Of all the places where eating ice cream on the streets could be a crime, the Italian city of Milan seems to be the most unlikely one. Or at least, it did until a week ago when the city council introduced a new by-law which banned eating ice cream on the streets of Milan after midnight.
The reason behind the introduction of the by-law was to decrease noise pollution in the city – pollution caused by rowdy locals and tourists alike who tend to consume take-away food and drinks on the street well past everyone’s bedtime.
The gelato prohibition was supposed to have come into force around the areas of Navigli canal, the Ticinese zone around the San Lorenzo columns, Corso Como, and the Arco della Pace, all centres of Milanese nightlife and tourism. However, the announcement of the ban caused such an upheaval amongst the ice cream vendors of Milan that the city’s mayor, Giuliano Pisapia, had to retract, saying “There was perhaps a mistake in the interpretation of the rules, or perhaps an error in the way things were written…”
It is unclear if and when the by-law will actually come into force and what the punishment will be for offenders who break the gelato curfew.
Noémi is a thirty-something Hungarian who moved to the Netherlands many moons ago but is still trying to get her head around the clogs, bikes and 'harings' . She considers herself adventurous when it comes to food and travel…although those who have seen her struggle with a haring/ stroopwafel/ stamppot might disagree. She loves trying out new restaurants and dishes and luckily the Hague has been a perfect playground for that. 
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