Res Publica

Some Bloodied Brits
I have to start by putting in my tuppence on the recent Parliamentary elections in Great Britain.

First, I have to congratulate myself on not putting forward any late predictions on the outcome, thus avoiding the general punditic fiasco.  My last words in this space on the subject were back in late February, in which I made the following guesses:

 Conservatives will have about 40-45% of seats, Labour 30-35%,  SNP and LD 15% combined, and Others (UKIP, Green, Irish parties) 5-10%

In the event, the results, with those groupings, were as follows:  Conservatives 51% of seats, Labour 36%, SNP (Scottish National Party) and LD 10%, and Others 4%.   The relatively large misses were on the Conservatives' and Liberal Democrats' percentage of seats (SNP and Labour were about as expected).

Clearly, the Conservatives were the big winners on the night:  the gains by the SNP were on target with near-term expectations, and with the Conservatives having an outright majority, SNP's leverage on the new Parliament will not be as strong as otherwise it may have been.

Now to list the losers, in order of the magnitude of their setbacks:

1) Liberal Democrats - This was a near-death experience for them, as they lost more than half their popular vote and over 80% of seats.  Participating as a junior member in the last Cabinet was, officially, a complete disaster for their political prospects. They wouldn't do it again, but then again, now they won't be asked.
2) The British polling industry - They suffered massive embarrassment for their pre-election polls (though the exit polls on Election Day were accurate).  Their polls converged on a set of numbers for overall nationwide party percentages, and this set was erroneous, near to the edge of their (95% confidence interval) margin of error.  They had it at 33-33% for Conservative/Labour, and it ended up about 37-30%   There will be some soul-searching about methods--I would expect there to be much greater effort to poll within individual districts ("constituencies") in the next elections, assuming the current election processes continue, and some renewed attention to composition of the polling (between land and mobile phone lines, and methods to get responses); however, I don't think we should all be so hard on them: 1 out of 20 elections, by definition, would be outside the margin of error, and I think there was a shift of opinion in the last days (which they did fail to pick up).
3) Labour - Labour's tactics failed, leading to a defeat of strategic significance (and inversely, Conservatives' tactical success led to strategic victory).  Nationally, Labour actually gained 1.5% in its vote, but lost about 10% of its seats:  the large losses in Scotland to the SNP exceeded some marginal gains elsewhere.  The party and its leader, Ed Millibrand, failed to provide a convincing reason to change, relying too much on the unpopularity of the Conservatives and their leader, David Cameron, both of whom are widely perceived as upper-class elitists.  Cameron had a strong case for maintaining the status quo, in terms of reasonably good economics, and creating fear of change.  Perhaps believing too much in the polls, Labour played for the tie (the hung Parliament most expected may have led to their leading the new government), when they had the chance for a win.
4)  Legitimacy of the British "first past the post" electoral system in a multiparty environment.  The other national third/fourth parties (U.K Independence Party--UKIP--and the Greens) suffered, as the UKIP increased its share of vote dramatically vs. the previous Parliamentary elections (from 3% to 13%) and the Greens went from 1.4% to 3.8%, yet each emerged from the election with only one MP. They have inherited the Liberal Democrats' old problem, which is that the national system is rigged in favor of a two-party system--nationally, and regionally.  In England, and nationally, it is Labour vs. Conservative with the others squeezed out; in Scotland, it's the SNP and Labour (though this year, that favored the SNP), in Northern Ireland, it's the Unionist parties vs. the primarily Catholic parties  (Wales is a bit of a four-party free-for-all, with areas that favor the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, and the Welsh Cyru Plaid party). Overall, "national third parties" (UKIP, Greens, and the LibDems) had 24% of the votes and 1.5% of the seats, while the regional parties (other than Labour/Conservative) had 7.2% of the votes and 12% of the seats. And, of course, Conservative/Labour had 67% of votes and 87% of seats.   

Will something give here, leading to a change in the electoral scheme?  I don't see any reason; until there is a situation in which a third party has true leverage, Labour and the Conservatives have no reason to support change, and those two parties still get 60-70% of popular votes.  The LibDems managed to get the Conservatives to agree to a referendum on second-preference voting, which was presented without the government's endorsement a couple years ago and fell badly in a snoozefest turnout.

Labour got played in Scotland by the Conservatives' kept promise of the Scottish secession referendum.  Labour had to support the No vote (against separation), as it needed Scotland to stay in Great Britain for all kinds of reasons, some of which were self-serving.  Some Scots saw the Conservative/Labour/LibDems alliance against separation as a betrayal of their interests by the English, and Labour was the party that was punished for it.

This time, the Conservatives have promised a referendum on continuing in the European Union--that will come first, before any reconsideration of the SNP's desire for a new Scottish referendum, The Conservatives are badly split on the issue; Cameron's strategy will be to do his best (or at least appear to do his best) to get improved terms for Britain to remain in the EU.  If he fails to get concessions, he can go with his party's more extreme Euroskeptic elements and support withdrawal (which may win his party back much of the UKIP's support next time); if he gets them--the EU would compromise, even as far as allowing a bad precedent, but not to the point that it would break up the whole deal--his support, even lukewarm, could be decisive.  Then he can reopen the Scottish question and the wounds it causes Labour. (Scotland's voters strongly prefer remaining in the EU, so will surely want out if Britain removes itself from the EU).

There is a path Labour can tread--strongly in favor of remaining in the EU and of keeping Scotland in the Union--that will distinguish itself from the Conservatives'.  As for Cameron, he has said he will not run for Prime Minister again in 2020--current law ensures his party can hold power until then. We shall see about that.

TPP:  Trade Perishes before Politicians? 
Yesterday's vote in the Senate provided a rare political defeat to President Obama at the hands of his own party. The complicated backdrop to the debate on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal being negotiated by Obama's administration with a number of nations on the Pacific Rim resulted in a test vote to end debate on a bill to give Obama the so-called "fast-track" authority.  If passed, this authority would ultimately lead to bringing the final negotiated agreement before Congress for a simple up-down vote, without amendments.

This kind of authority is always supported by the Executive Branch as being required in order to provide it the ability to negotiate terms with other countries for a trade deal, and President Obama is no exception.  The unusual aspect of this proposal is that Obama has the support of (most, but not all) Republicans in Congress for fast-track authority, and ultimately, would expect to have it for approval of the trade agreement.

The Democrats are split:  most would, in theory, support some sort of trade bill; however, what the majority of Democrats are doing is creating conditions which will ultimately make passage of the final bill difficult or impossible.  The most frequent objection from Democrats is that Obama is asking them to greenlight an agreement that most Americans have not yet seen.  This argument is appealing, but somewhat hypocritical:  those in Congress know what is likely to be in the final trade agreement (though details will remain to be settled).  Requiring public debate before giving fast-track approval negates the idea of fast-track approval:  if everything needs to be settled before the authority is given, then there is no authority. For the most part, those arguing against this measure will end up opposing whatever deal is finally proposed.

There is a group of Democrats who have leverage, though, and they applied it yesterday:  those who are in favor of the legislation, but want conditions on the fast-track authority.  They blocked the motion to end debate yesterday, and today they forced concessions from Obama's side:  there will be a separate vote on "enforcement provisions" within the authority for the draft agreement to penalize trading partners who break the rules.   This will be a very delicate issue for the US trade negotiators, a possible deal-breaker, but Obama has no choice but to agree to this now.

My view of the eventual outcome:  Obama will agree to what is necessary to get fast-track authority approved.  This will make the ensuing negotiations much more difficult; the trade deal that will result may not be finished during Obama's administration, which may make it easier for most Democrats to oppose it (it would either be picked up by a Republican administration or defended by a Clinton one which did not negotiate the agreement and may remain somewhat neutral on it, as she is at present). Even if it does come before this Congress for a vote, I think it will be unlikely to pass--the longer the debate and the longer the agreement is delayed, the less chance it will have, and this is the understanding which the "progressive" opponents of the trade deal have shown in this round of polemics.

Democrats can disagree, based on their priorities, whether the trade bill will ultimately favor the US (economically, probably so; labor interests, probably not), but they should avoid letting their political opponents use this as a wedge issue to divide the party--primarily by being decent to one another.  In that sense, I don't appreciate the tactics of the populist left, who are really opposed to any international trade agreement, and are using the tactic of attacking President Obama's credibility to get their way. Fast-track authority is a means to an end; any trade agreement would ultimately need to be approved in a public debate.

Clown-Car Tracking 
(I anticipate this will be a regular feature for the next 12 months.)
Although it is now clearly underway, nothing too dramatic is happening in the 2016 Presidential campaign lately:  various candidates announce (or semi-announce), get their bump of publicity and any possible bump of popularity, then the press bus and the spotlight move on.  (Excluding Hillary Clinton, of course; the spotlight never moves very far from her.) Recent polls of Republicans in the two states with the first contests, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, show no candidate above 20% support and a whole bunch in the 5-10% range.  And the list just keeps getting bigger, with many more (such as Governors Snyder of Michigan, Kasich of Ohio, even the highly doubtful Christie of New Jersey and the newly doubtful Pence of Indiana) still "on the fence" but not likely to see any obstacle that will dissuade them from entering.  Unless it's to avoid being on stage with candidate Donald Trump, an unpleasant but still unlikely prospect.

With the exception of a couple (Jeb Bush, maybe Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, or Rand Paul), they all seem to be hoping to benefit from an unresolved outcome and some kind of random brokering event. As it was for British Labour (and is usually in Sadistic Whist), playing for the tie is a losing strategy (unless, as might be the case with Kasich, Rubio, or Snyder, the real objective is the VP nomination). The path to nomination must be the following:  avoid embarrassment (below 2%) in Iowa (Feb. 1) and New Hampshire (Feb. 9), make a decent showing in South Carolina (Feb. 20) or Nevada (Feb. 23), then pick a state or two in early March to make a statement, and parlay that into "momentum" through having a strong multi-state organization.  The primary calendar is quite concentrated (in March/April/May) this time, so the organization will have to be built ahead of time, and not on the gains from the muddled early primary results.

To me, March 1 appears to be the key date on the Republican nomination calendar, with primaries in five southern states, plus Vermont, Massachusetts, and caucuses in Colorado.  If South Carolina hasn't already whittled it down to three or four legitimate contenders (eliminating several of the also-rans from the far right), that day will.  Then, after a few more tallies in the next 10 days (including three more southern states, plus Ohio, and Michigan) comes the Florida primary on March 15, and a possible Bush-Rubio showdown:  only one of them will walk out of there with nomination hopes still alive.

The Republicans can continue to not sort themselves out in a very public way for the next nine months or so; meanwhile. I continue to not see anyone tackle the various major third-party scenarios, so that will be the subject of my next post on the 2016 Presidential campaign.

Anniversaries
Because of having five digits on two hands, we are in love with multiples of five, ten, fifty, 100, etc. Coincidentally, a lot of major events seemed to happen in years(Christian calendar) ending in ...5. Therefore, our historical attention this year turns to anniversaries.  Recently, there was the 150th of Lincoln's Second Inaugural, the end of the Civil War, and his assassination (I hope you didn't miss the "...we are indebted..." gaffe on the subject from the Republican Senate caucus).   There is the 50th of the Selma march for voting rights in the South.  This month, it's the 70th of  V-E Day for the Second World War; in August, there will be V-J day.  In Turkey, there were the conflicting demands of observing the 100th of the Gallipoli invasion and of obscuring the 100th of the beginning of the Armenian "genocide".  Next month will be the 200th of the Battle of Waterloo.

The one I'd like to call a little extra attention toward is the 70th of WWII.  It's actually a little less "round" a number than the other ones I mentioned, but its importance comes because of the age of the participants in that uniquely-important world event: the youngest surviving soldiers are in their late eighties, and their recollections and insights in the last Great War, including the uncovering of the Holocaust in Europe, are important for us to note while we still can.  Compared to that consideration, I give little weight to Russia's desire to show off this year (a celebration of its military widely snubbed by Western countries); though the USSR's role in defeating the Axis was unparalleled in its historical importance, Russia is not the USSR, and, in this case, 70 is just another number.



  .

My Milano Pt. 1

Some of those who follow this site may have detected that I have been on assignment in Milan, Italy for most of the past 16 months. The city is having a big year in 2015--it is the site of a world's fair, Expo 2015.   In the January New York Times article in its Travel section listing 52 places to visit this year (one per week, a pretty aggressive timetable, even for affluent readers), Milano was listed as #1.

"Nourish the Planet, Energy for Life"
That would be my translation of the theme of Expo 2015 ('nutrire la pianeta, energia per la vita').  In other words, it's all about food--food production, agriculture, agricultural workers, food distribution, and, yes, there's going to be plenty to eat and drink there.  Here's the plan, for your (in)convenience:

I saw the opening ceremony yesterday--well attended, despite some rain.  The site looks quite beautiful.  All of the pavilions are open, though some are not quite finished inside; the one from Japan looked particularly good.  There are many national pavilions--there will be national days for many of the major nations, with the big political guys coming for theirs--but also some theme areas within which  nations can participate for smaller investments--there are 145 countries represented.   The emphasis seems to be on sustainable agriculture, and, architecturally, fancy prefab buildings that can be taken down after the expo ends (October 31). There's strong backing from the Pope, who reminds us all to keep the hungry in mind, and a cast of major corporate sponsors, private benefactors, etc.   For more information, here's a site for the Expo (it's in English, Italian, and French), and here's one for the B.I.E., the official sponsors of the big World's Fairs.   I will report more on this once I've been there.

Almost enough about that, though I should mention the political dimension.  This thing has been about 10 years in the making, and there has been plenty of controversy (as one would expect, in Italy). The timing is quite good, though, I think; the economy is beginning to recover from a prolonged, double-dip financial crisis and this has provided a shot in the arm, for the city, for tourism, and for the country as a whole.  Nevertheless, it has occasioned protests (including some imported anarchists to start riots), there were some arrests for corruption last year, and the more general question remains of what the long-term impact will be.

The city of Milan has been gearing up for this in a number of ways.  There was a lot of infrastructure development (among other things, new lines of the Metro going out to the Expo site), and a number of cultural events in town, both during the lead-up to the opening, and through the season.  We will come back to this.  First, though, a personal travelogue (for the Times' version--'36 Hours'--see here.)


Background
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy, after Rome. Milan dates back to Roman times, though, unlike Rome, few traces of that period remain.  It became an important city during the later Empire days--named "Mediolanum".  In those days, its approaches were navigable for ships going either to the Ligurian (western) coast of Italy or, via the Po River, to the Adriatic as well. Nowadays, the streams are suppressed, pushed underground or reduced to canals.

One analogy that might help Americans, in particular, is that Rome is a bigger version of Washington, older and even more spread out, while Milan is a smaller version of New York.  Milan is the financial and business hub, a major center for fashion, journalism, and sports.  It is close to the major manufacturing areas throughout Italy's North, though nowadays Milan is more likely to house the headquarters than the factories.   In its physical layout, though, Milan resembles London--also a Roman city in its origins--more than New York.  Instead of a rectilinear grid, it is a chaotic maze of streets going at all angles, changing names and angles frequently, and particularly of concentric rings.  I count four of them:

1) The innermost ring is quite small in area and probably corresponds to the original Roman walls (of which few, if any, remain).  It is the site of most, but not all, of the main attractions in the city proper.  Certain roads mark the edge of the ring, and there are a couple of wide ones (probably originaly canals or streams), but, apart from the cleared squares near the Duomo (the city's cathedral, the heart of the city), it's mostly a jumble. There are major bank headquarters here, the Cathedral (the Duomo), the famous opera house La Scala, and the stock market (La Borsa).
2) The second ring is still considered part of the city center.  The principal roads are either lines radiating from the first ring outward to "porte" (gates) that would have been in use during medieval times (though the walls, again, rarely remain), or the wide ones (where the walls were) that generally mark the boundary of the "zona limitada", the edge of the areas where cars can normally go (without special permission, which residents and others with pull can get).  It's not quite as crowded, and it has some nice parks, a very old university, and lots of old churches.
3) The third ring is a mix of residential neighborhoods, good and bad, old and new, along with some semi-industrial areas, large shopping complexes, etc. Particularly noteworthy are the new developments on the North side of town with modern high-rises both residential and commercial.  The third zone out is readily navigable by car, though there is also bus and tram service.
4) The outer ring is marked by the "autostrade" (the equivalent of the interstate highways), the airport closer to town, more industry, some office complexes which moved seeking lower rents, and some open areas, one of which will be the site of the Expo.  The big soccer stadium (San Siro) is out there as well (it also has a new Metro connection).  Some of it is technically within the city limits, some outside of it.  There are a lot of small towns and cities in every direction which feed into the city. 

All four rings have some nice residential areas and major offices, though the style differs:  the inner rings have imposing palaces, the third ring high-rises built from urban renewal land or postwar reconstruction, the outer rings sprawling campuses.  The inner ring's skyline is dominated by the Duomo and buildings are only a few stories high--a mix of postwar, older (1800's), or really old.

Getting Around
First, of course, you have to get to Milan.  If you're arriving by long-distance flight from abroad, you will almost inevitably come through Malpensa airport.  I am not a big fan--through some historical naming accident, the word literally would be translated as "Bad-Thinking"--it is some 45 minutes from the center of town by the best means of access (the "Malpensa Express" train, it costs 12 Euros, and make sure you "validate" your ticket!), while a taxi costs about 100 Euros.  There is a bus into town that is priced comparably to the train, but then you risk getting caught in traffic. It's basically out in the country, halfway to the Alps, and your airport experience will feature long lines (security, getting your passport stamped), long walks within the airport, and your general Sixties-era big-airport blues.  The one thing I like about it is the set of giant picture windows in the check-in area, from which you can see all the activity on the runways and service areas.

I am a proponent of arriving by train--high speed trains go to Milan from many other European cities, the one from Rome is particularly fast.  The Central Station is a huge Fascist-era edifice (third ring) where most of the trains arrive, though there are several other stations around the periphery, as the train lines generally don't run through the city (a couple of them are way underground, the topic for another post maybe).

 If you're flying from another European city, landing at the Linate airport, just outside the fourth ring, is the preferred destination.  Linate is small, really quick to get through, the taxi costs 10% as much, and if you're cheap or have plenty of time, you can take a bus to town for Euro 1.50.  Of course you could drive there from somewhere else, stay at a hotel/motel on the outer ring (probably there are several new, half-full ones near the Expo, or near Malpensa, which is in that general direction), or in one of the many nearby towns or cities, and avoid the Milan city center entirely, but I think that would be missing out on about 75% of the fun.

Within the city, there are lots of ways to get around, and locals use all of them.  In spite of the traffic limitations, cars are plentiful and allowed on most streets (if you have the right permit), motorcycles and motor scooters, taxis, bicycles (there is a popular bike exchange program for those who don't want to risk theirs getting stolen), streetcars (called "tram"), buses, and, my two favorite ones--walking, and the Metro.    I live, work, and spend 95% of my time in Milano within the first two rings:  the first one is less than a mile in diameter and the second some 2-3 miles (4 km).

First, a few comments about all the other modes of transportation:

Cars:  You don't actually need a permit to drive into the center of the city in the off-hours, outside the workday, but you're still going to need to park somewhere (it's all permit on the streets, and the parking lots are expensive), and there's all the one-way streets to deal with.  It's OK if you're going to a specific destination, have a place to park, and don't get lost.  The locals generally go for tiny cars (Smart cars, and even smaller ones) which are easy to maneuver and park, or have a place to park inside the gates of their building, or both.
Tram: They go lots of places, but you need to know the routes, and--most important--buy the ticket ahead of time, in a tobacco shop or at a newsstand.  If you research, sometimes it will be the best way to get to certain destinations distant from any Metro stops, especially in the third ring. Some of them are really cute, I must say.
Bikes:  There are a lot of them, and a fair number of bike lanes.  I don't think it's a good biking town, though, except in the parks and on the bike paths separated from the main part of the roads. Many of the roads are old paving stones and very treacherous when wet, and the motorized vehicles drive fairly aggressively. To use the "bike Mi" service you need a monthly subscription; then you can pick one up for an hour or so for practically nothing at one of the many stations in town and leave it at the same, or a different one.
Motorbikes:  Same general comments as for bicycles (except the Bike Mi part)--obviously they are faster and more dangerous.  I've seen many near-misses, and only a few accidents.
Taxis:  They are expensive to use.  The quality of the rolling stock is very good (a lot of Prius, some good vans and station wagons).  Generally you have to go to one of the Taxi stations (big orange sign that says "Taxi" near most principal squares); they won't stop for you on the street often (even if the light on top is lit, meaning available), and depending on the time and location, there may not be any taxis at the stand.  A lot of the taxi service is arranged by cellphone (there is usually a sign at the stand with a number you  can call, if you have cellphone service).  Their big new challenge is Uber, and the taxi drivers are not happy about the competition. They don't all take all cards, and may grumble if you ask.  Tipping is optional, as is giving you a receipt.  I have had drivers just give me a receipt and tell me to put in whatever I want.
Buses:  See above for "Tram", except you can do something when leaving the Metro to have your ticket work on the buses, if you're attentive and know where you want to go with the bus.  There don't seem to be as many bus routes as the Tram service in the center of the city; I think they are used a lot to come in from the periphery. 

Tram along via Turati

well-chosen parking spot for a Fiat 500

This leaves my two main modes.  The Metro system is a very good one, in general.  It doesn't go everywhere, but there are five main routes that dissect the city in different directions, so it's very good to go between points within the center if it's a longer trip or you're in a hurry--generally with no more than one change of lines.  It costs Euro 1.50 per ride (except to the Expo, that's a longer ride and costs Euro 2.50).  It's not open 24 hours, but it's open until late and starts early.  It's safe, clean, and only crowded at the peak of the rush hours. And if it doesn't go exactly where you want....then I recommend walking.

Having gone on a bit long, the next section with my favorite walking routes (Part 1A) will be posted separately, but it's the best part.

Sciopero
A final introductory note:  any visitor to Milan, to Italy for that matter, needs to be aware of the possibility of a "sciopero" (strike).  The labor unions are strong, and they may call a strike, with little advance warning, at any time.  The general theory of how these work is to maximize disruption, while minimizing inconvenience to the working population.  So, often the strike will start at 9 a.m. and end at the beginning of the evening rush hour, shutting down as much as possible all the public means of transport in the meantime.  Before counting too much on any intra-day travel plans, make sure there is not a 'sciopero', by checking newspaper, Google, International advisories, etc.  I got stuck arriving from Malpensa the other day and had to walk two miles, with my bags, to get to the office.

My Milano, Part 1A - Walking Routes

I love walking in Milan--I do it every day, weather permitting (and it usually does, as long as you bring an umbrella and have appropriate shoes).

Top Walking Routes
A couple of notes--these are continuous routes, more-or-less straight, but changing names frequently. These are not the main thoroughfares of cars; on most of these roads, cars are limited or blocked from using them, or they are one-way streets which it is difficult to enter.  Obviously, since we're talking walking, you can go the other way from what I have here (I had to pick a direction), reversing the side of the turns and the landmarks.

Milan has installed a number of new neighborhood maps at key intersections in the popular areas, which should help a lot. It can be quite difficult to navigate, even with GPS apps. There isn't that much danger if one makes a wrong turn, though; the tough part will be to decide whether to continue on to unknown parts, or turn around and go back to the last known landmark.

1) Piazza Castello to Piazza San Babila.  Via Dante/Via Orefici/Piazza Duomo/Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II.  This one has to be listed first, not that it is the best route of all, but it's a good starting point, hitting several of the high points and linking up with the other routes.  This one describes a rough East-West arc across the center of the inner ring, beginning at the Castello Sforzesco (the in-town temporary Expo pavilion can be the starting point), heading southeast along wide pedestrian-only Via Dante.  At Piazza Cordusio, either veer right to stay on Via Dante or veer left to Via dei Mercanti--each brings you into the impressive Piazza Duomo, which you cross along its length, staying to the left of the Cathedral (unless, of course, you want to go in).  On the right is Palazzo Reale, on the left the famous Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II (more about both in Pt. 2). Leaving Piazza Duomo to the northwest (left of the Cathedral), you go along Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II, like Via Dante wide and pedestrian only.  Depending on the daty of the week, time of day, and the weather, this whole route could be packed with people and street performers, or it could be totally deserted.  In any case, it is surely lined with commercial establishments, particularly the less-elegant clothing stores, restaurants catering to tourists, and (in the Piazza Duomo and the Galeria V.E. II), major department stores and book/music stores. .

2) Piazza Della Scala to Porta Nuova. Via Verdi/via Brera/via Solferino.  This route goes South to North, through the top half of the inner two rings.  From the Duomo, pass straight through the Galleria V.E II under its great arched Victorian roof.--you may have to wade through sizable crowds--exiting into a large square with a fountain and a statue of Leonardo (usually with some street musician; the acoustics are good there).  On the opposite side of this Piazza is the front entrance to the La Scala opera house.  Cross the busy cross-street and pass La Scala on the right to enter via Verdi; after a couple of blocks and some monumental bank offices, the street becomes via Brera, pedestrian-only, broad, quiet, and lined with landmarks buildings and monuments.  Via Brera ends at a major East-west thoroughfare (via Pontaccio/via Fatebenefratelli--the edge of the first ring); cross it and continue onto via Solferino.  (Just before that intersection  is an east-west pedestrian route--via Fiori Chiari to the left/via Fiori Oscuri to the right--with Bar Brera at the corner.  This one can be useful at night--the East-West routes are generally more problematic--but it is narrow, crowded and a little too touristy otherwise.) Via Solferino is a fairly long street, with some parts more interesting (nice restaurants) and a fairly long stretch in which you pass the offices of Corriere della Sera, the New York Times of Italy.  At the end of the road, where you reach the busy road at the edge of the second ring, is the remains of an old canal, where there is a nice beer hall on the left, and one block to the left (via Milazzo) is the nicest art cinema in town (though I warn you that even there, 90% of the movies will either be Italian or dubbed into Italian).

piazza Duomo
and Galleria V.Emmanuele II

pocket park and Hayez statue - via Brera

3)  Stazione Garibaldi to Piazza Cordusio.  Corso Como/Corso Garibaldi/via Mercato/via Ponte Vetero/via Broletto.  Garibaldi (inner part of the third ring) is the second-most significant train station of general use (routes to the north and northwest, also a major linkage point for the Metro), thus an easy starting point.  Corso Como is a fairly short, but busy route, with some limited traffic and a couple of the most popular disco clubs; then you cross the Piazza XXV Aprile (April 25th is the date celebrating the end of WWII in Italy)  continuing onto Corso Garibaldi. This street is long, wide with a narrow, limited car lane, and lined on both sides with shops and restaurants in low-rise buildings.  It continues through a busy intersection (via della Moscova), after which it only gets nicer.  At the next major intersection (it's a bit messy; you have to cross the Tram tracks)  the road continues on in the same manner, under the names of via Mercato and then via Ponte Vetero.  There is finally a major intersection (cross street is via Cusani to the right, via dell'Orso to the left), at which you can decide:  turn right to Castello Sforzesco, turn left toward via Monte di Pieta and the Fashion District (see #4), or straight onto via Broletto.  Broletto is a less pleasing street, with a busy tram line in the middle, but it feeds into Piazza Cordusio at its end (see route #1).

At this point, I must mention a key linkage between routes #2 and #3.  At via Ancona and via Solferino (if going North), or just past Piazza San Simpliciano on Corso Garibaldi (major church on the left, if going South), you can find my favorite side street.  The entrance is called via dello Tessa from Corso Garibaldi (though San Simpliciano also feeds into it beside the church).  This interior, pedestrian-only street runs by the seminary and Piazza Paolo VI, and is called  via dei Cavalleri del Santo Sepolcro ("Knights of the Holy Sepulchre", doubtlessly a Crusader-era gang).  It's only 100m or so in length, but is lined with flowering trees, and beautiful buildings--it's also one without motorized traffic.

4) Stazione Centrale to Piazza San Babila.  Via Pisani/Piazza della Repubblica/via Turati/via Principe Amedeo/via Marco dei Marchi/via Giardini/via Montenapoleone.  This is a long but rewarding route going roughly North-South down the Northeastern corner of the city center, starting at the principal train station (middle third ring)..  Via Pisani, which runs from the station to Piazza della Repubblica, is a busy street, but extremely wide with broad sidewalks and lots of office entrances, sidewalk cafes, etc.  You cross Piazza della Repubblica, which is oriented at a right angle to your direction, and I have to say it can be difficult, with lots of cross traffic:  better obey the pedestrian street signals in this case.  Via Turati is a another busy street but not difficult to walk; at a major cross-street (via della Moscova, at the Piazza Stati Uniti d'America--that's right; the intersection of Moscow and the USA!), bear right (the American consulate will then be on the left).  The road gets really nice then, with some of the most beautiful residences in the city center, and a lovely, largely unused park (Giardini Perego) on the right.  At via Pisoni (not to be confused with via Pisani), you must decide whether you want the full or partial Armani exposure.  If the former, turn at Pisoni, go one block, and turn right on via Manzoni (super-busy street) for one block.  You will walk by the entrances of the Hotel Armani.  Otherwise, continue one more block on via dei Giardini, turn left at Via Croce Rosso (walking behind the Hotel) and cross Manzoni onto via Montenapoleone.

Via Montenapoleone is probably the most famous street in Milan, it has a lightly-traveled car lane, but it is basically all about the fabulous shop windows of dozens of major fashion houses, on both sides of the street, and other luxury items (Tiffany, Chopard; there are usually a couple of Ferraris or Lamborghinis around; Four Seasons is on a side street to the left, etc.)  Take your time and observe Milan's elite out for a stroll or trying to do the high-fashion business.  The street is even nicer at night, when it's not so crowded.  It will end at the mouth of Piazza San Babila (see #1).

To make it a bit more complicated still, there are a couple of alternatives.  At via della Moscova, if you bear to the left of the building with the American consulate, you stay on via Turati.  Cross over at some point before the arch and square which you see ahead, at the end (thus avoiding having to cross messy Piazza Cavour).  Go under the arch, immediately cross the street, and you will be at the entrance of Via della Spiga, which is like via Montenapoleone, only better.  The same line of (different) fabulous fashion shop windows, but a pedestrian-only street (technically, a couple parts allow cars).  I give it my highest recommendation.  At its end, you take a right on Corso Venezia for a short distance and you get to San Babila.   Finally, if walking through all the luxury of via Montenapoleone/via della Spiga offends you, just stay on via Manzoni, and it will take you back to Piazza della Scala (see #1, #2).

(At left, Via della Spiga, at night).


5) Duomo to Porta Ticinese.  via Torino/corso di Porta Ticinese.  Clearly, this route has the advantage of being a lot simpler than the last one.  We move from the elite/bourgeois attractions of the first four routes to the more popular routes of the everyday folks.  Exit the Piazza Duomo from its Southwest corner onto via Torino.  It's a busy street, with a tram running down the middle, so somewhat difficult to cross.  Shops and cafes and street food run continuously on both sides, and there are a number of interesting side streets going off in both directions--just don't get too far off the main drag, though, or you will get lost quickly.  Eventually, you arrive at the Corso di Porta Ticinese; turning left, you head due South.  It's a fairly normal big city street for awhile, but with parks and churches off to both sides, and plenty of bars in sight.  Near the arch of the Porta Ticinese, there's a large square with several more bars.  Lots of young people will be found on any evening with reasonable weather or a good soccer game.

6) The Navigli. If Porta Ticinese only whetted your appetite for partying, then continue on through the arch.  There is a small lagoon to traverse, bearing to the right, and there will be two different canals heading South and Southwest.  Both canals are lined with restaurants and club; the one further to the right (toward the Southwest) is the wider one, Naviglio (Canal) Grande, the other is the Naviglio Pavese (it goes toward the town of Pavia).  The Naviglio Grande has to be crossed through one of several pedestrian bridges; there is also a boat which goes up and down the canal when the conditions are right.   The water flows fairly well on the canals, but there are some side ditches which tend to breed mosquitoes during the summer.  This lively area goes on for quite a while--in distance, and into the night.

7) Via Guastalla/Via della Commenda.  Finally (!), a route I discovered recently.  It's a quiet, beautiful, straight path in the North-South direction which cuts a great deal of distance off the other routes in the Southeast direction, between the first ring (marked by the Via Larga) and the second (ending at Porta Romana). It basically avoids the interruptions of the roads for the complexes of the old hospital and the Universita degli Studi (though that ancient college complex is also worth a visit).  It's mostly pedestrian-only, passing by some beautiful residential buildings, a synagogue (guarded 24 hours a day) and a park (Giardino della Guastalla) which faces on the back of the university complex. There are entrances to the public hospital, the remnants of what appears to be a 19th-century asylum, and the road gives way to shops, restaurants, and a high school on via della Commenda.  At the road's South end (via Orti), turn right for a short distance and turn left on Corso di Porta Romana, if the Porta (which has some old Spanish walls and a Roman ceremonial arch at the center of the square, along with a refurbished old spa) is your destination.

The only trick is finding the beginning of via Guastalla on its North end.  From the Duomo or Corso VE II, go South, passing through Piazza Fontana, and continuing on until Via Larga (the "Wide Road"--probably was once a canal, I imagine), turning left onto Verzieres, then onto Largo Augusto, staying to the right.  You need to cross a wide street (via Francesco Sforza to the right/via Uberto Visconti di Modrone to the left) , which leads to the beginning of a wide avenue, the Corso di Porta Vittoria--looking down that wide avenue, you can see a large pedestal and statue at its end.  Instead, go one short block, in front of an old building (the Biblioteca Comunale, or public library), and turn right on the dark, empty street.  That is via Guastalla--at most you will see a pedestrian or two coming out of it, as it's practically impossible to enter the last stretch of the road by car.  And then you can breathe easier, walking relaxedly and safely.