Milan

Milan is a city swarming with motorcyclists—housewives balance groceries and a designer purse as they weave through the automobile traffic, and bankers wear shades and a three-piece suit; none, of course, wear helmets. Milan is a funny city, the first European one that genuinely reminds me of New York. Mid-day, surrounded by the sounds of traffic, we ate a traditional Italian meal at Ristorante Charleston in the city’s financial district. Enjoying our meals while we sat in the outdoor sidewalk seating, I suddenly felt transported to NYC, a city I associate with long, sunny summers.

While in Zurich, the city was preparing for Euro2008, and a week later was the Italy versus Romania match. I joined what felt like the rest of Milan to watch the match on a large outdoor television screen beside the Duomo. The game was a frustrating one: whereas the ball was predominantly near Romania’s goal posts, the game ended in a resoundingly unsatisfying tie (1-1). The tie was a huge disappointment considering Italy won the World Cup two years ago.

Along with spending time at and around the Duomo, we visited some of Milan’s lesser-known sites: the fifteenth-century castle, Casteleo Sforzesco; the city’s biggest park, Parco Semplone; and Napoleon’s Arco della Pace. Before visiting Milan, I had been warned that Milan is an “industrial-looking” city, implying it isn’t a pretty one. As with New York, one has to adjust one’s ideas of urban aesthetics to understand Milan’s beauty. Sure, Milan does not show off its cultural and artistic offerings like Florence does, but it is unfair to write off Milan as a lesser city. Fashion defines the city, opera is a theme throughout Milan’s poster adverts, and its winding streets, plethora of galeterias, and easy access to Lake Como, make it a city worth visiting. And, of course, as with Spain, you “can’t go wrong” visiting Italy.

Duomo

We climbed the stairs to the top of the Duomo, the “third largest church in Christendom”; from the roof we could more closely examine the gothic statues and spires that busily decorate the church. The piazza below is always bustling with people, but the noise quickly dissipated as we climbed the stairs to the roof which had a library-quality silence.

Near the Duomo is the Galleria where many of the world’s most expensive, upscale brands have stores; Prada’s original store still shoes and handbags (since 1913). On the other side of the Galleria is la Scala, the world’s most famous opera house, and facing it is a statue of Leonardo da Vinci. The Duomo, Galleria, and la Scala make up the major sites worth visiting in Milan, but no visit is complete without indulging in the city’s gelati. Gelati in Milan is otherworldly; to describe it as “ice cream” is like describing pate as chopped liver: the dull descriptions belie the delicacies’ sensuousness of taste and the high-quality ingredients required to produce such gastronomical pleasures.