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| A typical Milanese cascina |
I do not know a European city which has so many farms within
its municipality borders than Milano. After long periods of ignorance different
organizations now try to get the farms into the spotlight again.
Since I live here (about two months now) almost every
weekend one or another event was organized in which people from the city where
able to visit the (former) farms. As someone applauding for a better relation
between the city and its hinterland, I welcomed these initiatives with open
arms and happily visited them.
The last event of this season was meant to get people on the
bike, let them ride through the countryside and to show them how farms function,
what the farms produce and should give the visitors a real taste of the produce
they normally buy in the supermarket or on a market stall.
The weather on this Sunday afternoon was fine and my body
longed to go out and move around so I took my bike and was ready to join the
crowd cycling along the golden rice fields only a stone’s throw from the centre
of Milan. A bottle of water, the camera, my partner and the bike routes
including short descriptions of the farms where my company of the afternoon.
The trip we choose contained around six farms from which
half of them offered food. For Italians pranzo
- or lunch - is the main event of their Sunday afternoon so if you want to
attract visitors you have to offer them something to eat.
The first farm we planned to visit should offer cutlets and
cheese with a glass of wine for a very attractive price. Except from twenty cats
there was no one to see. Not even a farmer. So we went on to the next one. This farm was
better prepared and put up signs telling that its fattoria didattica (didactic farm) was open to us showing how milk,
rice and honey are produced.
The number of cars (wasn’t this meant to be a bike tour) was
incredible so we expected the best of it. But soon we understood the reason of
this parking overload; the farmer rented some air-cushions and a huge barbecue and
attracted almost all Milanese young parents with their babies. Very didactic.
Up to the last one from our list. The farm was hidden away
between high trees and drawn-back. After a short roundtrip around the farms
outer walls we entered the farmyard. This was full of cars but lay into a
compete silence. No sign telling us where to go, except from a note saying ‘I
am in the agriturismo’. So there
should be something happening here.
Our inspection of the yard continued along the milk machine
and the stall with bulls enjoying the sun. Suddenly a door opened…..
(next week you’ll know how this ends up)
