Autumn/ Winter Collection Fashion Week in Milan

Each spring, Milan is abuzz with excitement as it hosts the annual Autumn/Winter collection fashion week. The city's convention centers and exhibition halls are packed with the most glamorous supermodels, photographers and fashion magazines editors.

For the locals, fashion week is a time of both great excitement and frustration. While it undoubtedly brings in tourist dollar, the major highways, which can barely cope with daily traffic, burst at the seams with the influx of tourists.

But fashion week aside, there is one period in spring which locals really look forward to. This is a religious festival that typifies the essences of being Milanese. It's a time when children, not adults, dress to the nines and take to the famous Piazza del Duomo, in a display of fun, fashion and frivolity. Welcome to the Milan Carnival, a four-day extravaganza of sights and sounds.

Carnival time is an occasion for fun and merrymaking. In fact, people from all across Italy observe the celebration religiously, which occurs between February to March each year. For many people, carnival time is perhaps best identified with the colorful parade in Venice. Indeed, with its masked party-goers flooding the Piazza San Marco and flowing into every street and corner annually, the Venice Carnival is considered one of the most romantic and traditional of Europe's big festivals.

Yet Milan's carnival is no less captivating. Also called Carnival Ambrosiano, it sets itself apart from the rest of the Italian regions in that it is also the longest-lasting carnival in the world! While other carnivals end the day before Ash Wednesday, Milanese observe the celebration until the first Saturday of Lent.

The word "carnival" comes from the Latin words carnem (meat) and levare (lighten or rise), and loosely translates to "farewell to meat." It suggests a goodbye party to the steaks and stews that Catholics traditionally give up during Lent until Easter.

The practice has its roots in ancient Roman paganism to celebrate fertility rites and the end of spring, but with the advent of Christianity, the carnival evolved to become an occasion to celebrate, for a short period, the dominance of mirth, humor, irrationality and mystery over daily reality.

Anyone around the vicinity of the famous Piazza del Duomo during this time will be in for a treat. While the architecture of the famous piazza will captivate, it is the throng of local children dressed in their favorite costumes who welcome the arrival of spring to the city. On the weekend of the carnival, they gather to celebrate the event kiddy-style: pelting each other with coriandoli (confetti), and colorful streamers and strings.

Once the "festivities" wind down, it is possible to actually appreciate the beauty of the Duomo. Work on the looming building, the world's largest Gothic cathedral, began in 1386 and continued sporadically until Napoleon ordered its completion in 1809. its interior contains colorful mosaics of stained-glass windows, so the best time to visit is during the day.

While carnival time has the locals in a celebratory mood, it is also period when Milanese take to the outdoors to enjoy the friendlier weather. With temperatures typically averaging about 15^oC, the art if dining alfresco or having a cuppa in the sun is given a head start in anticipation of warmer days ahead.

Anyone who's around the Duomo typically heads to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II across from the plaza. This is the perfect place to take a breather and to enjoy Milan's famous view, while enjoying a grand shopping experience and the romantic old cafes.

The four-storey, glass-domed arcade was originally built as a link to the famous opera house, Piazza della Scala, but has since become fashionable place to hang out as locals socialize over coffee after a busy working day.

And it's not hard to understand why locals take their coffee breaks seriously. In Italy, wine and espresso go hand in hand and the most widely consumed beverages in the country. Coffee to Italians is more than just a part of life. At home, a cup of espresso, together with the newspaper, marks the beginning of a new day. And Italians are more than willing to skip dessert and end a meal with coffee.

From sidewalk cafes to high-end restaurants, there is always a place and the opportunity to enjoy sips of great coffee while watching city life go by.

The famous Piazza della Scala, meanwhile, makes for an easy discovery from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. A tour of the building and its interiors is no substitute for watching a performance, of course, but interesting, nonetheless. Every Tuesday and Thursday, visitors get to see what goes on behind-the-scenes of the performances and the many pavilions.

The Piazza della Scala is truly a Mecca for opera lovers, and no matter what the season, fans of Giuseppe Verdi - who spent most of his time in Milan - can get to experience some of his works.

Walking around the della Scala soon brings you to the fashionable Via della Spiga. The street is home to many of the world's most famous fashion houses - from Prada to Versace to Dolce & Gabbana. This is where you discover how essential style is to the Milan ethos. But if you want to escape it all - and it's probably the safest thing to do if you are on a budget - then catch the subway at Duomo to a different Milan - that Leonardo da Vinci!

Da Vinci spent 18 years in the service of Duke Ludovico Sforza during the late 15^th century and his influence can be seen in several buildings. The most famous of them all is the painting of The Last Supper (Cenacolo Vinciano), located in an old Dominican monastery adjoining the Santa Maria della Gazie church (subway stop: Conciliazione). Although scaffolding covers the bottom of the painting due to ongoing restoration work, you can still see much of the fresco in full view.

Milan is both charming and historical, traditional and modern. While it can't challenge Rome's claim as a city of romance, Milan is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered, no matter what the season.