THE END OF 2017: A DIARY BY RICK CASTRO- PART3

12.15.2017

MILANO SEI IL MIGLIORE!

THE FOOD!

THE WINE!!

THE BOYS!!!

I TAKE IN A  FEW SIGNS & SOUNDS OF DOWNTOWN MILANO.

THE MEN HAVE A NATURAL MASCULINE BEAUTY. 

THEY DON’T TRY TOO HARD. THEY DON’T HAVE TO. 

THE WOMEN ARE ELEGANT- SLIGHTLY ANDROGYNOUS- 
THINK ANOUK AIMEE IN A MAN & A WOMAN.

I WALKABOUT & SOAK IT ALL IN.. 

I GO TO WHAT LOOKS LIKE A VERY BASIC, BUT CUTE PLACE CALLED 
" MANZONI ROMANTIC CAFE."  I ORDER THE PUMPKIN RISOTTO & LOCAL CHIANTI. 

IT IS AMAZING..

THIS IS A TYPICAL CAFE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A BAD MEAL IN MILANO.

UNLESS YOU GO TO A EURO MCDONALDS WHICH I DIDN’T SEE ANYWHERE, 

BUT SURE THEY EXIST.

I ORDER  GELATO NEAR PIAZZA DEL DUOMO WHERE THEY HAVE A PURPLE COLOR I HAVE NEVER SEEN. 

LIKE THE GRINCH FROM MCDONALDS. (I DON’T MEAN TO MENTION MCDONALDS SO MUCH, BUT IT REALLY WAS THAT COLOR).

THIS WAITER JUST WAVED AT ME.. SO SWEET.

I CHECK OUT RICK OWENS SHOP IN MILANO, A BREEZE TO FIND. ONCE I KNOW WHERE I AM AND GET MY BEARINGS-

 I CAN FIND ANYTHING. THEY SAY SENSE OF DIRECTION IS A MASCULINE TRAIT.. I CANNOT READ A MAP TO SAVE ME LIFE, BUT IF I’VE BEEN SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE ONCE- I KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO RETURN.

 SO IN THIS REGARDS I GUESS I’M “MACHO.”

I WALK INTO THE SHOP AND IMMEDIATELY GREETED BY THIS SWEET CHINESE BOY. HE’S WEARING ONE OF RICK’S ROBES. IT LOOKS PERFECT ON HIM WITH HIS BLACK HORNED RIMMED GLASSES.

I INTRO MYSELF AND TELL HIM MY CONNECTION WITH RICK. HE IMMEDIATELY OFFERS SOME TEA. THE ATMOSPHERE OF EACH RICK OWENS SHOP IS THE SAME AMBIANCE- SLEEK MINIMAL, GOTHIC, WITH ITS OWN PERSONA TWIST.

IN THIS CASE IT'S MOLTEN LAVA MOTIF.

THE BOY’S NAME IS SHAOYIN HE’S VERY INTERESTING IN A QUIRKY SORTA WAY.

WE HAVE A NICE CHAT, HE BRINGS ME TEA AND SHOES TO TRY ON.

I END UP SELECTING TWO GODDESS BUNNY PATCHES, 

(YES YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY) 

THEN HAVE A NICE LEISURELY EVENING STROLL IN DOWNTOWN MILANO.

CHE SERA PIACEVOLE

12.16.17

THE FOLLOWING DAY IS  A MASS OF CONFUSION-  

A LONGTIME FRIEND, (WHO’S NAME I WON’T MENTION) WAS SUPPOSED TO ORGANIZE A PLACE TO STAY.

 WE’VE BEEN CHATTING FOR MONTHS ABOUT THIS. NOW I’M WAITNG IN THIS AREA THAT REMINDS ME OF

 THE MILANO VERSION OF VERNON, AND HE’S A NO SHOW.

AFTER WAITING FOR OVER AN HOUR. I TRY TO HAIL A CAB, WITH NO SUCCESS. THEN TRY TO TACKLE THE SUBWAY SYSTEM. THIS VERY NICE GUY DIRECTS ME TO THE METRO. ONCE UNDERGROUND AN EVEN NICER, (AND CUTES) GUY SHOWS ME HOW TO BUY THE TICKET. FOR SOME REASON THE MACHINE WON’T ACCEPT MY EURO, SO HE EXCHANGES FOR ONE OF HIS. I WAIVE MY GOODBYE AND CATCH THE METRO TO THE TRIENNALE.  THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE I KNOW, NOW THAT I’VE CHECKED OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE AT SENATO HOTEL.

I FINALLY ARRIVE DISHEVELED AND FRAZZLED AND ORDER A CUPPA TEA TO CALMATI..  TRAVELING AS AN OLDER PERSON HAS ITS CHALLENGES. 

I’M NOT ALL WHATEVER HAPPENS IS COOL, LIKE I ONCE WAS.

“HELLO,” I HEAR A VOICE FROM BEHIND.. 
IT IS SHAOYIN FROM RICK OWENS SHOP. MY LITTLE SAVIOR!

I TELL HIM MY SITUATION AND HE IMMEDIATELY GOES ONLINE TO REBOOK ME A HOTEL. 

HE NEGOTIATES A GOOD RATE, AND THEN WALKS ME BACK TO THE HOTEL. 

I ASK HIM IF WE CAN STOP FOR DINNER. WE DO.
I CHOOSE ANOTHER CUTE-AS-A-BUTTON CAFE, JUST UP THE STREET FROM "MANZONI ROMANTIC CAFE" OF THE NIGHT BEFORE.

 I ASK HIM WHAT KIND OF FOOD HE LIKES AND HE REPLIES, “JUNK FOOD, PAPPA JOHNS.” WHAT A SURPRISE. 

I GUESS ITS CONSIDERED EXOTIC? I REMEMBER WHEN RICK OWENS LIVED IN HOLLYWOOD, HE ONLY ATE JUNK FOOD. MAYBE THIS IS PART OF THE RICK OWENS PREREQUISITE? ONE HAS TO LIKE JUNK FOOD.

WHEN MY ARTICHOKE AND OLIVE PIZZA ARRIVES SHAOYIN’S EYES OPEN WIDE. 

I CAN TELL HE WILL BE COMING BACK HERE TOMORROW.

FUCK PAPPA JOHNS.