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Hello Traveler,
It’s 9:31pm Tuesday night just two weeks ago, and I’m on the back of a Vespa holding on tight to a well-dressed Italian man as we take off down Via San Pietro in the center of Milan.
It was a scorching 93 degrees today so the evening breeze is a welcome contrast to the heat still radiating from the concrete.
We’ve just finished dinner with friends who we’ve known for years but haven’t seen since the fall of 2017 when we lived in Madrid. My eyes gaze around the quintessential Italian restaurant – waiters in white jackets buzzing about, photos of famous patrons lining the walls, diners with plates of pasta, pizza and seafood in front of them. I think this is what many American Italian restaurants are modeled after.
Back outside in the heat, our friends ask Jessie and I if we want to do a night tour of the city on the backs of their scooters.
We look at each other and both say… YES!
I hop on the back of Danilo’s and Jessie went with his daughter. We weave through traffic, passing piazzas, Sempione Park and important governmental buildings (see some videos here... #1 #2). Danilo shows me the sites – including the resting spot of Silvio Berlusconi, the controversial former Prime Minister who just passed away. We stop at a red light and Eugenia and Jessie catch up to us. I mention what Danilo has pointed out to Jessie. Her friend offers up that she’s instead showing Jessie the fun restaurants, bars and where her friends live. Priorities.
Where do we end up?
At their favorite gelato shop.
Not just any gelato shop (Milan has 40+). It’s the gelato shop they’ve been coming to for 20 years. There’s a line out the door and down the block. It’s off the beaten path, but a must visit so I chose it as this week’s Highlight. Read more below.
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