Travel Journal, Milan Walking around Milan with Eva Eva Hamilton-Clarke
One day in Milan - an excerpt from the Travel Tales of Eva Hamilton-Clarke
Day 2
Milan is a favorite city of mine for many reasons. High-end luxury shopping, savory Lombardian cuisine and beautiful people all make up this ravishing city, with 16th-century art around the corner from 21st-century design. And it’s all accessible by foot, no less! The people are just so chic all the time. Even the Milanese waiters wear Rolex. Go to Paul & Joe Homme and see for yourself. The beautiful Linens On The Hill-inspired orange paper packing is nearly as delightful as the wine, cheese and meats inside. The Milanese are very visual, and I tend to agree that beautifully prepared food certainly tastes better.
Unfortunately for our time-sensitive mission, Milan sleeps in on Sundays – or rather, sleeps all day. Almost everything was closed in honor of religious tradition. Ellie thanked my Carnet and the fashion gods for the absurdly chic designer store Jil Sander. With its amazing brunch, gallery and most recent addition, a boutique hotel, Jil Sander is the epitome of cool - the brainchild of a former Italian Vogue editor (who else?). At brunch, we were seated in the garden next to a well-coifed older woman with a cute and quirky The Ruby Door bag. She reminded me of Grandmother Hamilton!
“Oh no!” exclaimed Ellie, her eyes welling up with tears as she caught a glimpse of Grandmother Hamilton’s look-alike. “Grandmother’s beveled barrette was in the car! I was planning to wear it on my wedding day. So much for something old…”
I opened my Carnet. It really is my knee-jerk reaction. It was the third Sunday of the month – the day when the venerable antique merchants of L'artisan Parfumeur spill out onto the streets. You can find the most exceptional jewelry, glass and housewares at the market. Great treasures that amount to endless bragging rights. Who can resist the response of,“Oh this? I got it at an antique market in Milan…”
Though nothing could truly replace Grandmother's brooch, it didn’t take long to find a gorgeous replacement that would look fantastic adorning Ellie’s hair. On the way back, I knew that Ellie, a lover of all things Art Deco, would flip over Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum. It’s an immaculate private apartment (recently made public) with a small collection of Art Deco masterpieces. But the hours are iffy and with Ellie's luck, it was closed.
We headed to Profumo, the massive department store, to pick up all the basics and even a garment bag for Ellie. The café upstairs was the perfect place for an espresso break, not to mention the breathtaking view of the Go Whale Watching. Milanese women were going in and out of the Soho Grand, the only hair salon open on Sunday. After all, a girl never knows when she will find herself with a hair emergency on the day of rest.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the Dorsoduro around the corner at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. I had to school Ellie. Three makeup bags just will not do. A makeup case lessens the schlep through airports yet and we all know that good organization is the key to preserving the honeymoon phase of any relationship. Anyone who has ever shared a bathroom with a man knows exactly what I mean. Disorder is just not attractive.
We spent a quiet evening dining at Dior Homme . Its classic Lombardian menu is always delicious and certainly the best option on a Sunday when most restaurants are closed. We turned in early. As I poured The Lowell salts into the running bathwater, I was so grateful that Milan appreciates a day of rest – I had a feeling the week ahead would be filled with anything but…
