But what did you read in Milan?

Thomas

I’ve written a bunch of posts about my week in Milan in February but I’m not sure I have said anything about books or reading. Normally for a trip I would post about what books I was going to take with me on the plane, what I read while I was away, what bookshops I went to, what I read on the way home, etc. The fact is, I really didn’t do much reading at all. Given that the point of my trip was to immerse myself in Italian as much as possible I kind of went out of my way not to have a book with me.

But let’s get real, I’m still me. Bookish things happened.

I saw three or four grand libraries like this one. As lovely as the are to see, I always am frustrated I can’t start pulling stuff off of shelves. I think this is the one at the Pinacoteca Brera in Milan.
At least at the library at the Palazzo Reale in Turin I got a chance to really wander through the room. Plus I was pretty much alone and had a fair amount of time at hand so I felt a bit more immersed in this one.
I thought of walking purposefully and confidentially past this sign but thought that my poor language skills would ultimately trip me up.
As I scanned the titles on the shelves at the Palazzo Reale I began to fantasize about the possibility that some of these books could contain secrets just waiting to be rediscovered. Overlooked tidbits that could lead to some grand new discovery or stand conventional thinking on its head.

I went to a few bookshops in Milan as well including the wonderful Rizzoli in the Galleria. I was hoping to find some books that have the Italian on one page and the English translation on the facing page, but no such luck. I know they exist but I supposed general bookstores aren’t the places to find them. I did, however, buy about four young adult/juvenile books in Italian thinking that those might be better for my comprehension level and not require as many trips to the dizionario. More on those in a future post.

 

One thought on “But what did you read in Milan?”

  1. Karen K. March 28, 2019 / 9:11 am

    What gorgeous libraries — though those plastic chairs in the first photo are a real needle scratch! I suppose they were setting up for a special event. And I think you should consider yourself a scholar!

    Like

    Reply

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