A Tourist's Guide to Milan

Milan is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Italy and is known the world over for its fashion and its football, of course. Although many designers are no longer based in Milan, it remains the inspiration capital for fashion and the twice yearly fashion shows means there is an influx of designers, buyers and of course super models from the world over.


Best Time to Travel to Milan

The best time to travel to Milan has to be during the fashions shows that are held twice a year. However, the weather in Milan is pleasant all year long, so if you want to enjoy the pleasure of shopping (or window shopping) and all the arts, history and culture that Milan has on offer, without the business of the paparazzi and fashionistas, you could visit Milan at any other time of year and have a very enjoyable experience.

Attractions to See in Milan

The main attractions in Milan are:

• The Basilica Sant' Ambrogio, built by and dedicated to the patron saint of Milan. The remains of three different saints can be viewed in this Basilica.

• The Monumental Cemetery, where many famous people have been buried. However, the cemetery is better known for its fabulous design and the chapel that remembers the 800 inhabitants of Milan who were killed in the concentration camps during World War II.

There are, of course, many other museums and churches to visit in Milan, each with beautiful architecture and fascinating history.

Restaurants and Bars in Milan

Milan offers restaurants that cater for all tastes and budgets. Some of the cheaper restaurants include Brek, a self-service restaurant and Anema e Cozze a pizzeria. If you are happy to spend a little bit more, you should not miss El Brellin, with its candlelit outside courtyard and wonderful fresh Italian food, or the Chandelier, one of Milan's more glamorous restaurants. For higher budget dining, you could try Cracco, the restaurant owned by Italy's master chef Carlo Gracco, or Armani Nobu, where you can sip sake with gold leaf!

As far as nightlife is concerned, there are more bars and clubs in Milan than any single person can now. Bars range from the comfortable and cosy to the stylish and modern. Knowing which clubs are the best is very difficult, as the status of a pub or club can change overnight due to word of mouth advertising from those who matter.

Transport in Milan

If you are planning a visit to Milan, hiring a car could be a great and cost effective way to allow you to not only see Milan but also the surrounding areas. Some of the companies offering car hire in Milan include Car Hire 3000, Auto Europe, Maggiore, Avis, National Car, Europcar, Nova Car Hire and Noleggio.

Whether you are interested in art, architecture and culture, food and wine or fashion and want to be seen with the crème de la crème of the fashion world, Milan is the place for you. It offers everything that makes a city trip enjoyable and you are sure to have a very memorable experience.

Milan Update #1

Been a while since my last post and I'm feeling a little guilty for neglecting my blog, seen as its supposed to be a running commentary of my design education experience i've not been doing a great job.

Anyway, landed in Milan on the 27th of May and got straight to work at Design Innovation. The project we are working on is confidential but I can tell you it's for Indesit so use your imagination.

A lot of research work is being done at the minute and we got to go to a professional cooking school to learn how to cook some Italian cuisine which was great, The Italian guy who was running the course had a really english accent when he spoke english which i couldn't wrap my head around.

Mark, Another guy we work with has the most cliche italian looks i've ever seen in my life but he speaks perfect english with a really broad Australian accent "BONZA MATE". I think he must be half Australian and half Italian though because the italians we work with say his italians not perfect.

Anyway, more posts will be flooding in soon, as always I'm constantly "tweeting" while I'm here, so get on Twitter and follow me to see what I'm up to!

I will leave you with a snap from my camera of a great bit of graphic work on the Milan Metro. It may show how childish I am but it defiantly made me laugh (its a warning to say you may get trapped in the doors)

Design is One

I recently looked through this book - http://snurl.com/g3h87

There was a theory that struck a chord with me. I still cannot decide whether I agree or disagree.

"the basic concept is that the discipline of design is one, and if you can design one thing, then you can design everything. The methodology is the same no matter what the subject"

I study Industrial Design at Uni and would like to think that I could branch into many aspects of design, such as fashion or web design.
so that's where I agree with this point, however I feel as though someone in web design would lack an understanding of how to design a product.

I think it all stems down to design education, there are similar structures throughout all courses of design that I've seen within the University I attend, and with collaboration on projects I feel like I am passing on techniques,skills and insight that I have developed to make myself a better designer.

How does everyone feel about this and does anybody have any other literature I could read through related to the subject?

(PS - More of the book can be read online here - http://snurl.com/g3i11)