"Si!" not "Oui!"

I must say that these past five days spent in Italy were probably the best days I have spent in Europe in the past few months. Italians are remarkably welcoming, non-abrasive, and helpful--a combination that makes for a great vacation.  I felt a bit awkward, guilty, and self-conscious not being able to speak Italian, as I felt that it would be offensive (I am used to France and its view of english speakers) but most everyone speaks english in Milan and Venice without hesitation or hautiness.  With a few sheets of phrases and pronunciations, we stumbled through our amateur attempts to ask for the bill, or the toilet, or directions, and found that we got smiles instead of sighs or confused squints.  I am ok with being laughed at, especially if it means that the individual will be more willing to help me.  We spent our time as "flaneuses," simply discovering our environments by walking, talking, and napping in the sunshine. Talk about relaxing! We could not have asked for better weather in both cities (especially considering it was supposed to storm for two of our 3 days in Venice); nothing but clear skies and sunshine.  We did have midday rainstorm in Milan, which we took the wild chance to walk through and get completely soaked, as well as one windy night threatening storms in Venice, through which we sat outdoors drinking wine, eating pizza, and talking about our travels with our new friends from across Europe.  

For all those looking to travel to Milan: some tips:

Milan can be done in a day or two unless you want to spend copious amounts of money on clothes and museums.  It is expensive at the city center, as any major city, but one can find some great bargains on the outskirts, not far away. It is not that large and can be walked from end to end in for the most part in an hour or so.  There is a lovely little artistic area, full of night life, along the canal on the outskirts that is worth seeking. The castle is worth visiting, and as everywhere in Milan, it is also a museum (cost 5 or 6 euros), but the cathedral is free and one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen. Gelatto is a must, and we ate far too much of it. Pretty much anywhere in Italy, it is better tasting and cheaper than Paris (rightfully so, it IS Italy), but is worth eating as much as you can take.  CALORIES DO NOT EXIST ON VACATION. 

Hostel accommodation:  Hotel Diablo. It might as well be a hotel, but be aware that you will be staying in mixed gender rooms.  David at the front desk is not only one of the most handsome Italian men we met, but also the most friendly and helpful person, that I, personally, have met in all of Europe; a great friend to have (yes, we hope he is reading this).  The language barrier was an entertaining factor and between english, french, and Italian, we managed to have some riveting conversations about the quality of the pizza at the local Kebab stand. 

 This was the second instance in which I have used french as the language with which to bridge the gap; the other time being at the Cannes Festival when foreign films were subtitled in French. It is not only an element of stress relief, but also one of pride, to be able to have multiple modes of communication.  It is truly an inspiration to learn more languages.  An interesting phenomenon occurs when one encounters languages foreign to not only one's native tongue, but also that of a second language learned. I warned my travel partner about this and she experienced it full-blown. The experience is that of reverting to the second language whenever one hears any other foreign speech.  Throughout our journey en Italy, my friend found herself speaking french, with which she had been struggling in her classes in France. I dare say it actually helped her flip the switch at last.  Once you become accustomed to thinking in another language and comprehending the science of phonetics, it becomes far simpler to transition to the next language, even if only for a few pages of phrases.  C'est plus facile.