Milan is amazing. The first time I visited when I was 21 was a snore but this time was great despite the construction and development. This day was a brutal travel day of a rental car to two planes to a bus to a train. Jeez. After 3 coffees and a quick shave, I still wanted to get into the thick of what Milan had to offer. First, we visited 10 Corso Como, one of the nicest places I’ve ever been. It’s a cafe, boutique, art book store, and a gallery. They also have rooms for rent. Basically amazing. The World Press Photo 2009 exhibition was hanging upstairs, along with one of the best photo art book collections I’ve ever seen and prints by Steven Meisel on the wall. We kind of just got lost and looked around but that’s what I liked about this visit. In the evening, we strolled near the duomo, looking for a restaurant. The fake designer bags are really amazing there, and the Africans who illegally sell them transport them in bed sheets for quick getaways and quick presentation. Witnessing their interactions with police was priceless. Oh, and dinner was amazing.
All images copyright James Ryang 2009
