MILAN

If you’ve read this far into my blog, you’ll know that when I visit a city, I really like to just hang out. I enjoy going to visit the local markets, eat like the locals, stroll and explore, and meet people. I’m not too concerned with the seeing all the sites and attractions. I don’t get FOMO anymore. Now that I’m 30, I appreciate just kicking it back and just chill.

This was the exact case when I arrived in Milan. I was coming in via train from my relaxing two nights in Como and I knew coming into the city that I just would not have enough time to even scratch the surface. The city is absolutely MASSIVE and now that I look back at it, I only really had two hours of sightseeing. TWO HOURS. I’m actually laughing as I write this because I spent the majority of my time in Milan going on dates than actually seeing the city. I told you I wanted to just hang out and my god, I did that…and some.

So with that, this is going to be a little bit of a breeze to write. Perhaps I’ll need to come back to Milan at some point in the future and now I have free accommodation for whenever I want to come back (that story for another time) and plus, I was a fool and didn’t even get to see The Last Supper! In my defence, you kind of need to book tickets a few months in advanced. I planned this trip on a whim so that definitely did not happen but now I know for next time!

I stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton Milano Centrale. It was conveniently close to Milano Centrale and that was a major factor as to why I stayed there. It was a quick 7 minute walk to the station and as I was arriving by train from Como and leaving the next morning, again, by train to go to Bologna, it just made perfect sense.

It was an excellent location! Very central. It was around a 30 minute walk to the centre of town aka the Duomo, castle and Galleria and close to a couple metro lines (Gioia, Republicca and Milano Centrale). I did end up buying the 24 hour pass which was a great value for zones M1 - 3 which is perfect if you want to see the major attractions and neighbourhoods in Milan. I used it pretty often running around in my two hours and then ended up taxiing and walking everywhere else on my dates.

Despite my short stay, I was still able to see the monuments and buildings that I wanted to see and hang out in some of the coolest neighbourhoods (Brera and Isola, what up!) and had one of the best meal on my trips so far. So there may not be a ton of recommendations here but if you’re here on a very short amount of time, it’s still possible to have an enjoyable time.

Getting around Milan:

Metro - As I’ve mentioned earlier, the 24-hour day pass was a great buy and value. I bought the one for zones M1 - 3 which is basically the core of the city and that is all you’ll need for the top attractions of the city. I was able to hop on and off as I choose - not bad for only 7 euros!
Walking - Now, if I didn’t have a lunch date at 1pm, I would’ve just been okay walking everywhere. I don’t mind walking at all and if you prefer exploring the city on your two feet, this is a great city to do so. I’d recommend choosing a central location if you plan to explore the city that way.

What to see in Milan:

Duomo di Milano - This masterpiece of a church is stunning in person. It’s so different than the one in Florence and the up-close detailing was absolutely incredible. I didn’t get chance to go inside or climb the tower as the lines for tickets were long (and to be honest, I’ve seen enough churches to last a lifetime. I was still able to admire it from the outside and it was definitely a sight to see.
Piazza di Duomo - Surrounding the duomo is a giant square and was filled, at the time, with a mini Italian Christmas market. There is always a lot of people there at any given time and is a great place to take in some panoramic shots and to people watch from the many restaurants and terraces overlooking the square.
Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II - Like to go shopping? Architecture? This is the place for you. Located just steps away from the duomo, the high-ceilinged, high-arched and domed 19th century building housing some of the best luxury brands money can buy. I merely walked through as inside was a zoo but it was still worth it to check out the beautiful glass dome!
Sforzesco Castle - Interested in art and museums? This Renaissance fortress houses so many museums and rare art. from Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. I didn’t visit any museums inside but I did enjoy walking through the castle as a nice city break.
Parco Sempione - The accompanying park that lies beyond Sforzesco Castle that spills out into the city makes for a nice stroll and much-needed patch of greenery in the sprawling city of Milan. Lots of families here taking pictures, having lunch and wandering.
Eataly - Yes, I know we have this in America but wow, the one in Milan is MASSIVE. It’s a multi-storied building that houses the phenomenal 1 Michelin Star restaurant, VIVA Viviana Varese (highly recommend!). There’s a casual in-store cafe on the bottom floor, another casual restaurant on floor 1, and then VIVA on the top floor. They have a pretty amazing 2-course lunch with wine, water, coffee and dessert for only 45 euros! My date and I built our own 3-course tasting menu which really turned out to be a 20+ course with all the amuse bouches, aperitifs, and truffle tower at the end incredible. It is a long, drawn out 3-hour lunch (we probably could have stayed longer but were those people who were the last in the restaurant) but well worth it. Our bill came out to 300 euro for the pair but it was an incredible experience. I’d recommend the mussels as an entree and the ossobucco for the main.
Brera - I think this is the prettiest neighbourhood in Milan (that I was able to see). My date took me for a post-lunch (and much-needed!) stroll following our multi-course lunch date and it was so picturesque and beautiful. I believe it would be even prettier illuminated at night.
Isola - I went on another date late in the evening (tried to say no but he biked 1 hour and 20 minutes to see me and gave me a bottle of his homemade limoncello - oh, Italians!) to the gentrified area of Isola which was right near my hotel. Graffiti, street art, murals and lots of small bars and restaurants (with no tourists in site) made this a cool hangout.
Milano Centrale - if you’re a nerd for architecture and railway stations, you’ll love it here. Super high ceilings and lots of stores may be found inside. Mind you, you will need a ticket to go through to the actual platform which to me, is the real highlight.

What to eat in Milan:

This is so unfair because I hardly ate anything in Milan. I didn’t even take photos of my lunch at VIVA by request of my date who absolutely despises food porn but some of the things I was able to eat and check off my list were:

Ossobucco - Okay, I had a very contemporary version of ossobucco. Still had the marrow (smoked) and filled on top with a beef tartare and some kind of textured powder (can’t remember!), mustard, and a kind of cream. SO good. Ossobucco, in the traditional sense will be stewed and often will be served with risotto alla Milanese (with saffron) or polenta.
Cotto - Italian ham! Not as salty with less preservatives than the American counterpart. I had a delicious mini focaccia sandwich with cotto at Eataly which tided me over til lunch time.
Pannetone - I’ve read that pannetone was originated in Milan. I am a HUGE fan of pannetone, the Italian Christmas fruit cake. Light brioche studded with dried fruits, sometimes chocolate, limoncello, dulce de leche and other variations. Ugh, SO GOOD.

Even though my stay in Milan was short, I still had an incredible time. Yes, I probably saw more of Francesco more than Milan BUT it was still la very memorable experience that I’ll need to come back at some point in the future.

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