Pioneer Your Life

I have been walking the streets, and riding the trains, of Milan for about a week now, and there is actually one thing that keeps getting my attention. There is a campaign in the subway stations that asks, "WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DID SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME?" I love this campaign, I actually love it so much that I wanted to talk about it and share it with you all today.

The question that is asked here is a very important one, I feel that we all need that new adventure in our life to give our selves greater knowledge, and experience. We all need to try new things, to push our personal bounds, and venture forth into the unknown. That is really a large part of what my life, and this blog, is about now. I seek to expand my universe to its greatest potential, and I want to share it with the world so that I may inspire them to expand theirs as well. Live life on the edge a little. My friends, brave the unknown, venture into the proverbial darkness and return victorious, for when you do you will feel on top of the world.

If you read the question above and your answer was something along the lines of, "It's been a while" then please set forth on an adventure.  It does not matter how great or small, just experience something new in life this week.

-SM-

Streets of Fire

This is a continuation from the same night of the previous post. As if music, beer, dancing, and food in the streets was not enough the evening was topped off by a live street performance. Now keep in mind I live in New York a lot so I know street performances and have witnessed numerous ones. This show was of epic proportions, I dare say I believe it to be the greatest street show I have ever witnessed.

The show started out great

As the darkness closed in and shrouded the street with the mood of the night the crown in front of the bar grew. People came crowding down the streets drawn by the sounds of the mirth and merry making. They were looking for a good time, looking for a show, and I'll tell you they were not to be disappointed. The band played a last couple diddies and two dark figures appeared to the side of the stage.

A guy with dreads and a feather in his hair, and a black bandanna covering his nose and mouth like the bad guy out of a Clint Eastwood western. He was accompanied by a lithe and extremely fit girl with angel wings tattooed on her shoulders, and an outfit of seduction. The smell of lighter fluid suddenly permeated the air and they cleared a space in front of the bandstand. I knew my night was about to pass out of the realm of epic into something beyond. I was right.

Yes, you know your a badass when you use your hand to carry fire from one end of your baton and light the other with it!!!

A circle, drawn with gas, on the street in front of me suddenly burst into flame, the girl danced in it while the guy slowly danced around her on it spinning a flaming baton. The dance slowly evolved into a fire show with spinning batons a burst with flames flashing wild, and ferociously through the night air. All the while the band kept an epic soundtrack in the background.

Words can do little but injustice to performance that was given so I feel I should not even try. I have just over 8 minutes of video footage but due to it being 1.3GB in size I have not been able to add it on line in any way to even link it to you. So with that being said I have taken a couple still shots from the actual video to add onto this blog. hopefully in the future I will be able to add the whole video somehow. Anyone who has any suggestions of how other than Facebook, Youtube, Vimeo, and the blog directly let me know and I'll try it.

-SM-

Wandering But Not Lost

Well my friends the other day I left my apartment to hit the streets of Milano with an excess of time and a lack of an agenda. In my experience that seems to be the best way to have an extraordinary day. There was much aimless wandering and picture taking in front of this, that, and the other.

Castello

Duomo

As evening approached and I felt that my adventure for the day may be drawing to a close I heard music coming from a small side street next to Duomo. Unbeknowst to me my adventure had actually just begun. I sauntered back to stand amongst a small group of people chilling in the street and watching a live four man band that had erected a temporary stage in front of a small bar.

Nice little outdoor bandstand

I settled in to enjoy an evening of music and mirth as I enjoyed a cover of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and watched some of the audience dance with playful abandonment. The band went on to play such great songs as: "Aint no Sunshine When She's Gone", "I Shot the Sheriff", "Honkey Tonk Woman", "Very Superstitious", "Everything's Gonna be Alright", and many more.


As the band took a brief intermission I slipped into the bar and got a drink, I only feel its right to support an experience that I am partaking in. My beer was 9 euro but that also came with an aperitivo buffet where I filled a plate with delicious pasta, and a form of a caprice salad. All in all live music, a beer, and a plate of food is a lot for 9 euro.

The ingrediants for fun

Early evening turned to night and the crowd grew and the whole street in front of the stage turned to dancing. After finishing my food and beer I went down and joined in on the dance floor with everyone just having a great time and living in the moment. It was a beautiful thing.  But the amazing think is all of this, well it was just the prelude.  It was followed up by what I think is the greatest street performance that I have ever seen.  Check back in a day or so once I have had time to get the images in order and I will have a post exclusively on that.

The bar was called Bar Straf

http://milan.arounder.com/it/lounge-bar/hotel-straf

The band was called Jaia

http://www.myspace.com/jaiamusicaround

-SM-



Gelatta Gelatto

Different people may pose many reasons for a vacation in Italy. Some may sight great works of art and architecture, while others the historical presence of ancient Rome and the aesthetic appeal of Venice. I myself would like to add gelato to that list of reason.

A couple of days ago I, believing I possessed the knowledge of the best gelato store in Milano, stated so on Facebook. I was then challenged by a credible and worldly friend who claimed the title actually belonged to a different shop. So I, being the diligent person that I am, took the burden upon myself to try both places and declare a victor. I cast myself as the sole judge in a "gelato-off." It was a tought and grueling job but someone had to do it, right?

The challenger posed a worthy opponent. The store was classy with a very elegant feel about it. the price for the large (3 scoops) was .50c euro less than what it cost in the shop I had previously attended. The choices, though broad, seemed slightly uninspired however. My selection of three ended up being coffee, dark chocolate, and pistachio.

The staircase looked like something out of a swankey NYC hotel or Martini Bar

With this being stated I would have to declare the winner of the "gelato-off" to be lato G http://www.latog.com/it/index.html a tiny hip shop resting only a couple blocks from Castello. The feel is very newage fun with gnome stool seating and flavor selections inspired by places from all over the world. My first selection of three here (which ran me 4 euro) consisted of "Peanut Butter and the City" inspired by my very own NYC!!! "Dulce De Leche" coming from the South American country of Argentina. and "Lucky Cookie" which simply stated (have a lucky day). The tastegasm that this combination created is so powerful it has probably been banned in several countries.



Is it actually ethically ok to sit on a Gnome? 



The worldly selection

On another trip I decided to enjoy the sweet and fruity sorbet selection. I ventured to try the "Fragola" (you may know it as strawberry), and the Limone & Menta from Morocco. On both visits the wonderful crisp clean flavors and the worldly selection left no room for doubt in my mind that lato G reigns supreme as the champion gelato store in Milano.

The staff is awesome too

The small cup of Fragola and Limone & Menta

It is my goal while I'm here to try every one of the flavors offered and when I finish I will tell you what I believe to be "The Masters Cup", the three best flavors. If anyone who has ventured to this store and tried it would like to post their "Masters Cup" in the comments that would be great, as would recommendations for other places to visit in Milano that I could then write about.

-SM-

Paradise Mountains

So I wanted to kick this blog off with a bang and decided what better way than to share my trip through the Swiss Alps by train.

Tonight I am taking a train ride through the Swiss Alps. This will be a trip long remembered and possibly only topped by actually stopping and exploring them. I may do just that on the return trip only time will tell.

Now that looks fast

Beautiful lush green mountains full of trees shoot seemingly straight up out of the ground in front of me. Rock outcroppings jut out at odd angles and raise up to the snow which becomes visible just before the clouds encompass the peak.

I turn and look out the other side and see a serene ice blue lake surrounded by small european villages, beyond that raise more mountains equally impressive.

It's the kind of scene that scoffs at a cameras feeble attempt to capture it (I tried anyway as you can see). However the masterpieces that I created were the snapshots in my mind, eternally burned on to the negative of my brain.

If ever you have the chance take a train ride through the Swiss Alps, you will be glad you did. Switzerland is a beautiful place to see.

-SM-