Bay Harbour: March 08, 2017

Wednesday March 8 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www.
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BAY HARBOUR
PAGE 19
Travel
Mishmash of sights in Milan
• By Mike Yardley
MILAN CAN be a tough nut to
crack and first impressions aren’t
always flattering.
Extensively bombed during
World War 2, the central city
skyline resembles an architectural
lasagne, a mishmash of the
venerable and the hastily built
brutalist.
But give this Italian powerhouse
of finance and fashion a
chance to reveal her finery and
you’ll be amply rewarded.
The banner attractions are
headlined by the Duomo,
Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last
Supper, and what is arguably the
most elegant shopping centre
in Europe, Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele II.
Fancy a new way to commune
with this glass domed goliath?
Head up to the roofline of the
Galleria, which has only been
open to the public since May.
Costing €12, Highline Galleria
serves up giddy perspectives
of the building, across to the
Duomo, and on a clear day,
expansive views of the Alps.
The far end archway leading out
of the galleria adjoins the pretty
Piazza della Scala, adorned with
a statue of Leonardo Da Vinci
overlooking Teatro La Scala.
First built in 1778, this legendary
opera house was all but destroyed
during World War 2, but was
rapidly rebuilt and reopened in
1946. La Scala’s façade is rather
austere, but like much of Milan,
the real beauty lies within.
Its majestic six-tiered and
chandeliered interior, bursting
with gilded arches and scarlet-silk
furnishings are sublime. Trying
to score tickets to an opera is not
easy, nor cheap, so if you want to
grab a glimpse of the auditorium’s
lavish interior, just head next
door to Scala Museum where for
€6 you get to gaze down inside
this stupendous theatre.
One of Milan’s favourite sons,
Guiseppe Verdi, premiered 10 of
his 26 operas at La Scala and on
nearby Via Manzoni, take note
MAJESTIC: Clockwise from left, the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele II.
FOOD: Queues to sample Luini’s tasty morsels.
of the imposing Grand Hotel, an
old-school Milanese establishment,
where many glittery guests,
including Rudolf Nureyev and
Margot Fontein didn’t just stay
a few nights, but moved in. The
most famous resident was Verdi
himself, who shifted in 1872
and died in Room 105, in 1901.
Horses outside the hotel had their
hooves muffled, and the street
was draped in carpet to cushion
the sound of the carriages, so as
not to disturb the dying composer
in his last days. The hotel
is actually a time-capsule, to the
point that you can book the Verdi
Suite, the very room where he
died, which has been preserved as
a memorial.
An assortment of his property
remains including the desk
where he composed the music for
Othello, and rather morbidly, the
bed in which he died.
While soaking up the fashion
OPTION ONE
houses in the Golden Quad, enjoy
coffee and cake at Caffe Cova.
Situated on my favourite street,
via Montenapoleone, where
the pavement looks more like a
catwalk due to the fine threads
flaunted by the passers-by, the
café has been in business since
1817 and was a second home to
all the A-list composers. Order
up an espresso and a slice of Cova
Panettone, Verdi’s personal favourite
– but stay standing at the bar.
Sit down and you’ll pay 10 times
more.
Luini makes amazing panzerotti
– pillowy fried dough parcels
stuffed with tomato and mozzarella.
The Milanese have swooned
over Luini’s tasty morsels since
it first opened in 1888, and now
there’s always a line in front of
this hole-in-the wall shop. Panzerotti
is street food at its best;
cheap, cheerful, quick and tasty.
Alongside the original tomato
and mozzarella, the ricotta and
spinach combo hits the spot too
as does the mouth-watering spicy
salami.
If you’re shopping up a storm in
the Golden Quad, or just browsing,
one store that embodies the
Milanese obsession with bespoke
fashion is Maglia Francesco, Milan’s
famous umbrella company.
In a city where it rains more regularly
than Auckland, the trending
must-have object of Milanese
FASHION: Shop up a storm in
the Golden Quad.
desire is a tailored umbrella.
You choose the wood, the metal,
the insets, the fabrics – even the
handle. It’s great fun watching
the bespoke brolly browsers in
action at Maglia Francesco, on via
Ripamonti.
One of Milan’s most adored
treasures is also one of the most
elusive: Da Vinci’s depiction of
The Last Supper. Miraculously
surviving the allied bombings,
the revered wall mural graces
the refectory of the Dominican
monastery at Santa Maria delle
Grazie. Da Vinci’s evocative work
was applied directly onto dry
wall, which is the reason for its
fragility, and the limited viewing
time. The painstaking restoration
carried out in recent years is
cause for celebration, albeit in a
hushed reverential kind of way.
FACT FILE
Steer clear of the
numerous rip-off ticket
touts, trawling the
streets (and the internet)
offering entrance tickets
at exorbitant prices to
see The Last Supper.
You shouldn’t have to
pay any more than €12.
For further information
and to book in advance,
go to the official website,
www.cenacolovinciano.
org
NUK KORAKO
NATIONAL LIST MP BASED
IN THE PORT HILLS
I hold weekly mobile office constituency
clinics around the Port Hills. For dates
and locations please visit my website.
You can also contact my office if there is
anything I can help you with.
A
E
W
P
6/950 Ferry Road, Ferrymead
nuk.korakomp@parliament.govt.nz
www.korako.co.nz
03 384 0008
facebook.com/nukkorako.PortHills
Working hard for our community
Funded by the Parliamentary Service and
authorised by Nuk Korako, 6/950 Ferry
Road, Ferrymead, Christchurch
Expressions of Interest
Trustee Position
The Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust has a broad
mandate to promote sustainable management,
conservation and recreation on Banks Peninsula.
It is now seeking to appoint two new Trustees.
Candidates should have a good knowledge of Banks
Peninsula; and be passionate about its present and
future. The Trust seeks individuals with the time and
ability to work as part of a voluntary governance
team. An interest in walking and tramping, financial
or negotiation skills would be an asset.
Please visit the Trust’s website
www.roddonaldtrust.co.nz for more information
and to download the Expression of Interest form
located under Documents/Administrative.
Expressions of interest should be emailed to
manager@roddonaldtrust.co.nz by Friday March 31.
View at: www.harcourts.co.nz ID#FM5081
Phone me on 027 203 7858 or 03 384 7950
Email: michelle.ward@harcourtsferrymead.co.nz
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