MILAN – A travel day. On the way to the airport our taxi slowed down at one point allowing me to shoot a stairway in Porta Nuova – a scene that I shot last time I was in Milan a year ago. Still under construction. Taken with my Leica Monochrom and 50mm Asph. lens.
On this day one year ago: Kitchen.
MILAN – A day walking around here in intense heat. I complain about Milan – it really is not the world’s most interesting place visually – but the images from today turned out to be interesting. All with my Leica Monochrom and 50mm Asph. lens.
On this day one year ago: Back home.
MILAN – This isn’t much of a tourist city. There’s the wedding cake Duomo and the Galleria and the shoppers along the Via Montenapoleone, but these are all fairly well documented, even by me last year. Not much interest in repeating the process. Particularly today because the light is rather harsh. Here’s one from my iPhone.
On this day last year: Alexander. A nice image.
MILAN ITALY – Well here we are on July 4 and no Independence Day celebration. This seems odd – we were on Capri at this time last year and there is always a big 4th of July celebration there. Oh well . . .
More Milan Tourism. This one is from a triumphal arch built in honor of Vittorio Emanuele II and Napoleon. Milan was briefly under French rule during the Napoleonic era. By the way I borrowed friend’s Leica 18mm lens today and shot with it extensively. Unfortunately it’s outstanding. Distortion free. Amazing detail. Very flair resistant. Not a trace of purple fringing. I’m going to need one of these. Also shot film, which I’ll post later.
The fountain in front of the Sforza Palace, which is largely draped for renovation.
An odd entrance to a courtyard. I guy came up and asked me in Italian if I know what it is, but I was clueless.
The Basilica di S. Ambrogio from the 10th (!) century – the site has been a Christian Church since Roman times. A lovely, simple red brick structure. those guys knew how to build. I took a lot of details on film.
Finally some graffiti. This 18mm lens rocks.
On this day last year: On the funicular, Capri.
MILAN ITALY – Today was my day for the usual stuff in Milan. I started the day tracking down Villa Necchi, an early 20th century house that starred in the film “I am Love”. I found it; it’s open by appointment only; I made an appointment for Friday so more on it then. I also scoped out Pinocateca di Brera’s hours – Maria and I will spend Friday morning there. The light was pretty good in the late afternoon so I shot the Galleria, the wedding cake Duomo, some architectural detail and a shopping street. That’s pretty much it for Milan. But I actually have a confession to make. I stumbled on a really good Leica dealer today. They had an M3 in excellent working condition for a great price so I bought it. Together with two rolls of film. I’ll be supplementing my Milan posts with film shots once I get home and have it developed. Cool, huh?
Anyway here are my digital shots all taken with my M9 and 24mm Summilux.
On this day one year ago: Capri Literary Festival. (No kidding.) Here’s Dona Tart:
