I finally got to see Milano (or Milan) last Summer. It´s one of our basepoint while exploring northern parts of Italy.Frankly speaking, Milan has left some good memories to us eventhough we´re not such fan of big cities.Citysightseeing I can do for a couple of days but then when its longer, it´s just too much for me.We adore Singapore and Seoul but Milan has something else that leaves us in awe as well. Much as we love fashion, we´re not really into expensive retail theraphy!In Milan, they have it all! We´ve got to see the oldest shopping mall– the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II.We enjoyed standing in awe looking up to the glass ceilinged arcade plus all the most luxurious Italian brands,it´s really crazy.It kind of reminded me of the beautiful Avenues in Kuwait.Simply put- this city is a shopping paradise and my daughter loves it here!

If you are in Milan, you can´t miss out naturally on the Duomo Cathedral which is the main highlight of the city, but I discovered something more.You can actually climb on its roofdeck and top towers to admire the city views.On the next days, we´ve got tired of the city so we decided to explore a bit further from the city center and just to avoid the swarming summer crowds and tourists. It was really overwhelming but I can´t complain anymore since we´ve visited the city in August where it´s really packed.

Milan is rich in architecture, culture, and great landmarks and for me that was a good thing.It doesn´t have much for the children but those themeparks are located on other parts of the city.My first impressions varies from where we are. Some areas looked so rowdy and dark, but some areas reminds me so much of the streets in Brussels and Dresden with all of the monumental architecture. I do however like their Urban gardening concepts that I have seen much spread in the city and the lush parks and oasis.

Navigating the city is quite easy. By foot, by bus, and by train, we´ve tried it all. We never used our car in Milan and leave it at the hotel.We´ve got ourselves our City card ATM Metro and we are free to practically roam around wherever we want.I was totally impressed by the metro system in Singapore and Seoul in South Korea so seeing the subway system in Italy didn´t really impress me much. It looked old, some areas are dirty, too crowded and trains are not as punctual as it is.Anyway, wandering through the streets of Milan was quite an adventure and it´s nice to hear Italian as often .I love people watching in foreign countries and just see how the locals go by their day.

I love riding the city´s old trams and they are colorful too. I dunno but riding a tram makes me feel nostalgic.In Brussels, it was quite crowded and most trams are run down but in Milan, it was okay.The old yellow trams near the Teatro ala Scalla are the ones that we really enjoyed.We found these dreamy modern structures which is full of greeneries and I really adore them.Bosco Verticale is a high end residential complex with an incorporated Urban gardening. It´s a masterpiece of Stefano Boeri which shows a house for trees inhabited by humans.Then going back to the city center, we managed to get into the long lines for the most beautiful Starbucks I have ever seen.Coffee break at the Starbucks Reserve roastery is a delight for my tired feet and some much needed break for my daughter. The building is quite beautiful and we have the best service and coffee that makes the experience so unforgettable.

When we went to Naviglio Grande, we were´transcended to a little Venice.It has canals and the atmosphere is quite different from Milan city center. The lines of shops, trendy restaurants and Italian flair is just cozy.The streets leading to this hidden gem is quite crazy since it is full of Graffiti and street art. I wonder why most of the streets in Milan are sprayed and just vandalized.My daughter who hates any kind of vanadalizing cannot really understand why is that so.I´ve realized that Milan is actually called a water city since it is crossed by 5 rivers or canals called “Navigli”.

For me personally, I really wanted to see the original work of Leonardo da Vinci, the Last Supper ( Cenacolo Vinciano) .I am a great fan of Renaissance art and from our Dresden trip where I´ve got to see some works of Rafaello, seeing Da Vinci´s masterpiece is quite another experience.We´ve got an early schedule and ticket to see the Last Supper in Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery.This painting was painted around 1494 to 1498 so imagine, it´s almost more than 500 years old!

Seeing it for real was really amazing.I didn´t even expect that this painting looked more like a mural since its a large piece.

The painting survived from natural catastrophies and to ensured that the fresco is maintained in controlled temperature, the amount of visitors is limited to 25 persons every 15 minutes only.Learning about Da Vinci´s painting techniques inspired me more to become a better artist.The monastery itself is beautiful.We enjoyed the gardens and some quiet time inside the church where we admire the beautiful details and its ceilings.

Milano is a city full of surprises, some things I really did not expect to see here.Food was also excellent and very international.Walking through its streets and nooks made our stay in this city quite unforgettable.With the grand Duomo in my mind, I can´t help but to really appreciate this living legend of a beauty.I could say that with all the beautiful nature that Italy has, Milano maybe is the most European city in Italy and still has the best Lemon gelato that we all love!

Most importantly, our wallets and backpacks were safed til the end of our journey despite all the warnings we´ve got that there are flocks of pickpocketters in Milano.

Have you seen Milan like a local? How was your experience?

Until then, Ciao and Servus!