travelogue: milan, italy

hello milan!  boy the milanese sure know how to dress and catching the duomo at first sight was jaw dropping. of course, visiting with a friend makes it all the more special, especially when she introduces you to the best gelato ever, makes you a spritz each evening, and upon finding out that you love ricotta, makes a sicilian pasta alla norma!  

we stayed in western milan, just outside the city centre in patrizia's sister's cute rental apartment.  thanks to the underground nearby, it was easy to get around the city.  this residential neighbourhood, called wagner, is a favourite among families who want an escape the chaos of the city and seek peace and quiet.    

the nocciola was the insanely good!

sicilian pasta alla norma is delish: main ingredients include spaghetti, eggplant, ricotta, tomatoes

the duomo, located in the historical centre of milan, is the fifth largest cathedral in the world.  it was pretty amazing to come upon it for the first time.  i even had to sit in one of the outdoor cafes across from the its piazza to gaze upon it while i enjoyed an affogato and people watched - vendors try to sell their wares, kids run and play and people just sit and recharge by the statue of italy's first king.  the duomo is meant to be just as magnificent indoors but the line-up was just too long.  

the fashion district is the duomo's neighbour.  you must visit the vittorio emanuele gallery, even if your wallet cannot afford prada.  it's the oldest mall in the world and it's quite the architectural gem with mosaic marble floors.  and speaking of prada, visit the quadrilatero (golden rectangle), a high fashion shopping district to window-shop, so pretty.  a hop and skip way away from here is where a pair of made in italy boots followed me home :)

pic from here

the navigli area, by the two remaining canals (fun fact, the canals were once used to transport the marble used to build the duomo), is in the south of milan and a favourite among students due to the universities in the area.  it's the area to come for nightlife but we ventured there on a sunday morning to see the open-air market with its vintage stalls, antique dealers with their pristine pieces and artists showing their work. it was a beautiful lively mayhem of people. patrizia, you should have bought that dress, a statement runway kind of dress! the sun was shiny and we found arangini... so delicious :)

just north of the duomo is the artsy brera district with its eateries, small boutiques, and a bohemian vibe. i would have loved to see the bulgari hotel and its gardens, i hear that it oozes elegance.  nevertheless i enjoyed strolling the district with its colorful buildings, patrizia and her daughter by my side.

we passed through brera on our way to see some architecture in the porta nuova isola area.  the modern buildings seemed completely out of place like you standing on a movie set, it seemed unreal. lots of mirrored and steel business buildings towering over crumbling brick buildings housing restaurants and shops.  one notable mention is the bosco verticale (vertical forest), a hanging garden skyscraper that won the 2014 international high-rise award. 

oh, we had a traditional milanese lunch here, so good!

lastly, before we headed to the airport, we made a dash to la triennale di milano, a design museum. i particularly loved the women in italian design exhibit, celebrating feminine art up front and centre. the urban planning exhibit was really interesting, i couldn't help but think kai - who wants to study architecture - would have loved it. 

thank you patrizia!  and anyone wanting to visit, just email me if you would like to rent in the wagner neighbourhood. thanks for following along :)