So onto Part 2 of my pictures from Expo "mini-series" (I'm assuming there will be more when we go again in the future... maybe?) and as promised, some tips on navigating its choppy waters!
- Prepare yourself for a long day of walking and standing outsideEach year, as summer descends on Italy, I am afflicted with a strange case of elephantiasis of the feet. My most trusty ballerina pumps will suddenly turn into cruel heel-eating devils and my sandals will somehow create blisters on parts of my feet I wasn't even aware could blister! As such I wore some trusty Converse which happily carried me through many hours of wandering and queueing and queueing and queueing (although even they were chafing by the end of the day). Unfortunately I also wore my black skinny jeans which was a huge mistake as the sun was beating down on us like an evil witch. So please, make sure you check the weather forecast as well! A sunhat might be your best investment!
- Go with an empty stomach and an open mind
Lots of pavilions have restaurants or take-away areas for you to grab international goodies from. I was initially planning on having something from one of the South America pavilions (fajitas anyone?) but swiftly discovered that vegetarianism was not part of their vocabulary. We stumbled across an Afghan takeaway and had some delicious rice with vegetables (better than it sounds!) and this incredible samosa-type thing with a cool yogurt dip. The Israel pavilion had delicious food too such as eggs poached in a tomato and aubergine sauce with feta. - Take water supplies
We ended up drinking loads. There are water points throughout the site but the queues can be quite long. Also, pay attention to whether you're filling up at a fizzy or still water point. I accidentally filled my bottles with my arch nemesis, fizzy water, and could have cried had I not been dehydrated to the point of lacking tears. - Plan your visit well
Search the internet for advice on which pavilions are worth visiting. For the record, of the ones we visited, the following stood out particularly: Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Brazil, UK, China, Slow Food and of course Italy. Then be strategic about when to visit. Some of them are packed out all day every day - we only attempted Brazil late in the evening just as it was closing as the queues had been phenomenally long all day. Switzerland is worth swinging by in the morning as you can pick up timed entrance tickets. Italy was busy right until when it closed at 8:30pm as was Japan, so some of them you will need to queue for no matter how sneaky you are (unless you're the first one in at opening and sprint to the one you want to see most!)
The site was incredibly busy during the daytime but began to empty out at about 4pm. However we went before the school holidays began so that may have affected it too. If you can, get there at opening and don't leave until it closes! There are plenty of spots to chill out with a glass of wine if it all gets too much midday. - Be receptive to the concept
The Swiss pavilion was brilliant (except for the glaring access of Swiss chocolate - what was that all about?!) The concept is based on the finite resources of the world. You find yourself in a makeshift supermarket composed of four rooms - one for coffee, one for apples, one for salt and one for water. Any produce that you find is yours for the taking. But, you are reminded, whatever you take now means there is less for those that come after you. The first room (coffee) was still relatively full as people had just been given this message. However the second room was devoid of apples and the salt room was fairly empty too. The water room had been stripped of plastic cups and the water fountain showed that a large proportion of the water resource for the pavilion had already been used up. Despite the fact that we had witnessed what happens when people just take whatever they want without considering what they and others might need, people were turning the tap on to wash their hands and fill their bottles up as if they hadn't been listening at all.
So there are our top tips for visiting Expo based on our 12 hour day of wandering the pavilions. Let me know if you are going or have been and have any tips to add!
The Slow Food pavilion was a series of simple wooden huts filled with educational materials and displays.
And a great place for wine and cheese tasting too!
A glass of wine plus a tasting of four cheeses (they change every week) costs €10 - even better, you get to take the wine glass home with you! Additional glasses cost €4.
The Swiss pavilion was a brilliant concept and asked us the fundamental question: are you scared of going without?
Inside the Qatar pavilion and below, inside the Moroccan pavilion which was lovely and calming to wander about until you reached the boiling hot desert room! Not a bad gift shop either :)
Austria's concept of creating fresh mountain air was not lost on me and was such a welcome break from the heat! I really wanted to grab some apple strudel, it looked so tempting!
Spot the sign that made me laugh... immature, I know...
Inside the Italy pavilion where miniature sculptures of regional chefs stood proud and mirrored halls catapulted the beauty of the peninsula into 4D.
The Tree of Life, a water and light show to sit back and rest your poor legs at!
The UK pavilion, a huge bee hive made of wires and lights. Pimms is served here too but don't expect European alcohol measurements, this is a firmly British establishment!
Brazil: a canopy that stretches above a miniature rainforest (but really everyone just goes to walk across the big bouncy net - not to be attempted in heels like the poor girl we saw struggling with her boyfriend, although he fell down first!)
We only just brushed the surface of Expo, there were so many other pavilions we wanted to see (Cocoa pavilion and Lindt shop, I am looking at you).
Hopefully if we get time this summer we will head back - although there's so much coming up! I'll be graduating next month and then we're heading to Canada for an entire month! Once back, we're off to France with my family and then it will be near enough time to head back to Exeter to begin life as a masters student, eek!
We shall see, Expo, we shall see.
Ciao Lucy. I visited the Expo on May 6 and 7 (the first full week after the opening on May 1) and loved it although only about 80% of the construction was completed at that time and several of the country pavilions were not yet equipped to serve food. Arriving at the opening time (10 AM) gives you almost unrestricted access to the pavilions for at least an hour so I would encourage everyone to be there when the gates open and try to visit the more popular exhibits like Japan, China, Brazil, and USA as soon as you arrive. I was there for almost a day and a half, during which time the Italy pavilion (on both sides of the main thoroughfare) was continuously mobbed including Eataly. Unfortunately, many of the commercial exhibits on the periphery of the main drag were also incomplete when I was there because those seem to the places to go for free samples. I enjoyed the France and Spain pavilions and especially Netherlands - very informative and great food (I had a seaweed burger that was scrumptious believe it or not). I also enjoyed visiting the smaller exhibits, many of which consisted of one or two individuals from the country and a display of the countries' major agricultural products. Most spoke some English or Italian and were very interested in engaging in conversation. That was also true of almost all of the people who were representing the larger countries - but it was the first week so some of the initial enthusiasm may wear off as the months pass (many of them told me they would be there for the duration). Like you said, be prepared for lots of walking and standing. There is a shuttle service that runs around the outside of the Expo but I didn't find it particularly convenient. Even though the main thoroughfare is covered, it was still quite hot even during the first week of May so I can't imagine what it will be like in July and August. I recommend making transportation plans before arriving because my experience was that not many of the Milanese even know how to direct you to the Expo (that may have changed by now though). And if you take the train (there is a special Trenitalia Expo stop), be prepared for a fairly good hike from the station to the Expo entrance (the Metro may be a better choice although I didn't take it). On the second day, I took a taxi to and from the Expo, which was super convenient (and not ridiculously expensive because of the exchange rate). I definitely recommend visiting, especially if you like food, which I think probably covers almost everyone that reads this blog. Divertiti! richdad
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment and your tips! I'm surprised that it was fairly empty in the morning when you went but I also heard that visitor numbers were lower than they expected at the beginning anyway (not sure what's happened now!) Planning transport is a very good point, I took it for granted that I had a Milanese guy with me (and living there myself for a year means it all seems like second nature to me now, more so than the London underground anyway!) The exchange rate at the moment makes me very happy indeed haha xxx
DeleteIt looks like so much fun, the cheese and wine would be a big hit. The Swiss pavilion do people not realise that it is making a statement about being resourceful and only taking what you need. No wonder we are in such a serious situation with conservation. The morrocan pavilion I think would appeal most. Thanks for the tips and sharing Lucy x
ReplyDeleteExactly haha we were a bit confused. It really did make me stop and think though, I had never considered overeating as a form of environment damage but I guess it is a consuming of vital resources that aren't always renewable! xxx
DeleteThis seems like the coolest experience. I love any kind of international festival, ones with food all the more! Fizzy water is not a thing in the US, so it became my nemesis too when I visited Argentina and Uruguay. I would still forget to check the bottles to make sure it was "sin gas" and inevitably make unattractive faces when I attempted to drink it.
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Ah the US sounds like my haven then! Why do people but CO2 in water, whyyyy??? I will never get it, ever. It tastes disgusting and is so hard to drink! The only fizzy drink I can tolerate is prosecco ha xxx
DeleteWow what lovely photos!! Would lbe awesome to visit this place! :)
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If you can, I'd really recommend it! Plus Milan is beautiful and well worth a trip :) xxx
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