Said rider for both Switzerland and Austria posts on ‘What I must see and do” in that Gordon does not necessarily agree with all of my suggestions. In fairness, he will come up with some others that will be just as interesting. He is a serendipity man.
- See if Milan’s bad reputation is justified; that it is cold and industrialised and the people haughty
- Watch said haughty and fashionable people and feel dowdy
- Take a city by a tour bus to try and get a handle on this maligned (?) city
- Spin on the Bull’s Balls, yes you read that correctly. In the middle of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, on one of the mosaic designs on the floor is a dancing bull, representing the rival city of Turin. It is considered good luck if you place your heel on the bull’s balls with a good grind, and spin around once. The locals do it and so will I.
- Eat gelato – need I say more. In my opinion Florence had better gelato then Rome (argue with me if you want) so what has Milan to offer? I will see
- Eat polenta and risotto, as they are the preferred option over pasta in this region of Lombardy.
- Panettone goes without saying. Long a staple of having (northern) Italian friends I will have to compere and contrast.
- Visit Milan’s own Chinatown called Via Paola Sorpi. Many of the workers here are immigrants from China and previously worked in the silk industry, which makes sense with all of the fashion industry in Milan.
- I will smile all the time. In Milan there is still a law that requires citizens to smile at all times or risk a hefty fine. The only exceptions are visiting hospitals and funerals.
- I had better see the Last Supper by Milan’s favourite son Leonardo da Vinci. Must book tickets in advance as this is super popular.
- Will try and meet Armani and Versace to see if they might like to ‘give’ me some dresses. Pretty sure they will.
- Note that Sophia Loren’s husband Carlo Ponti, producer of one of my favourite films Dr Zhivago, hailed from Milan
- I want to see the Duomo from the ground while Gordon goes to the top, takes photos and shows be what I have missed out on due to my acrophobia.
- I want to get a bargain in the Rectangle of Gold where I might be able to afford something haute couture
- Cruise on the canals of Milan, because I didn’t know that they had canals though from what I understand many have been filled in
- Caravaggio – artist
- I love a good sandwich and apparently they make a very good one in Milan
- Despite and maybe because Milan is where Starbucks was conceptualized for the US market, I want to go to a real Italian café for a real Italian coffee so will head away from the tourist traps to the ‘burbs to get an authentic one
- Catch soccer/football game with the legendary AC Milan and FC Internazionale, which I think would be really full on.
- Visit La Scala if not for an opera then for the people perving and hearing Verdi being played
- Check out Idroscalo – Milan’s favourite lake and see if it is a fun place to play
- Visit Milan’s Bone Church – apparently inside this nondescript San Bernardino alle Ossa church in central Milan is a narrow hallway leading to a small chapel that’s decorated almost entirely with human bones. Actually.no I won’t but there is some information for anyone who is into that.
- Wouldn’t mind having dinner on one of Milan’s tram restaurants
- Visit the Home for Elderly Musicians – In the late 19th century, composer Giuseppe Verdi decided to build a home for elderly musicians to convalesce in their later years. This is what the 2012 movie Quartet was based on.
I really hope that Milan is worth it; the jury seems to want to condemn.
Any thoughts?
[easyazon_link asin=”0756694906″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”wwwcontentravel-20″]DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Milan & The Lakes[/easyazon_link]
