Milan. The first thing you notice is just how expensive it is. The dollar is
so weak against the euro. Ordering some beef carpaccio and a bottle of fizzy
water for lunch is going to run you fifty bucks. The second thing you notice
is that it is a very elegant city. somehow you never really feel welcome
though. One afternoon I was drawing on the street. All of a sudden a police
car pulls up in front of me. Two cops get out and approach me. They don't
speak English and I don't speak Italian. There is some type of problem with
me which I can't figure out. I show them that I am just drawing but they
don't seem to care about that. Finally I realize they re telling me it's
illegal to sit on a little folding chair on the street. Say what? I thought
maybe they were kidding but I can assure you they weren't. One of the cops
was even a little pissed with me. Well as you can imagine I was happy to get
out of Milan. I finished my drawing by just studying the details and drawing
it as best I could in the hotel room. Bologna by comparison is a very open
friendly city and a lot cheaper too. One day I was drawing on the streets of
Bologna and another cop car pulls up in front of me. I'm thinking, here we
go again. Except these cops walk past me and started talking to a guy who
seemed to be waiting for them. He started to argue with them about a
scooter parked on the street. It seems he wanted them to give the scooter a
ticket. They were reluctant. He continued pleading with them and finally
they relented. When they were done, they came by to check out my drawing.
They were very excited and complimented me a lot, shook my hand and wished
me well. Now that's my kind of town.
