Boy! My understanding of this holiday was totally off!
While very few shops were open, and no banks, the public trans was operating on a weekend schedule and at least 50% of the restaurants were up and running.
And not just in the tourist areas! I wandered over to Naviglio Grande, which is Milano's three-canal answer to Venice -- where restaurants stand shoulder-to-shoulder for a kilometer, looking over the river, with seating out front al fresco. The streets were filled with people, strolling, enjoying the weather, meeting friends for lunch.
After my lunch of pizza and two spritz's (count'em! TWO!) I pulled out my laptop and worked on study materials for my classes. (In the spritz recipe I've linked, David Lebovitz suggests filling the glass "generously with ice"... I disagree with this, as you really only want to chill the drink to make it refreshing. A glass less than half full of ice is perfect.)
Yes, I meant for that pizza to come without cheese. It's a thang here, you wouldn't understand. (And there’s def too much ice in the spritz.)
