Wednesday, 1997-05-28
Buongiorno, darlings! Emma here, your Pink Tutu Princess, back from a whirlwind trip through the magnificent city of Milan! And oh, what a trip it's been! I just have to share every single detail with you, my dear readers. So grab your favourite pink teacup, a slice of something sweet (macarons, anyone?) and settle in, because this is going to be a fabulously fabulous post!
You know how I love my travelling, don't you? It's the best thing about my job - well, besides the obvious… twirls in pink tutu... The ballet, of course! But the travel, that's a close second!
Milan is the absolute heart of fashion, wouldn't you say? Imagine a sea of boutiques bursting with colour, sparkling with diamonds and buzzing with creativity. That's Milan in a nutshell, darling. And believe me, I haven't held back on the shopping.
I took the tram into the city centre today, oh the joy of a little trundle through Milanese streets. Everything seems just so chic in this city. I found the cutest little shop just off the Via Montenapoleone. Honestly, it's as if the shop was plucked straight out of a fairytale – all glass windows and cobbled street fronts, just begging you to come and peek inside. You just know they’ll have some exquisite ballet shoes inside!
Oh, the shop windows here are incredible! They practically sing the stories of the designers to you. It's no wonder I spend hours getting lost in their beauty, imagining myself twirling and pirouetting across their perfectly laid out displays.
This evening, I went to the Teatro alla Scala. There's just something about watching ballet in a historic theatre - a symphony of emotion and grace, wrapped up in velvet seats and gilded arches. The performance tonight was exquisite! You can imagine, I felt so much at home, dancing with the shadows and echoes of countless ballerinas who graced this stage before me.
The ballet I saw was called Giselle which tells the story of Giselle, a young country girl who falls in love with a nobleman, Albrecht. Turns out he is not quite what he seems! He's in disguise, secretly engaged to another! Naturally, drama unfolds. Oh, you know how I love my tragic romance stories. The costumes, the scenery, the story… all so dramatic. And then there’s the incredible movement! Every step, every turn… sigh. Pure ballet magic.
Afterwards, I headed back to my hotel for a night of delicious pasta, some light reading, and of course, a spot of ballet stretching.
There's something special about dancing in a hotel room, darling. The whole city feels like it's waiting just outside my window, eager to be danced upon!
Don’t think for a moment that the ballet performances are all I've been up to. I’ve done some serious shopping! It's the most incredible place for shoes, especially dancing shoes, my darlings. Don’t worry, I haven't neglected the pink! Pink, it’s true, is my very favorite color, you know that!
Speaking of shoes… there is this fabulous little boutique in a quiet corner of Via Santa Margherita – all velvet cushions, beautiful lighting, and the most decadent pair of pointe shoes I've ever seen. You could imagine the ballet dancer I've become just wearing them. I can picture myself performing in them, just a blur of silk and lace, pirouetting across a stage bathed in light!
Oh darling, just speaking of the boutique… how much fun was it last night? Well, last night I decided it was high time I wore my special tutu for the whole evening! So, after all my ballet class, a warm bath and putting on some lipstick I headed down to that lovely wine bar I discovered on the first day I arrived. Let’s just say it was a successful venture… and I have had some very nice invitations to visit that wine bar again soon!
I mean, is it even a holiday without a fabulous Italian evening, some great red wine and a chat with some locals? I decided to ask what people think about tutus! And they thought I was bonkers, as always, naturally! But the truth is, wearing a tutu while touring a place as magnificent as Milan is just SO much fun, wouldn’t you agree? There’s nothing quite like twirling in a tutu through the city, turning a normal street into your personal stage!
After a delicious morning in Milan's Duomo, I met up with some new ballet-loving friends I made. They've invited me to a "Balletto on the Street" festival, happening right here in Milan! How exciting is that? Can you imagine, darling, dancers of all ages and backgrounds, swirling together in a joyous celebration of dance in the open air? Imagine the sunbeams catching their tutus and the happy laughter mixing with the music of their graceful movements? The perfect ballet day, wouldn't you say? I shall tell you all about it in my next post, so check back next week on Monday!
Well darlings, that's all from me for this week. But remember, just because I've stopped writing for now, doesn’t mean my Italian adventure is over!
Until next week, keep dancing, keep dreaming, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to wear a little pink! Ciao Bella, and keep the pink tutu dream alive!
