MILAN - highlights + hints & tips

For me, it would be hard to choose one thing that I loved about Milan, so here is my top 5;

1. Visit to La Scala
2. The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (next to the last supper)
3. Duomo & the roof
4. Castello Sforzesca and the museums
5. Food! Pastas and ice cream just aren’t the same outside Italy

Sights you won’t see in the guidebook;
1. Bloke walking down the street in central Milan dressed as Jesus (in his underpants) and no one batting an eyelid
2. Women in couture dresses and high heels riding bicycles over cobbles
3. Men wearing their sunglasses on the back of their heads – why??
4. Androgynous Men buying high heeled leopard skin print shoes in the women’s department of H&M
5. Policemen wearing uniforms that look like fancy dress costumes
6. Drivers reversing down tramlines at the speed of light
7. Priests picking their noses in church
8. Old ladies leaving the till open in a shop full of tourists and popping out for 10 minutes to find some change!

Top tips;
1. Buy the return bus ticket from Bergamo airport to Milan centre on the plane – it’s cheaper and will save you time
2. Italian churches expect you to dress properly – bare shoulders and mini-skirts/shorts for women aren’t allowed
3. Aperitifs/cocktails may seem expensive, but often you get little snack or a buffet too, so do check
4. If you’re staying longer than a couple of days and you’re on a budget, cafés will normally sell you an ‘abbonnemente’ of 10 drinks and 10 pastries which is cheaper – ideal for breakfast!
5. If you want to see the last supper, go to the office in person on your first day to make your booking. You MUST reserve in advance and can’t just turn up and see it even out of season.
6. Travelling by metro is easy – get a day ticket (Giornaliero Urbano) which will give you unlimited free travel all day for just 3€
7. Take Mosquito repellent. I got bitten even in October which is surprising for a city.