snow for a day

We've finally seen snow in Milan. But like a certain someone who headed home yesterday, the snow has already said its sad goodbyes.

Our Italian friends had warned us that snow in Milan isn't a good thing but rather a messy, slushy, grey disaster. We didn't want to believe them.

And when the snow came it was beautiful, little white flakes dancing in the air, landing on our scarves, giving us the winter we'd hoped for but never had in Milan.



But after a day+ of snow came the rain. And that's when the city went from winter wonderland to that messy, slushy stuff our friends had described.

As far as I know, the city of Milan has never compared itself to Chicago in the snow-cleanup department, and maybe we shouldn't either, but let's just say that Milan could learn a thing or two from Chicago about what to do to its sidewalks and park paths after it snows.

Milan's current standard operating procedure after a snowfall is: do nothing. The procedure after the rain comes is: see above.

So the snow and the following rains gave any area that was not attended to by a shop-owner or a building custodian the consistency of a Slurpie. Make that two inches of Slurpie that want so very, very much to become one with your socks and shoes.



If we were true Milanese, we'd put on our pink slacks ("Punch Pants!"), pick up an umbrella, and head to work. Or we'd take a broom and start brushing snow into the street sideways.

But we're not Milanese. So instead of begrudging the snow or wearing pink pants to show winter who's really boss, we took out our camera and made sure that the only snow we've ever seen in Milan lasts longer than 24 hours somewhere - even if that's just in our photos.