New Faces

"One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of seeing things"

Italia. We were off to Italy. It was time for a break from school and an exciting trip outside Greece. The quintessential student’s trip through Europe was the theme of our miniature version of the tradition. A short metro ride away and we were at the Athens International Airport, ready to board the ridiculously inexpensive flight to Milan. After some slight luggage-related hassle and a full flight passed in blissful slumber, we landed that evening in the fog-laden and relatively deserted Milan airport. The language issue hit us again: now we were the tourists in a European city with no prior knowledge of the language. We were now Greek students in Italy – the dynamic notions of identity and association is all-powerful in shaping the lived experiences of the world. We associate with being Greek students on holiday in the land of pasta, pizza and gelato.

The iconic Rinascente mall

A long bus ride into the city and we disembarked outside the Milano Centrale train station and into the crisp Italian night. With no internet access and hungry stomachs, we persevered through the following: haphazard class registration for next semester during the flight, essays due past the deadline for class that night, no knowledge of how to reach the hostel from the station and a hefty roll-on suitcase to lug around. Definitely a great start to a promising trip. Things started to look up as we solved all but one of those issues in quick succession. We began walking to the hostel with a vague yet hopeful set of directions, and discovered how metropolitan Milan is. High-rise commercial and residential buildings are embellished with a blend of classical and modern architecture. Balconies have black wrought-iron gothic patterns on the upper floors of most buildings, the lower floors of which are sleek metal panels and floor length glass windows.
After passing by about twenty McDonalds and ristorante-cafés, we desperately accepted how lost we were and hopped onto the nearest metro. Reaching our stop and getting out, we unanimously decided on food: we needed it right then, and we needed lots of it, and it needed to be full of love and comfort. La Cucina materialized out of thin air – it was brightly lit with a nautical theme of wooden panels, navy steering wheels, submarine windows and live sea-faring music sung to a guitar, both courtesy of the jovial and bald Italian nonno (grandfather). Best of all, two-thirds of the menu was all pizza. A welcoming gesture that greatly satisfied our bellies and our desires for fresh basil, mozzarella, tomatoes and prosciutto.

Milan's train station

A short walk later and we halted to a complete stop. In front of us stood the address – 24, Desadario – with the correct name of the hostel. The only problem was that that was all that was visible. It was only one single shady sign for Hostel Colours, with boarded up windows and a massive sealed metal garage door. Banging on it a little seemed to help though; the door clicked open and revealed what lay ahead. Delirious with laughter and disbelief, we decided we had nothing to lose, and we ventured inside; it was full of retro furniture, bright solid colors on the walls and a large interactive social lobby. Another long sigh of relief. We checked in, figured out logistics, and settled into our ‘multiple occupancy room’ with two other American college students actually backpacking through Europe together for six months. Their next stop was surprisingly Athens – we gave them tips to last them their stay there, told them how to eat, where to roam, and what to expect.Wide-awake and fresh the next morning, we expertly boarded the complicated metro system to visit the cathedral Duomo di Milano (Dome of Milan). The structural protagonist of the piazza (square) it magnificently rises sky high in front of a statue of Victor Emmanuel II (the first King of Italy). Unsurprisingly, it is the largest cathedral in Italy, and the fourth largest in the world. Its gothic exterior with sculptures, bell towers and the golden statue of Madonna suggested its intricate and decadent interior. Indeed the sheer monumentality of the structure was unified beautifully with the impressive altar, the infinite rows of pews, the ominous confession boxes and the biblical excerpts depicted in large projecting reliefs along the walls. With long stained-glass windows to illuminate the darkness and a dozen canvas renditions of the Early Christian Martyrs hanging in the middle, the basilica stands proudly in the heart of central Milan.

The mother of all Italian cathedrals

Realizing that tasting original Italian coffee was yet to be accomplished, we strolled around the outdoor mall (La Rinascente) located adjacent to the square. Containing endless high-end boutiques, the structure also had ceiling murals and quirky architecture features. We relaxed at a ristorante and made our way back to the train station. Tickets were purchased, and with a last look around the city that acquainted us to Italy we boarded the commuter rail in the neo-classical European railway station. Presently looking out the window and watching rural northern Italy zoom by, I talk to three Italian college students about their favorite cities in the country and personal anecdotes about our next stop. Time to arrival: 1 hour, destination: Venice. Ciao Italia.For us to go to Italy and to penetrate into Italy is like a most fascinating act of self-discovery...back, back down the old ways of time. Strange and wonderful chords awaken in us, and vibrate again after many hundreds of years of complete forgetfulness

"For us to go to Italy and to penetrate into Italy is like a most fascinating act of self-discovery...back, back down the old ways of time. Strange and wonderful chords awaken in us, and vibrate again after hundreds of years of complete forgetfulness"