Favourite Italian city! (Milan (Italy))

Member Name: grey0220

Product:	Milan (Italy)
Date:	03/11/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fashion, food, people

Disadvantages: Now that the Euro is stronger, not as good as a deal as it might have once been

I've only been to Milan once but it is definitely one of my favourite cities on the Continent - unparalleled fashion and food!

For a Valentine's Day surprise this year, the hubby flew us out of City Airport to Milan on Friday night. We stayed in a hotel right behind the Duomo with an amazing view of its spires, and had dinner at the Trattoria Milanese as soon as we got in. The Michelin-starred Trattoria Milanese is famous for its Risotto Milanese, but if you do decide to go there, beware! The risotto is habit forming, and it's nearly impossible to find a good substitute here in England. The wait staff at the Trattoria were a great introduction to the locals, as well, as they were all incredibly friendly, banterous, and let us linger after our meal had finished - quite a nice change from some Michelin-starred wait staff I've encountered in the UK. After dinner, we walked around the city for a good hour or two; despite walking up and down back alleys and un-lit streets, at no point did we feel threatened or intimidated.

The following day, we went on a whirlwind tour of the city, hitting all the big stops: starting at the Sufrozca Castle and hitting La Scala opera house, Da Vinci's Last Supper, and the Duomo. To be honest, I didn't know much about those first two attractions, but enjoyed them nevertheless. The Last Supper was genuinely much, much bigger than I had anticipated, and was all the more impressive for that - so it's not one of those sights that you see and are left wanting! At the Duomo, we decided to walk up the stairs to the very top of the cathedral, and were rewarded with a literally breathtaking view of the Alps to the north of the city. That climb was a definite highlight of the trip!

We followed that up with a tour of the shopping district, which was fantastic. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuale, home to the Prada brothers' first store, is just as you'd imagine it (though possibly without the McDonalds!). We had dinner that night at Cacopeck, the other Michelin-starred restaurant in the city, which was another great meal. N.B. that on our way to Cacopeck, we got lost, and we stood on the street corner holding a map, trying to find our way to the restaurant - out of nowhere, a Milanese woman stops, asks us what we're looking for, and then offers to walk us half-way there!

We flew out on Sunday, so had only just enough time to catch Mass in the Duomo (we're Catholic), which was incredible - the inside of the Duomo is beautiful and gothic, and the artwork inside is stunning. It was then only a 15 minute taxi ride to the airport, and we were back in London within two hours (where it was, predictably, raining!).

I loved Milan and can't wait to go back - even if fashion or opera are not really your thing, I think it's worth it for the food and the people!

Summary: I'll definitely be back!