Casa NoLo Milano
One Year Later at Casa NoLo Milano
How the world has changed around our Italian home
A year ago today, Krystal and I closed on our home in Milano. After arriving a day earlier — in the midst of tourists making their way to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza — I hurried to complete paperwork with our friend and attorney Angelo, before taking the keys and stepping into the first piece of property Krystal and I ever owned. I spent the next couple of days hustling to buy basic furniture and clean the entire apartment, to make it ready for our first stay at the pied-à-terre. We promptly returned during the Thanksgiving weekend, enjoying the feeling of belonging while in foreign country. We visited with our friends in Milano, were greeted by the owner of our favorite pizza place — we’re regulars there, already — and took a day trip to Verona.
And we haven’t been back since. In the time that has followed those first few months of home ownership, the world has changed quite a bit. A common question from those who became aware of our home in Milano was how is everything over there? The Lombardy region of Italy was hit especially hard by the novel coronavirus outbreak. Our Italian home was suddenly in the epicenter of the global pandemic. After a harrowing several months with extreme restrictions on the residents, the city has begun to recover from the worst of the virus. And we are fortunate to know that our local friends are doing well despite the new reality we all live in.
Though we haven’t been able to return to our apartment recently, our hearts are still very much with the city and its people. Throughout the peak of the virus, we saw stunning photos of some of Milano’s most treasured landmarks completely devoid of people. We have read stories of how much of a strain the city has been through, both in terms of providing treatment to the infected and of citizens dealing with severe social restrictions. Most of all, the long-term economic impact on one of Italy’s most important cities is of great concern. For these reasons, we feel so fortunate to be a part of Milano — our ties to the city will hopefully enable us to play our part in the long road to recovery from the pandemic.
As we look to the future of our home away from home, we are still filled with the same enchantment that led us to buy the flat in the first place. Why Milan? was a frequent question among friends and family in the past year. When we thought about our love of the food and culture, and the logistical advantages of the city, it seemed like such a no-brainer to us. Our honeymoon was bookended in Milano, and I had previously spent time in the city during grad school. It is a city we know well, and it is central to our future plans, just as it is central to Western Europe. And we look forward to continuing to share our experiences and special journey in Milano with you. To be continued, soon!
