Milan, for me, is a city of discovery. You can find some amazing gardens behind some great houses; I also love finding beautiful galleries and incredible shops, but you have to explore. And the food is amazing.”
Francisco Costa
And thence retire me to my Milan, where / Every third thought shall be my grave.
The Tempest, William Shakespeare
Milan, Italy was the first stop on my summer vacation in Europe. While in Milan, I stayed in an Airbnb in the city’s Chinatown. It was a clean, bustling neighborhood full of Asian restaurants, groceries, and shops. Locals and tourists would queue up for fresh dumplings, dine at the noodle shops, and sip wine on the sidewalk. Milan’s Chinatown had an active food scene.
About 15 minutes from my Airbnb was Sforzesco Castle. I walked the perimeter of the 15th century fort several times during my stay in the Milan. A beautiful park was built up around the fortification, and I was able to appreciate the beauty of the area as I ventured past at various times of the day.
If there is one building in Milan that I wish I could spend more studying, it would have to be the Il Duomo Di Milano. The cathedral took 600 hundred years to complete and is a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance, Gothic Revival, and Italian Gothic architecture. I visited the cathedral in the morning with the mob of other tourists. Then later in the evening, I came back again hoping that most of the tourists would have left, so I could have the cathedral to myself to explore and appreciate.
The only other neighborhood of Milan that I explored during my short stay in the city was Isola. I walked to the area because I read that there was street art and modern architecture. There certainly was, but the neighborhood was sleepy since it was a Sunday morning–bicyclists getting their espresso shots, families taking their children for walks, old men sitting at sidewalk cafes.
There’s so much more of Milan that I wanted to see (I didn’t even see Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper”!); however, if I am going to preserve my physical, mental, and financial stamina during my six weeks of summer travel, I need to be content not doing everything. I will not be able to drink deeply at the various countries that I visit; I need to sip and be content with surface flavors. Still, in the future, I would love to visit different regions of Italy, exploring the old and new world culture, and sampling the fantastic cuisine.
Here are some pics from my several days in Milan. The next country I visit on my Eurotrip is Switzerland. During my exploration of Switzerland, my oldest son, Zylan, will join me.
opusculum 