Italy (Winter 2023) - Milan (Day 2)

First full day in Milan so there was a lot of walking involved, but unlike Dublin, you do need to use public transit to effectively get around. Milan is a much bigger city. We decided on a 3 Day Zone 1 ticket and that pretty much took us anywhere we wanted to go. You can purchase the tickets at the main train station. We bought them from a convenience store in the station since they were the same price.

*Things you see while strolling around Milan.*

*I assume this thing works. Do the kids even know what it is for?*

*Leonardo monument next to the* *Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall*

Toast Amore

We started the day at a little bakery coffee shop across from the hotel. A little bit of caffeine and sugar to prepare for the day.

Duomo

The major attraction in Milan. Sitting right in the city center, it was busy even in the off-season. You can see by the entry and ticketing systems that they are set up for major crowds and I wouldn’t want to be here when that happens - it was crowded enough already.

The cathedral is huge and I get the feeling that there is constant construction and maintenance ongoing at the site. One of the highlights is heading to the top of the cathedral to get sights of the city.

*You can pay more to ride an elevator up but going up the narrow staircase to me is part of the charm.*

*One positive of going on a cold day is you don’t break out in a huge sweat from the stairs workout.*

On the way to the roof…

On top of the cathedral…

Inside the cathedral…

Cathedral Square

It was nice to visit in December as they had a Christmas Market set up in the square. Grabbed those cheap street sandwiches for lunch. I wish fast food in the US was like this. Also got a pack of these sweet crackers to try.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

This famous mall is right next to the Duomo and is filled with high end shops and restaurants. There is a famous coffee shop upstairs with a good view of the action below but it was too busy on the day we went to bother. We did snap a photo of the place (green room above).

The mall was decorated for Christmas and was pretty festive all around. The glass domed ceiling and classic architecture makes this a popular photo stop for everyone. The place looks very well maintained for being almost 150 years old.

Panzerotti Luini

This is probably the most famous pastry shop in Milan. Known for their savory and sweet offerings. We went with the sweet. Another stop that was great in the off-season but can get long lines in the busy times of the year. The short line moved pretty fast on the day we were their.

Their location close to the Duomo and the mall makes this a popular stop.

The meat and cheese pastry was still warm and had pepperoni pizza like oil running down the bottom - be careful not to leave a grease stain on your cloths when eating these.

San Berandino alle Ossa

Not too far from the Duomo, this is a free activity that you can partake in. The church is open to the public and the small chapel is an ossuary where they stored the bones from a nearby cemetery. The building itself is almost a thousand years old and the were restorations done hundreds of years ago.

Bar Sforza

Walking around Milan to explore the city and head off to another destination, we stopped in this little coffee shop for a quick pick-me-up. I guess technically it’s a bar but we just got espressos. One nice thing about Italy is that I heard somewhere that espresso is considered essential so the price is controlled. If you just stand at the bar for a quick cup, it is just a little over a Euro. I think they can charge more if you sit down.

Ginrosa

Walking northeast from the Duomo city center, you run into a shopping district with lots of shops and restaurants. We stumbled upon this historic bar amongst the shops. I had never heard of Ginrosa but I guess it is one of Milan’s versions of Aperol or Campari.

The place was very classy in an old school way. White table cloths and waiters in black vests with a bustling city vibe. They have a full food menu so you can picture yourself spending a full lazy afternoon here while snacking and drinking.

We were able to find a table to try some of their cocktails. We weren’t expecting food but…uh…hey - I’m going to eat free snacks if they are in front of me. Like I said previously, they keep feeding you snacks in Milan.

Starbucks Reserve

Rarely does a Starbucks deserve a write up but this one is definitely an exception. I have been to a few Starbucks Reserves before (like in Seoul) but this one is by far the nicest.

It is located inside the old postal building so the even the outside is visually appealing. The inside is pretty massive for a coffee shop and has a functioning roastery.

What really sets it apart is that they have a bar upstairs with high end cocktails (sure it’s a bit pricey for Italy but whatever). Pictured above is the Manhattan that is being poured through ground coffee to give the cocktail the coffee taste.

Navigli

Navigli is a neighborhood on the southern end of the city that is known for a canal street that gets lively with bars and restaurants. On a cold and rainy night it was rather quiet but you can see how it would be pretty busy in different times of the year. A lot of people come here to enjoy the aperitivos at the many bars along the water. There is a convenient metro stop right at the start of the canal.

MAG

This first stop is a very popular bar. The locals jammed this place on a rainy night where a lot of other places sat empty.

Great drinks and a great atmosphere. We started off in the back sitting by a small counter but the bartender moved us to a proper table when one opened up. They provided light snacks here - olives and chips and such. Even the outside sitting area of this bar was busy.

Prima

Decided to stop in one more place in Navigli for the night. We looked around at the aperitivo options and settled on this place. It was a quiet night there but this place looked like they had good cocktails. The snacks provided were enough to hold us over for the night.