5. week in milan
With a comfortable but late train back across Italy Sunday night after Venice, we enjoyed Milan even with a week of dreary and grey weather that was counterbalanced by cozy food, shopping, and the best spa we've ever been to. Mostly directed by our working schedule with a Sunday to Saturday, Milan was still a cool and stylish stop on our journey and a chance to breathe after running around Venice.
Milan Pyramid of greatness
in short
Despite torrential downpours and overall grey vibe, the coolness of Milan was ever-present with the fashion week level looks even on the subway and excellent options for restaurants - although it is a major city, and you'll get city prices. We still managed to hit the major spots of the Duomo and Sforza Castle, around work, as well as an excellent Wes Anderson temporary exhibit at the Foundazione Prada. Capping it all off at QC Terme, a magical spa experience with a plethora of pools, saunas, and even a room with 360 screens showing thunder and rain, we enjoyed a much needed spa day on our last day before leaving Italy for Portugal.
what we did
In order, in between working shifts in the evenings, what we did and would recommend:
The Duomo - The gem of Milan, book a time ahead and definitely go up to the roof
Galleria Vittorio Meanuele - While you're at the Duomo, head right over to this beautiful shopping mall next door
Laboratorio di Pasta con Cucina - We lucked out stumbling upon this outstanding little restaurant that only has a couple pastas a day, so you know they'll blow your mind
Sforza Castle - Well worth exploring with an excellent museum circuit for $5
Flower Burger - Awesome fully vegan burger joint where everything on the menu is good
Foundazione Prada - Not for everyone, but a well-curated and nonetheless interesting modern art museum worth the stop
QC Termemilano - Popular spa for a reason. Skip the massage, make the lunch reservation, and spend all day with a book relaxing and forgetting about the world.
next time
Milan is a cool and timeless big city in Italy that offers a lot to any kind of traveler. With the weather, we decided to skip Lake Como but pledged to return for at least a day trip if not a multiple day stay there. We still had an excellent time and enjoyed a completely different experience than we had in Italy so far. Braving RyanAir, we end our almost month stint in Italy to start in Porto to explore Portugal.