Varenna, and my current level of Italian

I have been up to il Lago di Como before (to the towns of Como and Brunate, with Aislin, see here).  However, the onset of hot weather in Milan, combined with a rather busy week and the then-oncoming Greek elections with the potential for work to skyrocket as a result of the Eurozone crisis, lead to me to take advantage of a free weekend to go to Varenna for the weekend.  I just about managed to get a hotel booked around 11.30pm on a Friday (Villa Toretta, hello!).

 I arrived around 11am on Saturday morning.  Varenna is just over an hour's train journey from Milano Centrale, so extremely conveniently located...

I deliberately spent a little more money on my last-minute room booking so as to have a lake view and a terrace.  This was the view from my bed:

And this was what I spent most of my time doing. 

Literally spent the whole time sat outside, either in the shade or in the heat (it was the same temperature as Milan, approximately 30 degrees, but far less humid and with occasional lovely breezes off the lake).  All whilst wearing suncream, of course - as I told one of the associates at work, I am a Delicate Flower and will burn, but I have got far far better at dealing with hot weather and also my hair will lighten!

Yey for Kindles, yey for Italian books on the Kindle (even if I don't really understand most of it!  Must download Italian dictionary for Kindle), yey for English law cases and being a geek, yey for just sitting, listening to music and chilling out.  Very much required.

I did, of course, explore the town a little.  Beautiful.  I even found a little shop which I forgot to go back to (probably for the best...).

Loved this lettering.  1920s = beautiful.

Apart from exploring a little and reading (a lot), I sat on the lakeside and ate and drank.

With views like the below, and the setting sun behind the mountains, thoroughly recommended, despite the slightly too-touristy level of Varenna (I think they did, however, appreciate my somewhat broken Italian).

As for how the Italian is progressing... well, it's progressing.  It's been a tough week on the speaking front (or at least until mid-week).  I have been entrusted with a number of Italian-to-English translations, including a client briefing.  And I attended a very spontaneous team finance dinner, which was lovely and which I did contribute to the conversation a little!

I think the most frustrating thing, for me, is not being able to talk anywhere near as much as I'm used to.  In English I talk a lot (in case you hadn't noticed), I have some quite strong opinions, I love discussing strong opinions and the opinions of others (even, especially, when they disagree with me!), I speak quickly and I'm quite quick.  Italian slows me down, as I have to focus on understanding and to think about what I want to say.

My understanding is, however, improving.  So it's not all bad.  Given that my aim was to come back from secondment and be able to have a small conversation with someone who only spoke Italian, I think I've achieved that. My tutor tells me that we can start a new book soon which is aimed at level B1/B2.  I don't know what this means, but it sounds good.  Obviously, the more I learn, the more I realise how bad my own Italian is.  But this is as a result of being very harsh on myself.  Ultimately I started learning Italian in January of this year, have had 50 hours of (yes, one-on-one) tuition and lived here for only 3 months.  Given that, I should be pleased with the level obtained thus far.

ANYWAY a dopo!!

Finale Ligure

Long time no write... scusami.  I've poured a coffee and nibbled on an amaretti biscuit so I suppose it's time.

It's been a rather busy week, my busiest yet (it's like all the departments in the Milan office realised I was there...).  However, last weekend (before things got super hectic) I went to Finale Ligure for a day trip out of Milano.  As a resort town, it was full of faded style.  Loved it.  Could imagine it being a bit horrible and overly touristy in high summer, but as far as a day trip in early June went, it was rather nice!  Particularly since Milan ended up having atrocious weather.

I will post about Varenna (this weekend's trip) at a later date.  For now, please find attached a few of the slightly vintage-y photos taken in Finale Ligure.

Visitors

Visitors visitors visitors (like seriously, week of people visiting).  Excellent.  Am now poor and a bit fat, but happy.  Can't really be bothered to write up what we did properly, so a sample is below, along with photos.  Obvs.

Duomo; Armani; sun; brunch; D&G Gold; Armani; gelato; aperol spritz; 10 Corso Como; dancing in bars; prosecco.

Va bene.  Proper post at some point.

God Save The Brunch

Another weekend, another set of visitors.  This time, we welcomed to the Milanese fold young Jim and young Stewart, epic lads. 

The Lads arrived late on Friday night.  I, being a Lad myself, had been out for drinks with some colleagues on account of two closings in the department (and, of course, my job offer from Freshfields London).  Since everyone else there was Italian, Italian was the lingua of choice.  Obviously, I am not fluent, but things do seem to be approaching conversational at least... must learn how to ask questions better though.  But ultimately, I've been learning Italian for four months now, and I survived a bar trip with real live Italians, speaking in Italian.  I'm actually quite proud of myself.  Of course, I still have problems in most day-to-day settings, but I can see it improving.  YEY!!

Saturday midday ish was brunch at God Save The Food.  Top.  Think the Lads enjoyed it!  We got amazing juice, burgers, pancakes, yoghurt.  We wandered back to the flat, through the Navigli, past the Duomo (via Zara, obvs), and spent about an hour in the lovely Armani Caffe.  After a brief sejour at casa mia, we went back out to the Navigli/Zona Colonnes di San Lorenzo for dinner and drinks.

Sunday we mostly chilled out - brunch down the road,  wandering through a bit of Milan, views of the Duomo at the top of the Rinascente.

Excellent weekend, chaps.


Notable quotations:

-   "Check out Italian Rob!" (re a guy in Zara who looked like he could be the brother of a mutual friend)
-   "Koalas have chlamydia"
-   "My blood orange juice brings all the boys to the yard"

You can stop the girl's fashion blog...

LADS

Domination

 Rinascente/Duomo

Donuts from American Donuts

Reasons to not leave Italy

We are waiting to hear about job offers in the London office. In some ways, I don't want to know, I want to keep this Italian dream alive. Once I find out, I suppose I have to speak with the office here and then (maybe?) have to think about a decision.

I still love Italy. Admittedly, whilst the Italian is improving, it is still hard and I feel stupid a lot of the time, especially when I realise I could actually have said something (I am very hard on myself. It's how I've been this successful so far and it's how I'll stay successful). I also have never done finance before, so I feel really stupid when I can't do something, or it takes me longer. However, let's recognise that I am overly hard on myself and move on.

SO in no particular order, the following is a non-exhaustive list of reasons why if I leave Italy, I will return. And often. And hopefully live here in the future.



1) The food. Buffalo mozzarella from Campania, gelato from Grom, plates of delicious risotto, crudo, verdure grigliati, salds with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, prosecco, pesto from Genoa, chocolate from Turin. I could go on.

2) Italian as a language. So beautiful.

3) Aperol spritz.

4) Espresso.

5) The aperitivo concept in general.

6) Italian men (I am a total convert. Sorry UK, but proportion of good-looking men is much higher here).

7) Clichés - scooters, roses, late nights, coffee, people smoking cigarettes on balconies, passionate discussions one minute which don't matter 10 seconds later, speaking with gestures.

8) The fashion - it is not that it is not available in the UK, it is more that the average person in Italy (certainly in the centre of Milan) has much more innate style than the average person in the UK. This is particularly noticeable comparing standard of male fashion in London compared with Milan.

9) 10 Corso Como. It is my happy place, my aspirational place and everything I hoped it would be. It is an oasis a mere 15 minute walk from casa mia.

10) I'm just more content here, without being a million miles and a horrendously different time zone away from the important people in the UK. Contentment, without feeling like I'm escaping completely and without it being unattainable.

11) I can walk down the streets and be admired for the ginger, not shouted at (yes, that still happens).

12) The availability of Vogue Italia.

13) Armani.

14) The indescribable ambience.

15) Italian people. SO lovely.

16) Sundays being more chilled out.

17) The Italian countryside.

18) Other Italian towns.

19) Italian people on bicycles in the centre of Milan. So chic.

20) Italian men in well-cut suits and good shades, on bicycles (or generally, in fact, but especially on bicycles. Or scooters. I'll take a scooter).

21) Vespas. LOVE.

22) Lake Como (see photo), and I am sure the other Lakes are equally beautiful.

Yet again, money swapped for pretty things

Ah.  Pericoloso.

At risk of me returning to my fashion blogging roots or becoming a documentary of my downward spiral into bankruptcy, this is yet another "look!  Look at the pretty things!" blogpost.

One of the secondees and I decided we would use the opportunity of a free weekend to visit one of Milan's famous outlet villages.  Serravalle is part of the MacArthur Glen group (which notably includes the designer outlet near York, where a chunk of my wardrobe originates).  However, Serravalle is more like a village than a mall in design, with "streets" in the open air.  Perfect for a day when it reached 31 degrees C (air conditioning forces you into the shops).  I must also say that the selection of designers is considerably better and obviously focussed towards a more discerning market.  Particular favourites included the Prada outlet with far more reasonably priced items than you'd expect, and a Burberry store.  Yes, a British brand, but a British brand which commands respect.

My friend and I had agreed on spending limits and on certain aims.  Hers included posh trousers/cropped trousers suitable for work and spring blouses.  Mine included work clothes, accessories and summer shoes.

Given that we had such aims, that we achieved these fairly admirably - it is, after all, difficult to set solid aims in an outlet mall where choice of stock that one would ever purchase can be limited.  My friend did buy some lovely trousers from Missoni but also invested in a fabulous beige trench coat from Burberry.  Absolutely classic.  I was incredibly jealous (the classic beige trenchcoat is not something that will ever suit my skin tone).

I, on the other, took a while to get started.  My first purchase was a red linen skirt from Prada (at €120, this was a bargain, even if I maybe need to lose about 4 pounds for it fit more comfortably... it does fit, it's just snug).  I also managed to a Philosophy di Alberta Ferreti black plain blazer for €99 and a useful clutch bag for nights out from Love Moschino.

And I thought I was done.  Until we headed back to Burberry to purchase aforementioned trenchcoat.  Near the checkouts, I caught sight of a fabulous Burberry Prorsum bag.  I returned it to the shelf, but couldn't stop looking at it.  It was one of the most beautiful bags I'd ever seen, and I am somewhat picky when it comes to bags.  It was a firm, structured bag, not too big but big enough for things like iPhone, BB, big purse, etc.  Reader, I purchased it.  I also had a rather good chat with the shop assistant, who wound up saying he loved my accent (it is, after all, a classic English accent, and I was, after all, in Burberry).

I blame my mother.  She said I was to buy something "fabulous, for her".  Mum, enjoy.

I'm now going to sit in my box and be a hermit for the next week.

 Love Moschino XX

Blazer and skirt.  Let's face it, Prada was a must

 

Navy and maroon stripes.  BEAUTY.

"Fashion Claire"

Italians are known for their style.  Nowhere is this more true than in Milan.

Given I've managed to network my way to hearing about a possible work opportunity on the basis that my shoes are really good (they are good shoes), you know you're in the right office.  Still, I was massively flattered to be complimented on this very simple dress no less than by three different people (male and female).

Yes sunglasses inside, but they were commented on too!

It's a simple white shift dress from Zara, with studs on the collar and down the back.  I wasn't sure about this dress but bought it from the amazing Zara Milan store without trying it on.  Note - usually I'd have gone for the black one hands down, but I still wasn't sure about it the morning I wore it, but as it was so sunny, I thought it was worth wearing.  Glad I did.  It went down v well, people asking where it was from.  I even got called "Fashion Claire" by a particularly stylish associate.  Which I will take and run with as the biggest compliment I may ever have received.