a proper professional! From here we said Arrivaderci! And walked to one of Milan most famous spots: