An unforgettable trip to Italy

Travel restrictions are slowly lifting across Europe, although it’s difficult not to be fearful of another variant of Covid-19. On our first Italy trip, the summer before the world stopped, all of our expectations were exceeded and every person we met was nothing short of generous, warm, kind and welcoming. When we saw those headlines from Milan and the rest of Italy, where countless families were suffering the devastating loss of loved ones to this awful virus, our hearts broke. To say we feel incredibly lucky to have experienced the beauty and hospitality of Italy, travelling to Bologna, Milan and through Tuscany, is an understatement and we can’t wait to go back.

Why Milan surprised us

Milan, to be honest, was never on our bucket list. Milan is best known for shopping and visiting the big fashion houses which neither of us have any interest in at all. However, since we were going to have a couple of days to spare between landing in Bologna and then picking up our campervan for our Tuscany road trip, Neil thought, “why not?” and found us a cheap deal on booking.com so we could spend 2 days in Milan. After all, Milan is only an hour away on the train from Bologna, making it a super easy option even if it’s just for a day trip. I have to be honest, although I was thrilled that Neil had surprised me with an Italy trip for my birthday, I wasn’t at all sure I was going to feel like Milan would be worth visiting for 2 days. Yet, Milan surprised us in so many ways and I’m delighted to report it is absolutely worth visiting!

Getting the train from Bologna to Milan

A few travel blogs and online guides we read before our trip hinted at how complicated train travel in Italy was. Did we take heed? Of course not! After all, we had navigated train travel in South East Asia, South America and Portugal so we were (overly) confident we’d manage it just as easily in Italy. Strolling into Bologna’s train station under the illusion that we’d simply pick a train time and buy a ticket, we quickly realised how wrong we were. The train station was packed with long queues at various ticket machines and kiosks. After about half an hour queuing at one kiosk, it dawned on us that there were in fact two train companies, Trenitalia, and Italotreno. To make things more confusing it turned out there are fast trains, slow trains, regional trains and a choice between first and second class (Don’t do what we did! Book online instead it’s much easier!). We eventually figured it all out with mere minutes to spare to catch the next train. Running as fast as we could we reached the right platform and the right train carriage only to be told that we needed to validate our tickets all the way back at the platform entrance. Neil, my hero, with ten seconds to spare, sprinted all the way to the ticket machine and back again to our carriage, grateful for the aircon on board. We’ve never had a joyous travel experience without a modicum of confusion, a sprinkling of panic, and a little stress followed by relief and accomplishment! With some new travel lessons learned and the excitement-butterflies of going somewhere new fluttering in our bellies, we sat back and absorbed the Italian countryside passing by our window. It reminded us of our backpacking days and renewed our love for slow travel.

Milano Centrale Train Station

In planning our trip I don’t know how we missed the fact that Milan’s train station is a destination in itself. Then again, I’m glad we didn’t know because the minute we stepped off the train we got that wonderful awestruck feeling of shock at seeing something so magnificent. Walking down the platform we were utterly distracted by the huge iron and glass domed-roof above us. Archways lead us onto the vast marble hall called the galleria commercial adorned with ornate carvings and busts on the walls. We planned to get here early on our return journey, to enjoy a coffee before our train back to Bologna.

Milan’s historic Porta Romana Neighbourhood

After a quick metro ride to the historic Porta Romana neighbourhood, thunderstorms and monsoon-like rain ramped up our excitement of exploring this new city (Ireland rarely gets proper thunderstorms so we know we’re somewhere foreign when we’re caught in one!). It was only a short walk from the metro entrance to our building, passing by the ruined remains of one of the city gates that dates back to the 16th century. Our apartment (found a great deal as usual on booking.com was on the 3rd floor of a beautiful old building with one of those tiny old-school gated elevators. With 3 bedrooms to the apartment we were delighted to find we had the place to ourselves. Of course we had the best intentions to cook at least perhaps on the first night but with Pizzeria Da Romano Milano just across the road we couldn’t resist their divine pizzas and cold beers! Lingering quite a while after stuffing our faces, we hit the local shop to get in supplies for breakfast.

The Duomo of Milan

Those extra beers gave us an excuse to luxuriate in our big comfy bed a little bit longer than we should have but with no regrets! This trip was all about taking it slow and not rushing around to squeeze in every sight. Stepping out into glorious sunshine, Milan’s famous Duomo beckoned. Having seen photos of it before, we knew it couldn’t be missed. The metro steps at Duomo station lead almost right out onto Piazza Duomo but it didn’t take long for our excitement bubble to burst. The entire square was set up for a concert with a huge stage blocking the best view of the Duomo. It could have been worse though, at least the cathedral itself wasn’t covered in scaffolding. It was still a sight to behold, dominating its urban surrounds.

Why+Milan+surprised+us_Piazza+del+Duomo.jpg

Balls of Luck

To our shame we hadn’t heard of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a beautifully ornate, 19th century glass-domed arcade. Milan surprised us here, not for the last time, as we took in this incredible building and realised it was simply a shopping mall, housing some of the world’s most famous fashion brands. Some tourists were curiously spinning around on one particular spot on the stunning frescoes on the floor in the centre of the mall and we instantly thought ‘selfies’. It turns out, it’s custom to place your right heel on the testicles of the bull detailed in the mosaic floor and spin around three times, all in the name of bringing good luck. We happily obliged and of course stopped for a while so Neil could capture the beauty of the architecture. It’s definitely a must if you love architectural photography.

Walking around Milan

Out on the other side of the ‘shopping mall’ there stood Leonardo Da Vinci and across the piazza, La Scala Opera House, each an unexpected treat to see. Of course we had learned about Da Vinci in school but we have the Playstation game, Assassin’s Creed ‘Brotherhood’ to thank for our fascination with the works of Leonardo Da Vinci! In the game, Da Vinci needs your character to test out all of his famous inventions and the game designers went to great lengths to ensure their historical accuracy from the drawings he made. Until we came to Milan, we knew little of his association with the city. We looked forward to exploring the nearby exhibition at The World of Leonardo da Vinci, right at the entrance to the Galleria, which we planned to visit the next day.

Milan’s famous Opera House

A few steps across Piazza della Scala, the famous Teatro alla Scala already had queues of people outside for concerts and tours. I was in awe! My grandmother, Bridie and her siblings, who had grown up poor in Dublin, used to sneak into the ‘Gods’ (the cheapest theatre seats way up in the rafters) in the city’s theatre and Bridie ended up with a repertoire of opera songs from her youth that she passed on to her grandchildren. Her favourite composer was Guiseppi Verdi and she used to sing all the words from ‘La Traviata’ (my favourite) when we were young. Who should be standing in the foyer of La Scala only Verdi himself (a statue of course) and I was flooded with happy childhood memories. Although we didn’t have a tour booked (on our list for our return trip!) or concert ticket, the staff were so kind to allow me in, just to stand beside him. It was too late to book seats for performances as they were sold out but I am determined to go back and see an opera of Verdi’s performed at La Scala in honour of Bridie.

Italian Bakery & Café near La Scala

With Violetta’s soaring soprano lines in my head, we continued our stroll seeking a coffee stop. Princi Bakery on Via Ponte Vetero, not far from La Scala, fit the bill nicely and we tucked into espresso and a couple of pastries to give us a much needed caffeine/sugar boost for the day. It also sold lovely fresh baked bread, perfect for our planned picnic later in the lovely sunny afternoon. Around the corner we completed our picnic supplies with Italian mortadella (which we had fallen in love with in Bologna) and creamy mozzarella. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without a carton of the finest local wine!

Castle Sforza Defending Milan

At this stage our random meanderings around Milan seemed like the perfect itinerary and we just couldn’t have planned it better! For our picnic, all we needed was a park nearby and google maps obliged. Little did we know we’d actually made our way to the incredible Castello Sforzesco. A medieval masterpiece, it was developed over a few generations of Milan’s rulers and it eventually became one of Europe’s largest citadels. During Ludovico Sforza’s reign as Duke of Milan in the 15th Century, the Milanese Renaissance benefited from his patronage of artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci whom he hired to further embellish the castle’s interiors. He also commissioned perhaps one of Da Vinci’s most famous works, The Last Supper, which is on display in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie near the Duomo (we didn’t see it as tickets need to be booked a couple of months in advance).

An oasis in the middle of Milan

Seeking a break from the hot sun, we walked down into the steep grassy moat surrounding the castle and sat in the shade of the towering fortified walls. Where better to have a picnic than in the moat of a medieval castle? Our smorgasbord of Italian mortadella, mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, fresh crusty bread and red wine laid out before us was more like a medieval feast of old than a lunch break! Needless to say it was easy to linger here, watching families and tourists enjoying a beautiful day out in the extensive grounds of the castle. It really is a fantastic green space in such a big city and it should not be missed. The castle hosts a wealth of historical and artistic sights including several museums but our exploration of the castle itself was short lived as we’d missed most of the tours (we blame our decadent, lazy lunch!). It took the best part of the afternoon to fully explore the grounds which lead to the massive Simplon Park (Parco Sempione) and on to Milan’s Arch of Peace. We passed by dance classes, drum circles and family picnics, delighting in the sights of everyday life.

Ancient History in Milan

At this stage, we realised how much we’d underestimated what a trip to Milan would feel like and why Milan surprised us.. The city’s architecture is astounding and beautifully blended into modern city-living with cultural and historic sights around every corner. Walking Milan’s streets, taking in all it has to offer left us feeling humbled at this majestic city. On our way towards Milan’s canals, the centre of the city’s nightlife, we took in ancient Roman columns (a popular hangout for drinking and looking cool!) and the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, the oldest cathedral in Milan built by St. Ambrosia between 379 and 386. Obviously there have been huge changes to it over the centuries but it’s incredible to think of a nearly 2000-year history encompassed in one unassuming, though beautiful, building.

Italy’s other Venice

With the evening drawing in it was time for an aperitivo (Milan’s ‘happy hour’ tradition of a drink, usually a cocktail, paired with lots of small bites) at one of the many restaurants lining the canals of Milan’s popular Navigli district. Being a weekend night in summer time, although there was a light drizzle, it was really busy and unfortunately we couldn’t find a table. Seems it was just bad timing on our part to eat out at Milan’s beautiful canals. Perhaps, during the off-season, we’d enjoy a slow sunset stroll and stop for a nice meal and a quiet drink, as it’s incredibly picturesque. The canals are an important part of Milan’s history, akin to Venice or Amsterdam and there is a growing movement to restore this once vital network of waterways for trade and transport. It’s a great excuse to plan a return trip and experience it properly.

Why Milan surprised us - The Navigli Milan

Delicious Hidden Gem in Milan

On our walk back to our neighbourhood we were hungry and came across Birra e Polpette, an homage to everything retro with a simple menu of meatballs, freshly made potato crisps and craft beer. It’s very cool without being pretentious with old record players and posters making up the decor and the meatballs are incredible! Passing by plenty of cosy bars to tempt us with more aperitivo, we managed to resist. With full bellies and sore feet, our little apartment and comfy bed were all we wanted after such a fun-filled day of exploration.

What to do on a rainy day in Milan

Waking up to more thunder and rain, of course our cosy bed held us prisoner for longer than we planned but as I said before this little trip was all about taking it easy and not trying to cram anything in. After all, we hadn’t made any strict itinerary for ourselves and we were letting the day dictate the plan. Having access to the shared kitchen of our booking.com apartment meant a convenient, cheap breakfast before heading out with our rain jackets and a basic idea of our direction for the day. On a rainy day in Milan, we thought a tour inside The Duomo would be perfect. Unfortunately for us, the planned concert that weekend was in full swing and security was extra tight. The rules were so strict that our innocent water bottles prevented our entry because they were metal. Ah well, not to worry! It just gave us another excuse to return to Milan! It didn’t dampen our spirits and we continued our ramble through the rainy streets.

Leonardo Da Vinci the inventor

Lucky for us we had another way to deal with a rainy day in Milan. A promise to ourselves from the day before, we were very excited to see the exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci’s inventions. It did not disappoint. Incredible replicas of all of his inventions, carefully and lovingly crafted by engineers and artists were on display with brilliant interactive video displays providing the facts, figures and fascinating background to each model. An absolute highlight of our Milan trip, we were blown away by the detail and learned more about Leonardo’s inventive genius. His designs and drawings for military defensive systems and weaponry were an added bonus to his artistic skills for the Duke of Milan’s extension of Sforza Castle. If you’re a fan of Da Vinci then this exhibition is a must.

A chapel of bones

Staying indoors is easy on a rainy day in Milan there’s so much to see. An experience we won’t forget was visiting the Basilica San Bernardino alle Ossa. Its walls are entirely decorated with human skulls and bones, and on a damp, grey day, it felt particularly cold and creepy inside this tiny chapel. A little unnerving yet morbidly fascinating it turns out the nearby cemetery built in the 13th century quickly filled up and the ossory was built to house the skeletal remains of the deceased that could no longer be buried in the cemetery. There’s even a special chest full of skulls of beheaded criminals above the back doors. Having never seen anything like this before in our lives, again Milan surprised us with another hidden gem.

Last night in Milan

The thunder and rain got heavier as we were leaving the little chapel and its cold, damp atmosphere had settled into our bones! We walked back to our apartment and got takeaway pizza for a cosy night in and packed for our journey back to Bologna. It was going to be an early start and we wanted to have our breakfast in the train station so we could admire its beauty and of course take some photos.

There is absolutely no doubt that Milan surprised us and we’re delighted we knew so little or had any real itinerary before visiting. Milan is a fantastic city for wandering with so much within walking distance and if you need to speed things up a bit the Metro is really handy. There’s something for everyone in Milan and it is absolutely worth visiting if you plan a trip to Italy. It’s certainly on our list to visit again.