Making Mosaics in Milan!
When I travel I always like to try the local foods and participate in local cultural experiences. It could be a cooking (Loosely defined. I am not much of a cook.) activity or class. It could be a tour with local foods or customs. It could be meeting a family and sharing a meal with them or just visiting with them and trying to learn a few words of their language. In Milan, I chose to learn the art of making mosaics with Murano glass from Venice.
How do you find these experiences? One place I always check is the AirBnb app. The app (and website) contains thousands of activities to do all over the world. Just click on the “Experiences” option at the top instead of searching for lodging. A quick search using the search term Milan brought up 145 experiences - some tours, some cooking classes, and some artistic or creative endeavors.
I found Patricia through the AirBnb app. She has a studio in Milan and she holds art classes and has appointments where adults can learn art techniques and work on projects. Her AirBnb listings are below (two places in this post), in case you’d like to create one or more masterpieces yourself!
Mosaics
Patricia asked me what I wanted to create and showed me several examples of mosaic projects. I loved the examples due to the bright Murano glass, so she taught me how to create mosaics the traditional Italian way…with genuine Murano glass she hand-carried back from a trip to Venice.
Patricia also offers painting and sculpting classes and appointments as well. She really customizes her sessions to whatever you wish to learn. She’s a great instructor and a wonderful person! And she speaks several languages as well, including English.
Painting ⬇️
Sculpture ⬇️
I loved it! It was so much fun. 👏👏👏 I kept coming back to Patricia’s studio until I had six projects done for friends and family. Both the process and seeing the final product was a joy. I got to visit with Patricia and others working on their projects. I met someone who had lived for five years near Cedar Rapids, Iowa (near where I once lived) and now lived in Milan. I met several people who were visiting Milan, just like myself. And I met a few residents of Milan as well. The conversations and connections were all part of the fun! Plus, it was a great way to rest in a cool, quiet environment. It was a perfect activity to schedule in between tours and days of continuous walking. It allowed me to pace myself while having fun learning something new. Can’t beat that! 😉
While I don’t consider myself an artist by any means, I loved learning something new that was a true cultural experience. The fact that the glass came from Venice made the finished project special in my eyes. And I never would have met some wonderful people if I hadn’t found Patricia using AirBnb Experiences.
After returning to the States, I have tried all kinds of creative endeavors including glass blowing, glass fusing, Yupo watercolor painting, jewelry-making, paper-crafting and more. Too often we think we have to do something to become an expert at it. That idea is a bunch of baloney! You don’t always have to be an expert at something to enjoy it. You do it because it brings you joy. Period. No other rationale need be given. Will you become an expert in it? Who knows and who cares???
One of my favorite quotes is (pardon the slang), “Be humble enough to suck at something new.” So true!!! Love it! ❤️
So take a chance and try something new in your new destination! Browse AirBnb Experiences and other places for new things to try. You’ll be glad you did!
To find your own cultural and new learning experiences wherever you travel (or stay in place), follow this link: