Milan

April 14–16, 2008

Milan is very efficient at organizing traffic flow. At the airport, the crowd of arriving passengers is asked to independently choose a lane, either towards transfers or towards the exit.

There are tons of trams here, all different models.

Tram stops have digital displays with upcoming arrival times.

There are lots of rail tracks in the city that end nowhere.

Traffic lights hang above the roadway, in the American manner (Moscow also began actively installing similar mast arms this year).

A local digger.

Local caution children.

Taxi stands are abundant, but sticking your hand out is more reliable.

Italians drink a lot of bottled water, so motorized freight trikes are constantly delivering it to cafés.

Back in Russia, payphones have practically died out because they’re no longer necessary, but there’s still a thriving culture of payphone use abroad. Here, you often see a sign indicating that it’s possible to ring someone up from a given café or tobacco shop.

The pizza covered in white cheese is very pretty—for some reason, I’ve never noticed one like this before. It looks like nougat with candied fruit.

I found a shop that makes and sells traffic signs. Was very happy with my purchases.

There are special tidy windows for advertising in the metro cars.

The annual Milan Furniture Fair takes place this time of year. The giant expo center on the outskirts of the city requires several days to see in its entirety, but many exhibitors set up stands right in the middle of town. A street might well be closed off in the evening because yet another furniture company is hosting a private open-air reception.

The central square isn’t worth bothering with—too overpopulated.

The Moscow Kremlin was built by Italians, but the sight of the battlements of Sforza Castle in Milan still makes you do a double take.