Milan: Ugly-Beautiful

I once read an interview with an industry-revered fashion model, whose features were described as so strange yet unconventionally alluring, that she was often referred to as being ugly-beautiful. And if ugly-beautiful can be used to describe someone – or something – in such a way as to convey appreciation in a strange, confounding way, well then it’s the perfect sentiment for Milan.

You see, Milan was the last stop in a very nonchalantly “planned” tour of Italy, as part of a wider 2012 European sojourn for my partner and I. When we visited, our itinerary had a flight booked into Rome, a flight booked out of Madrid seven weeks later, and nothing but blank space in between. So when a friend’s honeymoon itinerary came across my inbox, it was all we could do but follow it’s lead. And lead us it did, right to Milan, via a well-thought out route of Rome, Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Florence, Lake Como and Venice.

But when Milan is the last destination on your Italian hit list, it’s a little hard to see its overt appeal. Sure, the Duomo is delightful, but Rome has the Colosseum; Naples has authentic pizza; the Amalfi Coast has stunning coastal scenery stretching for miles; Florence has, well everything that’s in Florence (not to mention Chianti); Lake Como has beautiful lake-side towns, snow-capped mountains and a glimmering lake; and Venice, of course, has its unparalleled canals.

So what of Milan? Well, Milan too has canals. They are of themselves somewhat pretty, but nothing compared to that of Venice. Yet it isn’t the canals or tourist attractions per se that unveil the true beauty of Milan. It’s what stretches out amongst them.

Lining these narrow yet long bodies of water, in an area known as Navigli, are scores of restaurants, bars and boutiques. And they are filled with the best feature of the city: achingly stylish people, projecting an air of design and style nous that permeates their surroundings in a way that is somewhat intangible, almost undefinable, and certainly inimitable.

It was in this setting that we ran into our newly married friends, yes the ones who provided us with the guidance in the form of their itinerary to make our way to this place, the place that truly exemplifies the word ‘design’. And when we took the opportunity to toast our good fortune over a classic aperitivo of Negroni, free aperitivo snacks were provided, and I couldn’t help but think that surely this custom is a reward for the locals who make the city so damn hip.

No, Milan’s appeal is not always obvious to the naked eye, nor can it compete in the same beauty pageant as it’s sisters. But if you dig a little deeper and look beyond the expectations of what a city should offer, you will find a quality that is so unique, so hard to define that you will be at loss to describe it without repeating the words ‘design’, ‘style’ and ‘hip’ ten-times over.

Until of course, you hear the phrase ugly-beautiful; then you will know exactly what Milan is all about.