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Ever have fun simply walking the streets?

I’ve been to quite a few countries but have never had as much fun walking the streets as here in Milan.

The people seem to walk in poetry, the street cleaners are dandified, old men and women take pride in their clothes and walk with a spring in their step, kids are a joy, no tantrums, even the dogs seem content, no unseemly dragging– yesterday I saw a Doberman stroll off leash tongue lolling out in the D’uomo piazza.

Been taking pictures in my head, not many on the phone– but here are a few random clicks….and this my first attempt at blogging from my phone.

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Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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72 Comments

  • Thank you for liking “Autumn Splendor.” Nice post! 🙂 I could tell by your photos that you were having fun walking around and exploring the city.

  • It is fun you felt relaxed in Milan, because in Italy it is considered the capital of hard work, stress and frantic pace of living! But it depends on what parts of the city you visited and on your attitude, of course!

    • Damyanti says:

      I stayed near the Garibaldi station, and looked around the business district, too.
      But compared to Honkong, Shanghai, and Tokyo, Milan seemed like a relaxed place to me 🙂

      • Yes, I think that Shanghai and Hong Kong are busier than Milan (I’d like to visit them). But, still Milan is quite busy by european standards and many italians don’t like the way of living of Milan

  • Your post brings to mind “Street Haunting” by Virginia Wolf.

  • Damyanti says:

    Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful comments. I’ll visit back each of you as soon as you can– which has to be after this Friday-when I’ll have stable internet– my home internet has disappeared for the moment. It felt so good to be able to blog from my phone and receive all these responses!

    I love you all, and am grateful for the time you spent in leaving me a comment.

  • ALEXISTAN says:

    As Max von Sydow says in “Three Days of the Condor”, “The great cities are those you can walk.” Prague, Vienna, Budapest… and, I would argue, Chicago, where you can walk to the greatest baseball park in the world.

  • seanbidd says:

    For sure, anytime of day here even on a winter’s night, which is never too cold in the tropics. So many photographic stories.

  • gorgeous pictures Damyanti. You made me wish to be there in that place..:)

  • ioanas says:

    my favourite type of traveling: walking the streets 🙂

  • Nana Prah says:

    It looks like I place I should be. Gorgeous pics.

  • I love going for a stroll. You can see stories happening all around you.

  • cjparsons says:

    Nicely done! I love the way you caught the easy-going atmosphere along with historical landmarks!

  • Peter Nena says:

    The photo with the bicycles is magnificent and rich. It is itself a complete story.

  • cynthiamvoss says:

    Love the pic from the cafe with the bicycle! Glad to hear you are enjoying your trip 🙂

  • atempleton says:

    I like your phrase, ‘taking pictures in my head.’ Storing up lots of stuff to write about later, I would imagine.

  • alexjrankin says:

    Absolutely enjoy walking the streets! In fact, it’s my favourite thing to do when I travel because that is how you witness the life and soul of a city, not by simply visiting the tourist sights. Leave that to everyone else 😉

  • simonfalk28 says:

    Great. I’d probably struggle to write a blog using a smartphone. You’ve done really well.

  • InnanaMiss says:

    Looks gorgeous!
    I’ve never been to Milan. Helsinki is the one place I’ve been where I could just never get tired of walking the streets. So many different kinds of people! Bizarre fashions, bright colors, stunning beauty….. And everything so clean and vibrant at the same time. Some places don’t even need a tourist site, they have so much beauty in the everyday rhythm of life flowing through them.

  • sheketechad says:

    I really like that black and white with the bicycles, excellent framing. Enjoy your trip, and congrats on your first blog by phone!

  • lexacain says:

    It’s beautiful and not many people about so you can enjoy things. Maybe that’s why everyone’s in a good mood. Thanks for the lovely pics!

  • Thanks for sharing your vacation with us.

  • That’s exactly what we do on holiday. Parts of Venice are both stunning and completely empty any time of the year, or just have local children and cats. Italian cities are top favourites and there seems to be less age separation, so you don’t get mobs of kids all one age.

  • merrieherrie says:

    great post! watching people provides for great characters in a story!

  • Great pics and your thoughts make me want to go there! I love walking the streets and people watching <3 Thanks for the smile.

  • Dalo 2013 says:

    Nice, there is nothing I like better than to take the time to walk the streets and see life bloom in front of me… 🙂

  • jowensauthor says:

    nice! reminds me of when I went on a trip to Ireland.

  • equinoxio21 says:

    Living in a country where you need to take the car to buy bread, I just can’t wait to be in Paris (July2nd!) and just walk and walk and walk! 🙂
    Have a lovely (walking) week-end!
    Brian

  • People watching: love it! I can spend hours ‘wasting time’, watching folk pass by and imagining whole worlds around them … I suppose if I think (very) laterally it’s useful on a creative basis, but really I just enjoy studying people (though I should point out not in a stalkerish way!!!). Spain’s great for it if you’re getting a plane over the med. at any point!

  • I love Italy! I did not get to Milan when I was there, but visited Rome, Florence, Venice, and Siena.

  • liamiman says:

    I love the pictures!

  • Deborah says:

    Beautiful. Thanks for sharing such lovely photos. Have a fun a safe trip 🙂

  • The joy you experienced in your walk is exactly why I decided to read Chet Raymo’s The Path: A One-Mile Walk Through the Universe. Of course, being a scientist, his observations tended toward geology and history, but Nature’s where I’d be.

  • sporterhall says:

    Hi there! Not bad for first time attempt blogging from your phone. I say…mission accomplished. The photos are fantastic! 🙂

  • PS-I think Rome is my favorite walking city. Every corner brings a new wonder. If you get a chance, you must go there.

  • Delightful! In America, there is little of that pride in self you mention of the Europeans. My wife, who is Asian, is always dressing up. She explains that it helps her to be her best. Sadly, I still feel the urge to go out in jeans and tee-shirt most of the time.
    Are you on vacation or visiting home?

  • Italy is magical! I have a good friend from Milan who lives here in Texas. He can’t stop talking about how wonderful it is. Enjoy!

  • seyibabes says:

    Your pictures really make me want to visit Milan. Your description of its beauty also make me feel like getting on the next flight out of London to traipse about in Milan like the lost tourist I would inevitably be.

    Thank you for following my blog, it’s lovely to feel appreciated even as a novice!
    xxx

  • Beautiful! I love Italy. 🙂

  • your pictures are completely gorgeous and make me want to wander some streets…

  • Lori Straus says:

    Whenever I’ve lived in Germany, my wardrobe always changes. As you mentioned: people put a little pride into their clothes, and it would wear off on me (pun intended). I get back home, and I suddenly feel out of step. For starters, I find that the only shoes that last me long enough to do a five-kilometer walk from work to home are hiking shoes. The shoes I’d buy in Germany seemed to simply be of such a good quality (and decent price) that they could perform the same function. (Even wore one pair hiking in the Alps, and I had no blisters. The hike was a last-minute decision.)

  • christawojo says:

    No one knows how to pass time in the streets better than Italians.

  • MojoFiction says:

    Even though I’ve been in Chicago for years, I’m always taking long walks through the city. There’s always something new to find. I wish I could do more international travel, because I can think of several cities I would like to explore. I’ve walked all over London though, that’s always fun!

  • ccyager says:

    Lovely photos! I haven’t been to Milan since the mid-1970’s and it was my second favorite Italian city after Florence. We were students and walked everywhere. The Cathedral took our breath away. We met the sweetest guy in a self-serve restaurant not far from the Cathedral. He was a student, wanted to practice his English, and we went to La Scala together. I will never forget that young man or his city. So glad you are having a wonderful experience there, too!

  • macjam47 says:

    It’s amazing the amount of knowledge you can pick up by browsing the streets.

  • Great pictures!

    The street looks almost empty. Looks very quiet and peaceful.

  • This made me smile. I love that you are having fun there in the summer time. I was there in the summer about five years ago and boy was it hot! About walking and having a fun time I try and do this every day. It’s easy when you live in a good city.

  • I always enjoy wandering around a new city. Some have a lot of personality, above and beyond the people you’ll see.

  • Heartafire says:

    Beautiful shots, the last photo looks amazingly like a street in Havana, Cuba.

  • Love the place and amazing pics, superbly soulful. Love the roads and big cities:)

  • LaDonna says:

    Walking and taking pictures during the walk is enjoyable and therapeutic, I guess if I’m so lucky to go to Milan, my camera would be filled with nice pictures. Your pictures are lovely.

  • Steve Curry says:

    Whenever I arrive somewhere new my I check in, dump my bag and go for a walk. I only feel like I’ve actually arrived after I’ve got the place under my shoes, smelled the air, eaten some food. There’s no substitute for strolling. One of the best places to do this is Venice. You’ve only seen the city after you’ve got lost in the alleys and followed the smaller canals. Especially magical in winter when the streets are quiet and a thick fog has worked its magic.

  • Dan Antion says:

    Great job blogging fro your phone. The pictures are very nice. I especially like the one near the cafe (?) where the street is almost empty and the bright sky gives the rest of the photo a black and white appearance – that’s a great photo.

    I also enjoy walking around. There are so many things to see in every city. You captured some great ones here.

  • ChristineR says:

    A very impressive first phone blog. I haven’t managed more by phone than a single photo with a bit of text. I love the statues. The paving on the streets and road is impressive, the town planners went to a lot of trouble. Have fun. 😀

  • trentpmcd says:

    I’ve been top Italy twice but never Milan. Your description and photos sound/look great.

  • Pete Buckley says:

    Looks a good place to wander… will have to go back to Italy sometime soon.

  • HendryL says:

    Nice shots 🙂

  • I’ve never been to Milan, but I enjoyed reading this. I had this feeling in Barcelona! Everyone smiles at you, there are people acting as statues. At one point, someone got a cd player out and everyone started dancing in a big circle! It was amazing to watch.

  • philsblog01 says:

    Lucky you, enjoy your travels!

  • Susan Scott says:

    I LOVE to walk the streets when in a new place and eat food off the streets. A friend and I were in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos a few years back and this was the way we learned a little of life in places different to where we live.
    Enjoy your walking Damyanti! Your photos are excellent and well done for using smart ph to make this post!

  • wallcat says:

    Milan looks and sounds really nice. I do enjoy just simply casually walking around, but I find it can be too busy where I live. You’re always bumping into stressed people or trying to cross roads filled with angry impatient cars. Even just going to the park I almost get run over by people on bikes. When I was on holiday in Cowny recently though I loved it. It’s a town by a castle surrounded by walls. It can be busy during the day but in the evening it gets a lot quieter and we’d just walk up and down the walls, enjoying the views.

  • Ah – how lovely is Italy! Heading in that direction myself in the few weeks time. Glad you’re having a good time!

  • Waqar Ahmed says:

    Now this city looks me so cool. Wanna be there ! 🙂

  • mgm75 says:

    Have a great time! Milan is supposed to be a gorgeous city so I am quite envious 🙂

  • Milan ain’t nothing in Italy. Keep walking. It’ll get better and blow you away!

  • Tim says:

    Milan’s a beautiful city. I haven’t been there in over a decade, sadly, when the grand old Duomo was still covered by masses of scaffolding. There’s nothing like travel for broadening your horizons, is there?

  • davidprosser says:

    Congratulations on a very successful first phone blog. Some very nice pictures. I’m glad you’re having such a great time.
    xxx Huge Hugs xxx

  • It looks very quiet. I think I could enjoy that.
    Hmmm. According to mappy.fr, I can reach there by camper in less than ten hours.

  • That all sounds so beautiful…reminds me of some younger days in Montreal. Where I live the walking can be nice, as much or more for the snow or the rain or for the absence of either.

  • Mrs. Bingles says:

    You make me homesick! hope you enjoy your time in my home Country!