A Weekend Getaway to Expo Milano in «Eataly».

Text and photos: Dimitri Burkhard

I am Swiss, but I have never been to Milan. There, I said it. So when the opening of Expo Milano came closer, I knew this would be the time to kidnap my always-hungry wife to Eataly.

I booked an SBB Expo package online, including admission tickets and a two-night stay. A few days later, our tickets arrived and I caught Mamiko jumping in the air, shouting «Prosciutto! Salami! Gelati!»

On this rainy Friday in early May, we are not the only ones trying to escape south by train. At every stop, those without seat reservations migrate from one full wagon to the next, creating a temporary chaos. After Arth-Goldau, the situation gets calmer and passengers start chit-chatting and reading books.

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Our seat neighbor Francesca is traveling to a competition in Lugano with her enthusiastic team of synchronized swimmers. Coming from southern Italy and now living in Zürich, she misses the fresh seafood from home and describes it in (juicy) detail. With every kilometer we travel, I can see Mamiko’s list of what to eat getting longer…

There are direct trains from various Swiss cities to the Expo grounds on Milan’s outskirts. But since we have decided to spend an entire weekend there including sightseeing, we opt for the connection to the historic «Milano Centrale» terminal.

Antares Hotel Accademia.

Off the train, we have a hard time organizing city transportation passes. We must be spoiled by the tourist friendly Swiss Rail system, but no ticket machines? We try to imagine how the millions of visitors expected to visit the Expo storm into the tabacchi kiosks to buy their 24- or 48-hour passes.

Our package includes Antares Hotel Accademia, a moderate four-star hotel about halfway between Milan’s eternal touristic epicenter (the Duomo) and the new one (the Expo). For sightseeing or fashion shopping, it is conveniently located at the tram stop «Piazzale Accursio». And for Expo visits, the hotel offers a free shuttle to the nearby «QT8» underground station. After a courtesy glass of fresh orange juice, we lock our luggage and hop on tram #14 towards the Duomo.

«Arts & Foods» at the Triennale Design Museum.

Our first destination is one of Milan’s green lungs, Parco Sempione, with the triumphant Arco della Pace on one end and the Castello Sforzesco on the opposite end. The tram stops near the arena, from where we criss-cross the park to the Triennale di Milano Design Museum. (Free admission with an Expo ticket.)

In line with the Expo’s theme of nutrition, the museum is hosting an epic exhibit on «Arts & Foods». Six million Euros worth of food related art covers the era from 1851, when the first World Expo was held, to today. Imagine: 164 years of food rituals in one place! We peek into fully equipped kitchens from decades past, gaze at original food paintings by big names and upcoming talents, and pose in front of the rebellious «Brothaus» by Swiss sculptor Urs Fischer.

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The «Last Supper» by Andy Warhol reminds us that next time, we better make a reservation months in advance to enjoy Leonardo da Vinci’s version at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

«Arts & Foods» is a must see exhibit for any visitor of Milan or the Expo. Full of inspiration, we make our way past the red brick Castello Sforzesco towards the pink marble Duomo.

Grilled Octopus at La Locanda del Gatto Rosso.

The city wide renovation efforts have touched up the façade of the Duomo just in time for the Expo (it used to be dark from pollution), and even the marble floors of the shopping arcade were polished. We are too hungry to continue to the Navigli district known for romantic dining by the canal.

Instead, we follow the Foursquare app to a restaurant inside the Galleria: La Locanda del Gatto Rosso. Francesca was right: Grilled octopus sprinkled with balsamic vinegar on a bed of arugula is a foodie’s Italian dream!

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For a lighter meal, point at a delicious panini through the display window at the nearby I Panini Della Befi. It will be grilled and served to your table.

Eating our Way around the World at Expo Milano 2015.

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You can follow Dimitri’s «round-the-world trip» on this map (please click to enlarge).

Saturday is our «Expo Day». It takes us 50 minutes from the hotel lobby to the first pavilion. The airport style security screening at the entrance is sort of a bottleneck. But the 15 minutes in line barely make a dent in our twelve hour day.

We are mesmerized by the sheer size of the Expo Milano campus and can barely make out the end of the 1.7 km long main alley. There are many freshly planted patches of sugar cane, tomatoes, rice and even lemons. Future visitors will likely experience an even more vivid fauna and flora.

For the first time in its 164-year history, the world exposition has provided a theme: How to nourish a future world population of nine billion people («Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life»).

Some of the nations took this as an opportunity to present meaningful solutions. Take Israel. We are marveling at their pavilion which is demonstrating how vertical farming works. And we are not alone: A staff member explains to two businessmen from Qatar that vertical growing actually makes plants much stronger. This could be a real solution for countries with little fertile land for agriculture.

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Many nations have seemingly ignored the Expo’s theme and are using this as a platform for destination marketing. After being funneled through various rooms where pixelated videos are projected onto floors, walls and ceilings, we are left thinking that Malaysia and Thailand must be much more beautiful in real life.

Yet other nations excel at feeding the visitors, like France and Italy. Holland had only two months to get ready for the Expo, but their street food festival is a highlight for us. The result is not a single architectural masterpiece, but an assortment of food trucks with an attitude: We like the tasty fish and seaweed burgers of A.C.B. Company («Eat Weed, Live Long»). So hipster, those Dutch!

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Another worthwhile experience of food and culture awaits at the Japan Pavilion. (It is worth even a 30 minute wait!) At the futuristic restaurant that serves only virtual meals, we work up a real hunger. A few minutes later, we find ourselves in a real Japanese food court slurping zaru soba noodles with tempura.

The Swiss Pavilion should not be missed! Find out why by joining Alessandra on her one-day visit.

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Those who stay in Milan overnight after the Expo are in for a treat. The 37 meter tall Albero della Vita (Tree of Life) will sparkle like a fireworks display in the night sky, and the fountain show along with the sound effects gives us goosebumps at times.

The following morning, the Tree of Life showed itself from its most colorful side. But before it is time to hop back onto the SBB «Expo Train», we enjoy a typical Italian piada overlooking the Qatar pavilion. Surreal, yet so real: 140 nations in one place for six months, each presenting their lavish architecture and treasured traditions to visitors from all over the world.

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Dimitri Burkhard from travel magazine «Newly Swissed» visited Expo 2015 in Milan for the SBB blog.

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