Photo courtesy of MUDEC website.
As promised, this post will be updated frequently as I visit this city at my doorstep as often as possible. This month I had the chance for a special visit, discovering the area surrounding the MUDEC which is a new part of Milan for me. All this to visit on old “friend”, Frida Kahlo. Frida has been an icon in my life for longer than I can even recall. It was the early 90’s when I read Herrera’s biography, Frida, and I was captivated from the start. Over the next years I consumed everything I could about Frida Kahlo, her life, her work, her legacy. In 2002 Salma Hayek dazzled us with her portrayal in the film Frida. All this to say, for me visiting this exhibit was a bit like going back to the roots of my love for art, to review where I started to appreciate the diversity of possibilities of the human soul through the prism of art. Whenever I meet someone who appreciates Frida Kahlo, I immediately feel a kinship. One of the first people I met when I came to Switzerland was Zuleika, and she could nearly BE Frida for her courage, her beauty, the intensity of her internal light. That she loved Frida sealed the deal, we are friends for life.
To balance out our being provoked, my companions Esra and Angela and I visited the area of the Cattolica university, specifically Sant’Ambrogio, the church of the patron saint of Milan. This infrequently visited gem is worth the metro ride. From here we walked toward the MUDEC, taking in the green parts of Milan, the small shops, the people, enjoying the bustle of the city.
We had a celebratory lunch close to the MUDEC at a place La Tradizionale. Mario our waiter, a big-hearted Sicilian treated us like Queens and we enjoyed the spacious atmosphere and tasty food with extra gusto. Fish was the speciality and I took this chance to enjoy a rare treat, fried bits, yum!
Top photo myself, Angela, and Esra at La Tradizionale, bottom left the mixed fried fish plate, middle the grilled fish, and right the response to our question, "Might we have a biscuit with our coffee?"
We recommend La Tradizionale for its open space, delicious menu, and excellent service. If you see Mario, give him my best please. Art and food make a trip to Milan complete, thank you to all the powerful women who were with me this day, and every day.
Center photo a poster at Gogol & Company to give an idea of their slant; top right the second floor mezzanine book shop area; middle the cafe itself; and bottom the front entrance.
Not far from the MUDEC I discovered a different kind of art, Gogol& Company, a small oasis where one can write, read, relax, and enjoy the energy of a fresh, tuned in place. Comfortably weathered armchairs to recline in, benched tables in the garden to bask at, and tables to sit at and work inside – including a second floor gallery which was full of people absorbed on their laptops on my visit. The walls are covered in photographs, exhibitions on constant show and change. I shared a table with another woman engrossed in a project, our brief exchange was just what I needed and my snack of hummus with vegetables topped off with freshly made beetroot, lemon, ginger juice was an ideal healthy snack for mid morning brain power.