Cortina is abuzz for the Winter Olympics. Co-host Milan not so much

MILAN (AP) - In Cortina d'Ampezzo you can't escape the fact the mountain town is gearing up for its second Winter Olympics.

In Milan you could easily miss that the Games are about to start.

The vibe in the two main hubs for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games could not be more different.

Cortina, surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Dolomites, has seen snow falling much of the week, adding to the idyllic feel of being in a luxury mountain resort town. Blue-and-white flags that say Cortina 1956 2026 - recalling the previous time Cortina hosted the Games - hang on wooden homes and other buildings and the Olympic cauldron is near the church in the center of town.

In Milan, it's not snow that's fallen but rain. Italy's bustling fashion and financial center has a lot going on that's unrelated to the Games, so step outside the center of the city and there's barely an inkling of the Olympic rings.

"I don't think it's their (Milan's) fault. I just think it's the structure of the Games and trying to be economic by spreading it out to different regions," said Sam Durante, who travelled from Calgary with his wife Melissa to cheer on their daughter - the goalkeeper for the Italian ice hockey team. "It makes sense, but it creates a bit of a disjointed Games."

The Durantes went to the Calgary Games in 1988 in their hometown and they admit in terms of Olympic atmosphere Milan is a bit of a letdown.

"It was electric because all of the events were close by," said Sam Durante. "I think it's a little disjointed here.

"I think Milan is starting to embrace the Olympic spirit, but it's not to the same extent that we had in Calgary."

The Durantes were looking at Milan Cortina merchandise in the megastore that is in Milan's main square, in front of the city's imposing cathedral.

The countdown clock is on one side of the square, while one of the nearby streets is festooned with strings of lights, with each one depicting a different Olympic sport.

The piazza is at the heart of the Olympic boulevard that runs from the main train station to the fan zone and cauldron.

There's little sign of the Olympics in the rest of Milan, especially with the venues for ice hockey, speed skating and figure skating on the outskirts of the city and far from each other.

"It's lacking a bit of atmosphere," said Faizan Mohammad, a 31-year-old insurer from Milan. "I don't really feel at the moment that the Olympics is happening, I see it more as an inconvenience at the moment because of the various road closures.

"I think when it starts it will get better. I can't wait, because of that. Because at the moment I see more inconveniences. Then I hope to also see a bit of sport and competition, a bit of happiness."

While the umbrellas were up in Milan against the rain on a gray Wednesday afternoon, they were up in Cortina against the heavy snow - with that adding to the picturesque, wintry scene with the town's main church at the backdrop. During quiet moments, birds are easy to hear in the pine trees on the edge of the village bustling with last-minute preparations for the fans.

Matthew Greiner, an American luger, said the atmosphere in Cortina is "electric." Italian luger Leon Felderer said there are "always good vibes" in Cortina, "everybody's happy." He said he feels much more at home in the mountains than he would in a big city.

"I'm very glad that we got the track here in Cortina," he said Thursday at the Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Village.

Francesca Alberte works at the Golden Goose boutique. On a break Wednesday, she walked through downtown, looking up at the national flags that hung across the street for the Olympics.

She said there's an air of excitement in Cortina for the Olympics, though also some trepidation. Construction at the venues was not finished even as athletes and fans were arriving.

"All the people are so excited and so emotional for this big event," she said. "We are a little bit afraid for a lot of things that are not ready, but we're happy and excited for this event."

Alberte said locals love Cortina because of the views of the Dolomites and because it's a small town that has everything.

American alpine ski racer Jackie Wiles said she loves Cortina, too.

"Whatever happens in the race, you just love being in the Dolomites. Walking through town, everyone has fur coats on," she said. "So I feel like it's just a cool place to be."

Indeed, Cortina's main street is lined with shops selling cashmere and designer clothes, as well as high-end ski gear. In a shop window, a long, green women's snow jacket retailed for 750 euros ($885 U.S. dollars). A men's ski outfit retailed for 700 euros ($826 U.S. dollars).

Peter Kristen, a tourist from Slovakia, purchased Olympics souvenirs while visiting Cortina for the first time on a ski trip. He said Cortina is posh and he noticed "a lot of construction."

James Reed, a former bobsledder who is now a photographer for the U.S. bobsledding team, described Cortina as a "ritzy mountain town" similar to Vail or Aspen in Colorado, as he walked past the shops.

"The beautiful skiing, beautiful mountains, lots of great hotels and restaurants and shops," he said. "It's a really great place to come to."

Holding an umbrella to keep the snow off her gray fur coat, Milan resident Mariella Mariani walked around Cortina with her husband to see the setup for the Olympics.

She said that while the Olympic hosts are nothing alike, the Games will benefit both locations.

"It's an important event for our country," she said.