Our Shopping Adventure

Lena and I went on an adventure today! (Cue: It will be an adventureee, we’re going on an adventure Charliee!)

Goals for the Day:

1. Get a Bus/Tram/Metro Pass
2. Go to Esselunga- this may be hard to imagine, but it's bigger than a Super Walmart!
   
3. Don't get lost!!!
   

With that in mind, we researched all the tram routes that we would need to take in order to get from the Duomo to Esselunga and then back to our apartment, which is a lot easier said than done. In between Google Maps and the Tram map on the ATM site, we found our way. Something to note: while the newer trams have signs inside that tell you what the next stop is, older trams leave you guessing-- just to keep things interesting. The map inside the Moleskine Milano book has been a lifesaver!

First, we headed back over to the Duomo to get our bus passes. Fortunately, there were a couple of people there who spoke English, otherwise we would still be pass-less. For future reference, to get a student bus pass you need the following items:

• Your Bocconi Acceptance Letter
• Passport
• 27 Euros (10 Euro Activation fee+ 17 Euros for the rest of Jan. and the beginning of Feb.)
  
• Passport photo
  

And as it turns out, you can actually get cheaper passport pictures here than in the US. For 4 pictures, it was 5 Euros whereas in the US, it costs $15 for 4 pictures

Then, we hopped on the tram until we got to Esselunga- NEVER, and I mean NEVER, go on the weekend for your first time. It was very overwhelming. While the picture below does showcase the monstrous size of Esselunga, keep in mind that the picture is only 3/4 of the store. That's right! It's even bigger.



Here are a couple of pictures of the inside, which only cover about 1/8 or less of the store:




So crowded!



Considering tomorrow is Sunday, it may just be a day of rest. I believe that many Italians are religious, and a lot of stores will probably be closed. So until then, buonasera!