For a time, Milan has been a frequent and much-awaited date for me. I’ve always had a soft spot for it, and I still do. My rose-tinted view is most definitely partial: I have never lived there and so, as someone who’d only be passing through and never really got to scratch the surface–busy metro lines, rising housing costs, and all–I have always been fortunate enough to experience and retain the positive, collecting glimpses of a place where things–culture, design, dining options, sharing services, live performances–arrive earlier and more abundantly than in other parts of the country.

And still, throughout all my visits, I had always explored little more than the center. I knew nothing of what lay beyond the two-directional ring of Viali encircling the heart of the city, save, predictably, for Fondazione Prada. But that changed after I fell in love with someone who spent half their time in a studio flat near the Naviglio Pavese.