It’s amazing how low cost airlines have changed the way we travel. I really had no intention of going to Milan until I saw that Ryanair had started a new flight direct from Figari and we managed to get two returns for 55 euros including a suitcase – what a bargain!
What we hadn’t realised was that hotel rooms in Milan weren’t such a bargain and even a one star near the centre will set you back the best part of 100 euros a night without breakfast. We found the Hotel Del Sole on the internet and it turned out to be ideal – just a few metres from two metro stations and walking distance to the Duomo (if you don’t mind a few blisters!).
The only monument that most people can name in Milan is the Duomo, and justifiably so. The Gothic cathedral took five centuries to complete and is the fourth-largest church in the world. The exterior is even more impressive than Notre Dame in Paris which is one of my favourite cathedrals, and we were lucky that the sun peeped through the clouds for a few minutes so we had a little bit of blue sky for the photos – hurrah!
We’d planned to spend the whole afternoon in the Duomo, but the inside didn’t live up to the exterior. Below the main part of the church is the crypt which is worth a visit, and the treasury which costs 1€, but don’t bother as you can see better elsewhere.
There were a number of statues and tombs of note, but what stood out for me was the gory statue of St. Bartholomew, who was flayed alive. You can see all the veins and muscles, and he seems to be wearing his skin as a robe – very horror-movie’ish.
The roof is the crowning glory of the Duomo. There are more than 3000 statues on the roof alone and the stonework is so intricate it’s like lace. You can climb the stairs for 5€ but it’s better to take the lift for 8€ because there is so much to see, you’ll do enough walking when you’re up there. I am a cowardy custard with heights so I stayed on the ground but I was super jealous when I saw the fab photos and if we’d had clear blue sky I would have had to brave it.
What we hadn’t realised was that hotel rooms in Milan weren’t such a bargain and even a one star near the centre will set you back the best part of 100 euros a night without breakfast. We found the Hotel Del Sole on the internet and it turned out to be ideal – just a few metres from two metro stations and walking distance to the Duomo (if you don’t mind a few blisters!).
The only monument that most people can name in Milan is the Duomo, and justifiably so. The Gothic cathedral took five centuries to complete and is the fourth-largest church in the world. The exterior is even more impressive than Notre Dame in Paris which is one of my favourite cathedrals, and we were lucky that the sun peeped through the clouds for a few minutes so we had a little bit of blue sky for the photos – hurrah!
We’d planned to spend the whole afternoon in the Duomo, but the inside didn’t live up to the exterior. Below the main part of the church is the crypt which is worth a visit, and the treasury which costs 1€, but don’t bother as you can see better elsewhere.
There were a number of statues and tombs of note, but what stood out for me was the gory statue of St. Bartholomew, who was flayed alive. You can see all the veins and muscles, and he seems to be wearing his skin as a robe – very horror-movie’ish.
The roof is the crowning glory of the Duomo. There are more than 3000 statues on the roof alone and the stonework is so intricate it’s like lace. You can climb the stairs for 5€ but it’s better to take the lift for 8€ because there is so much to see, you’ll do enough walking when you’re up there. I am a cowardy custard with heights so I stayed on the ground but I was super jealous when I saw the fab photos and if we’d had clear blue sky I would have had to brave it.
Just across from the Duomo is the Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele II. Here we saw just a taste of Milan’s hugely expensive designer shops; Prada, Louis Vitton and Yves Saint Laurent to name just a few. A quick look in the window at the price of handbags and I quickly decided that I wouldn’t be taking any souvenirs of that nature home with me!
The gallerie itself is really impressive. Huge stone buildings linked together by a glass roof and mosaic floors. We decided to treat ourselves to a ‘gelato’ while we were wandering aimlessly because after all, you can’t come to Italy and not eat the ice cream – it’d be rude! The flavours were incredible and in particular, the ‘cioccolata noir’ tasted just like melted dark chocolate.
It was while we were staring at the roof and lapping up the scrummy ice cream that I got kidnapped by a mad smiling Italian man. I wouldn’t have minded, but he wasn’t the handsome Italian of my imagination! In the end we worked out that he was taking me to the mosaic of the bull that symbolises Milan. Apparently, the Milanese believe that if you stomp over the bulls testicles, it brings luck (presumably not for the bull!).
The other side of Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele II brings you to the Piazza della Scala where the opera house is. La Scala is perhaps the world’s greatest opera house and we spent ages trying to find it until we realised it was housed in a very boring looking building right in front of our noses!
We really wanted to see an opera or ballet here, but there was nothing interesting on the program, so instead saw that you could visit the theatre during the day. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this was definitely a highlight of the trip.
We visited the boxes and got told off for taking photos, then we visited the huge galleries and theatrical museum where we saw portraits of opera singers of a bygone era and costumes as well as the old fashioned posters advertising the shows. What a treat.
From here we headed down the via Mercanti where there were shops, cafés and restaurants lining both sides of this wide pedestrianised street, but all too soon it was time to find somewhere to eat and head back to the hotel via the Via della Spiga, one of Milan’s most elite shopping streets where you can find D&G, Juicy Couture, Roberto Cavalli, Bulgari – the list is almost endless.
The gallerie itself is really impressive. Huge stone buildings linked together by a glass roof and mosaic floors. We decided to treat ourselves to a ‘gelato’ while we were wandering aimlessly because after all, you can’t come to Italy and not eat the ice cream – it’d be rude! The flavours were incredible and in particular, the ‘cioccolata noir’ tasted just like melted dark chocolate.
It was while we were staring at the roof and lapping up the scrummy ice cream that I got kidnapped by a mad smiling Italian man. I wouldn’t have minded, but he wasn’t the handsome Italian of my imagination! In the end we worked out that he was taking me to the mosaic of the bull that symbolises Milan. Apparently, the Milanese believe that if you stomp over the bulls testicles, it brings luck (presumably not for the bull!).
The other side of Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele II brings you to the Piazza della Scala where the opera house is. La Scala is perhaps the world’s greatest opera house and we spent ages trying to find it until we realised it was housed in a very boring looking building right in front of our noses!
We really wanted to see an opera or ballet here, but there was nothing interesting on the program, so instead saw that you could visit the theatre during the day. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this was definitely a highlight of the trip.
We visited the boxes and got told off for taking photos, then we visited the huge galleries and theatrical museum where we saw portraits of opera singers of a bygone era and costumes as well as the old fashioned posters advertising the shows. What a treat.
From here we headed down the via Mercanti where there were shops, cafés and restaurants lining both sides of this wide pedestrianised street, but all too soon it was time to find somewhere to eat and head back to the hotel via the Via della Spiga, one of Milan’s most elite shopping streets where you can find D&G, Juicy Couture, Roberto Cavalli, Bulgari – the list is almost endless.
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