I started my month-long excursion of Italy in the beautiful city of Milan. That is not usually the most touristy area, but being the creative person I am, I was interested in the lavish fashion lifestyle that Milan is known for. I have always been fascinated by high-end clothing and runway shows since I was a little girl. Knowing that Milan is one of the fashion capitals of the world, it made me excited to set out on foot and explore as much as I could.
Since I was sick at the beginning of my Italy trip, it took a lot for me to recover enough to get out of bed due to not feeling well, but also the jet-lag I was encountering. My body and energy levels were not 100% back to normal, but I was not going to waste another day inside my Airbnb.
I started the day dressing appropriately to enter churches or religious spaces. I knew that returning to my Airbnb would make me lose significant time that I wanted to utilize to explore. I had a tour that day, and there were special requirements asked of me to be allowed into the church. I walked out of my little apartment Airbnb, onto the busy street, in the middle of the Fashion District. Almost immediately upon exiting, I caught the attention of a local man. He looked to be around my age, so I smiled and said hello. You hear stories about the Italian men sweeping the foreigners off their feet and falling in love, so as I was walking away, I was smiling to myself thinking, how funny it was that we had locked eyes as soon as I exited. I was walking in a park close by when the same man had caught up to me and asked if he could show me around the city. We started talking in the park about Milan and what to see and experience there. He gave me some good suggestions of gelato shops and museums around the fashion district. He wanted to show me around more, but I ended up thanking him for his options and making an excuse to wander alone. You can never be too safe while traveling alone. It's smarter not to trust strangers no matter how genuine they were.
As I walked around, I immediately noticed that Milan's architecture was magnificent. I had never seen buildings like these in the United States. The old roman-gothic buildings were massive and mostly made of marble. I passed high-end fashion stores like Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. That is when I started noticing the everyday fashion style of the average Milanese. The clothing was more business-casual or formal. Here I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and everyone around me was wearing high heels, slacks, and blouses. I only had one option. I needed to go shopping! Unlike others, I do not have an unlimited bank account, so I went to the closest H&M. I shopped for clothes I wouldn't have bought usually. I never was one to look formal on an everyday basis. I always dressed comfortably. I bought some dresses, and blouses then left the store. I wasn't insecure enough to change right at that moment, but for the rest of my time in Milan, I made sure to dress like the locals.
My first destination to visit was the Duomo di Milano. The Milan Cathedral took almost six centuries to complete and also is the largest church in Italy. The facade of the church is like nothing I have seen before. The intricate design and gothic style features create almost an eeriness to the church. I decided not to go inside because the line was four hours long! I also did not have a tour booked, so I was not able to skip the line with my ticket. Overall, the outside of the cathedral had impressed me enough to believe that the inside was just as grand. Crowded with many tourists and locals, the piazza in front of the cathedral was just as magnificent. All of them, trying to take the perfect Instagram photo. There were also local people selling experiences, like to take a photograph in front of the cathedral while feeding pigeons or holding a parrot. Many of the customers were children or teenagers, but it was interesting to people watch to see who would brave the many birds. You also could tell this piazza was a meetup point for a lot of locals. Many groups of friends would meet here and then venture away from the cathedral. Since the Duomo di Milano is in the center of the city, this would make complete sense for locals to meet up here first then venture elsewhere.
Connected to the piazza was the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. That is Italy's oldest active shopping mall. Named after the first king of the Kingdom of Italy, this four-story double arcade was designed in 1861 and built by architect Giuseppe Mengoni. The exterior looks a bit like the building would be a palace, but the interior is what truly makes this building unique. The ceiling is a dome-like structure of glass, allowing the natural sunlight to shine through during the day and the stars to shine brightly at night. Throughout the mall are more high-end luxury brands such as Prada, Versace, and Louis Vuitton. You could easily spend all day buying things or window shopping. Within the building, there are also delicious eateries. The Galleria Restaurant and Cracco's produced some of the best meals I had in Italy altogether.
After spending some time window shopping, I made my way over to Sforzesco Castle. Home to many museums and galleries, this 15th-century castle was built by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. I had seen there was a large open courtyard so that many could go and relax in the sun. My legs were starting to hurt, so I figured this would be a place to take a break. With a sketchbook in tow, I planned to take some time to study and draw the environments in Italy. Once I got there, it was a lot busier than I had expected. People were walking by me, and tour groups surrounded the building. Since it was midday, the shade was limited, so I slapped on some more sunscreen and started to draw. The people-watching was fun in this space of land. With the giant walls fortified around you, the area made you feel safe and secure, even with so many people there. Outside the castle, the walls seemed to have a more intimidating factor about them. I imagined being here in the 15th century, peering up at those walls. I am sure it did its job to protect the Duke.
I started to get warm from the sun, so I packed up my stuff and walked into Sempione Park. I was wandering through what felt to be endless paths until I noticed an aquarium in front of me. The Civic Aquarium of Milan seemed small but importantly air-conditioned. I felt the dehydration start to set in and knew I needed to get out of the sun for an hour or so. That was the perfect moment. Spur of the moment, I bought a ticket to the aquarium and walked inside. The set up of the aquarium was quite fascinating actually. It was a circular construction but then spiraled upwards as well. The outdoor terrace was well taken care of and secluded from the aquarium. It was a peaceful place to relax and look out to the park. The air conditioning inside felt so magnificent for my body. I sat on a bench and just took in the cooler temperature while I rehydrated and gained my strength again.
I noticed that there were some restaurants near the northern part of Sempione Park. I started making my way towards them when I saw a colossal structure in front of me. I had stumbled upon the Arco Della Pace. It looked very similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, so at first, I was confused. I knew there was an arch in Paris, but I had convinced myself that maybe I was wrong. Was this the arch everyone talked about? After a quick Google search, I realized I was initially right that there were just two, and they were semi-similar. Materials of granite and marble, the arch was a monumental construction to serve as a triumphal entrance to the city for Napoleon. After snapping a few pictures of the Arco Della Pace, I made my way to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
At this point in the day, I needed to head over to the Santa Maria Delle Grazie for my evening tour. Home to the famous mural The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, the Santa Maria Delle Grazie is also home to many other famous relics and artworks. The church is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means it is a landmark or area with legal protection administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These sites are decided by having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. My tour allowed me to see the inside of the church but also visit Leonardo's mural. Tickets are needed to enter that area of the church because The Last Supper remains in a temperature-controlled room. Only a certain amount of people are allowed within the room at once, and no flash photography is allowable. These precautions are in place to help preserve the masterpiece that Leonardo da Vinci created.
I noticed during the tour that my phone was at 5% battery. I had forgotten my portable chargers back at my Airbnb and knew I needed the GPS on my phone to get home. I felt a sense of panic that if my phone died, I'd be lost within the city, not knowing where to go. I quickly realized my only option was to take a taxi and show my address from my phone before it died altogether. That way, if it died in the cab, at least I would have been able to get home. Right after I showed the taxi driver my address, the phone died. I realized at that point how lucky I had been. You better believe I never forgot my portable chargers after that!
My legs ached from all the walking I had done around the city, but overall I felt like I had a pretty successful first day in Milan. As I was charging my phone, I was flipping through photos of all the magnificent places I had seen in a period of just one day. I was getting even more excited for the next month I was spending in Italy. I was going to see so many different things and experience new environments and cities. My eyes were widening with the joy of getting to do what I loved for a whole summer's time, travel, and eat delicious food!
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