This past weekend, I took a trip to Milan to catch up with my friend Marta and explore the city. My journey started bright and early at 5:00 AM. I took a bus and a train, using the travel time to practice a bit of Mandarin. By 9:17 AM, after three transfers, I arrived at Milano Centrale.
The city was absolutely buzzing. The Winter Olympic Games are currently taking place in Milan, and the crowds in the Metro M2 and M4 lines were immense. I met up with Marta, dropped off my backpacks, and we immediately set out to explore the city center.
Exploring the Heart of Milan
Despite some light rain, it was a fantastic day for walking. Marta shared some fascinating local history with me as we wandered. She explained how Milan used to be a city of water, crisscrossed by a system of interconnected canals called the Navigli. Centuries ago, these channels were the lifeblood of the citys trade. Most impressively, the canals were used to transport massive blocks of Candoglia marble from Lake Maggiore right into the center of Milan. Without this ingenious water system, which even features locks designed by Leonardo da Vinci, building the citys massive monuments would have been nearly impossible.
Our next stop was the iconic Duomo di Milano, the largest church in Italy. Stepping inside, the sheer scale of the architecture is breathtaking. Construction on this Gothic masterpiece began in 1386 and took nearly six centuries to complete. While the exterior is famous for its spires and statues, the massive, intricate stained glass windows illuminating the cavernous stone interior completely stole the show. We also checked out the adjacent museum, though honestly, it is probably only worth it because it comes bundled with the Duomo ticket.
Art Architecture and Incredible Pizza
In the afternoon, we joined an audio guided city tour. Our guide was excellent. She talked incredibly fast and passionately, exactly how you would imagine a stereotypical Italian! A major highlight of the tour was stopping at Piazza degli Affari, right in front of the Italian stock exchange. Standing there is a massive, provocative sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan. It is a giant marble hand with all the fingers severed off except for the middle finger, which stands tall and defiant. Its official name is L.O.V.E. standing for Freedom, Hate, Revenge, Eternity in Italian. It is a brilliant, bold piece of modern art.
Since the Olympics were in town, we decided to track down the Olympic fire. We ended up waiting in a massive queue. The physical reward at the end was just a strange art photo of the Olympics, but it was a great excuse to stand around and catch up.
For dinner, we grabbed drinks at a local bar and then headed to a pizzeria Marta highly recommended. The pizza was phenomenal. Just like in Napoli, the service was incredibly fast, bringing out our food in under 5 minutes. I was so ambitious that I tried to eat two entire pizzas, but I had to surrender before finishing the second one!
A Sunday in the Mountains
The next morning, we woke up at 6:00 AM, grabbed breakfast, and hopped into Martas Fiat 500. We drove about an hour out of the city to Monte Cornizzolo and Monte Rai.
The view was absolutely spectacular. The surrounding mountains were dusted with fresh, powdered snow. The visibility was so perfect that we could see the entire sprawling city of Milan below us, stretching all the way out to Torino and the distant peaks beyond. We spent a long time just sitting in the sun on Monte Rai, soaking in the warmth and the breathtaking panorama.
By 3:00 PM, we were back in Milan. Marta executed a flawless parallel park on the first try, which was incredibly impressive! I grabbed a quick shower, packed some food for the road, and headed to the Metro.
The Journey Home
My connection at Central Station was dangerously tight. I had exactly 10 minutes to get from the Metro to my train. The station was a sea of chaotic, rushing people, but I sprinted and made it onto the train on the exact minute of departure.
The carriages were packed shoulder to shoulder. With no seats available at first, I stubbornly sat cross legged right on the floor in the middle of the crowded aisle and opened my computer to start writing about the trip. Luckily, at the very first stop, the person sitting next to me got up and I grabbed a seat for the rest of the journey.
It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but getting to explore Milan, learn its history, and see the surrounding mountains made it an unforgettable trip.
