{"id":18039,"date":"2018-05-05T20:42:10","date_gmt":"2018-05-05T20:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=18039"},"modified":"2018-06-01T05:33:00","modified_gmt":"2018-06-01T05:33:00","slug":"pizzeria-da-zero-and-italys-biggest-science-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/pizzeria-da-zero-and-italys-biggest-science-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"Pizzeria Da Zero and Italy’s Biggest Science Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"science<\/p>\n

Be warned.\u00a0 If you are one of those people that needs everything to be punctual and organised to be happy, Italy might not be the destination for you.<\/p>\n

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monastery ceiling a short walk from Pizzeria Da Zero<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"blossom<\/p>\n

\"following
eye brow raising methods of toddler wearing out – they don’t use reins in Italy it seems!! :D<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We booked a table at Pizzeria Da Zero<\/a> (tempted by its sky high ratings and reputation for the best pizza in Milan) for lunch one week day.\u00a0 At 12.00 we found someone outside putting a few boxes away.\u00a0 \u00a0“Come back in half an hour” he said, and,\u00a0 used to Italy, we just nodded and went to gawp at a few historic buildings nearby for a while (the monastery just around the corner is worth stepping inside for the ceiling alone) and let the toddler burn off some energy galloping around in the square a few short steps away.<\/p>\n

\"pizza<\/p>\n

\"pizzeria<\/p>\n

The German people also waiting for Da Zero to open weren’t all that patient, and quite frankly missed out.\u00a0 This is definitely the best pizza any of us have ever had – with huge clouds of light crispy dough and super fresh ingredients, not to mention the exquisite bufala mozzarella.\u00a0 \u00a0I opted for slices of fresh plum tomatoes and prosciutto crudo, the kids opted for salami and mozerella, and yellow tomatoes and anchovies for Mr R (plus a bowl of the best homemade chips in case the toddler wasn’t feeling partial to pizza that day.\u00a0 How wrong we were, he managed almost a whole one!)…<\/p>\n

To feel slightly more comfortable about the amount we had just eaten, we walked the relatively short distance to the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia<\/a> (the\u00a0National Science and Technology Museum), which was to be our main focus for the day.<\/p>\n

Tucked half way down a blossom lined street this really is a museum that will appeal to everyone, as it contains such a wide variety of stuff (be warned though, the entrance is on one street and the exit on another!)…\u00a0 It opened in 1953, but the bulk of it is housed in something far older – a 16th century monastery building.<\/p>\n

\"milan<\/p>\n

This is the largest and most important Science Museum in Italy, and it reminded me of somewhere we spent A LOT of time in Munich – The Deutsches Museum<\/a>\u00a0, but this place is not quite as vast.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The Museum is dedicated to one of Italy’s most most famous sons (and a local)!, and therefore contains many life sized replica models of Di Vinci’s creations.<\/p>\n

\"milan<\/p>\n

You would be best to start off in the main Di Vinci Hall full of his historical models actually, (I recommend you have a toddler on hand to give you interpretations on what he thinks the various models are – we had “stick house”, “bird ghost” and “elephant” for a few of Leonardo’s best ideas)…<\/p>\n

\"science
“elephant?”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some of them, like the “bird ghost” below, are quite beautiful.\u00a0 Other’s are simple but ingenious, and brought to life in model form it’s much easier to see how something would work (which is helpful if your brain works like mine!)…<\/p>\n

\"leonardo
Bird Ghost?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then on from here to a music section complete with a violin making workshop.\u00a0 That lead us through to a jam packed Space section complete with a piece of the moon itself, and several astronaut\/cosmonaut suits.<\/p>\n

\"lost
Who on earth are you?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
a piece of the moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"space
space boy – engrossed in Peppa Pig<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Much to the Toddler’s delight, a Peppa Pig in Space cartoon played in one corner (which meant I had time to actually read a few descriptions for things!)…<\/p>\n

Afterwards we drifted off to Mars to inspect a moon buggy, and examine some vintage film posters featuring the red planet across the decades.<\/p>\n

\"mars
mars posters – milan science museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We also managed a closer look at all things Hadron Collider, confused the kids with telephones of old, and then spent quite a while in an interactive exhibit dedicated to Food and its impact on our lives (aside from eating it!)…<\/p>\n

\"vintage<\/p>\n

\"ancient
ancient pharmacy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don’t miss a peak at the antique pharmacy in this building either, it’s on a thoroughfare so you can’t really miss it, but the crocodiles on the ceiling make me quite sad for places like Boots in the UK today (there are some fabulous looking children’s science labs here, which are probably for dedicated school use, but might be worth investigating if there are any workshops taking place before you visit!).<\/p>\n

\"steam
steam train hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then it was outside to the Steam Train Hall which probably made the Toddler’s holiday, they are completely beautiful though, so we didn’t mind the slightly extended chunk of time spent in there at his insistence (you can climb aboard one or two of them!)…<\/p>\n

\"enrico<\/p>\n

Afterwards it was outside to the giant Enrico Toti submarine once home to 30 men during the Cold War (which you can go in to, but you must book a tour at the desk to gain entry).\u00a0 Then onward into the final hall full of ships and aircraft.\u00a0 \u00a0They aren’t joking about the ships either, there’s even part of a large vintage ocean liner in here!<\/p>\n

\"ship<\/p>\n

\"planes<\/p>\n

This museum is definitely<\/em> worth visiting whilst in Milan with or without kids, and whether it’s a rainy day or otherwise.\u00a0 \u00a0 As far as I could see, there’s no cafe, but you are apparently welcome to take a picnic, and there are vending machines dotted about, but surely this is another good reason to go to Da Zero for lunch beforehand?…<\/p>\n

Allow a good four hours or so to cover near enough everything, and try not to roll your eyes as you are somewhat clumsily directed through the gift shop on the way out (on an entirely different street which is quite disorientating!) That little point would be my only criticism really, but as a family ticket is pretty good value (around \u20ac35) , and as it must cost a fortune to keep a place like this running, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive them.\u00a0 I definitely could!<\/p>\n

Milan Science Museum: Open from Tuesday – Friday 9.30 to 17.00 and Saturdays (and holidays) from 9.30 to 18.00.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Pizzeria De Zero,\u00a0Via Bernardino Luini, 9, 20123 Milano MI, Italy<\/em><\/p>\n

\"CulturedKids\"<\/a><\/div>\n
\"Wander<\/a><\/div>\n

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