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Reaction to the Dome in Milan
OMG, you guys! It was foggy, it was gloomy, it was freezing cold and still, check out my reaction (in the video below – click the image to play it) when seeing the Duomo for the first time!! It’s safe to say if you are in Italy and miss home (America specifically) traveling to Milan is sure to tug on your home sweet home heart strings.
The perk of living in Italy is traveling to all of the amazing places at such a low cost. When your husband is a drummer and you are a teacher (AKA broke), there is no better and more cost-effective way to travel than to just hop on a train (a way of transportation that is foreign to me!) We use Italo or Trenitalia.
My husband and I live in a small town in Brescia. When he told me, I could go see the beautiful cathedral in Milano (Milan for my fellow Americans) in just an hour or so, I clapped my hands and chanted like a 3-year-old. Does anyone else do that? No, just me. Ok.
It is a weird time of life to travel to Milan or anywhere else right now with the pandemic. I moved here in July of 2020 so if you are reading this far into the future, you should know, traveling was a big NO NO!
In Italy, we were stuck in the house for a long time. When the lockdown restrictions were lifted and we could travel in our region (Lombardy), we carefully took the risk with our masks and loads of hand sanitizer so that I could finally see some of the beauty this country has to offer.
Like, really? Who moves to Italy and doesn’t travel? What a crazy time to be alive.
The deets on traveling to Milan
Traveling to Milan is a breath of fresh air for an American. Funny since it’s my husband’s least favorite city in Italy. I LOVED it!
It is still so different from what I am used to but had a sense of home. It seemed much more modernized than my town here in Italy and had lots of stores that I have certainly missed from back in the US.
I kept referring to a street in Milan as “American Road” because it had stores like: Bath and Body Works (YASSSSS!) Victoria’s Secret (Double YASSSS!) and Nike, which is pronounced here in Italy without a long e. Think Spike and now take away the “S” and the “P” and add the “N”, that’s how they say it! So weird!!
A lot of the people also spoke English so it was pretty easy to get around in comparison to the few other places I’ve been to so far.
Starbucks
Or should I say, heaven in a cup! This city had the most beautiful Starbucks I’ve ever seen and I have been to the original in Seattle. I mean, look how grand that building is. Inside, they had a huge shop and they roasted the coffee on site. It was so cool.
If you are like me and collect the “You are here” mugs, you will have to walk a little farther down the street to go into a normal Starbucks shop. Not as grand, but they will have the souvenir you want. I went crazy over them and of course, walked out with my Milan purchase!! 🙂
As I was getting ready for our next upcoming trip to Venice, I google the Starbucks there looking for the collection. It turns out that only Milan has Starbucks! Another reason why Milan is a great visit for Americans.
I wish I would have known this before though because I would’ve also bought the “Italy” mug. I imagined traveling and collecting these little treasures from each city but I suppose now I will travel to all the surrounding countries and collect my precious coffee cups that way! Oh darn! (insert sarcasm!)
I did just read online that they will be building a Starbucks in Rome in 2021.
The Duomo
The obvious must-see when traveling to Milan
It’s pretty self-explanatory, when you travel to Milan that this is stunning and a must-see. What you might not know is that you can go inside as well.
When we were visiting, it was only open for prayer, and since I wanted to see it, I decided I needed to go pray. I had to leave my husband outside though because they didn’t want all of our touristy looking bags going inside with me.
Since my husband is an angel, he sat this time out while I got to be delighted by the paintings and stained glass.
On a normal day (COVID-19 free) you can actually go to the top of the cathedral , Marco showed me pictures and it looks AMAZING!
During the summer season, you can go to the rooftop to enjoy a live concert on a special event day. They also have times where they project movies. I can’t wait to go back and experience the view from the top!
A Hidden Gem or A Hidden Bone?
A secret place to visit in Milan
When you are married to an Italian you learn things that aren’t written in the touristy books. You get this authentic experience that most other visitors simply don’t get.
While traveling in Milan, he gave me one of those experiences. He went to University in Milan and is very familiar with the area. He actually told me that even a lot of Italians don’t know that this room exists.
This room was CREEPY…and I thought it was super cool. These are real bones y’all!
This small little church used to be a cemetery area where they buried the dead people from a nearby hospital. Later on, the space wasn’t big enough and so they turned it into the small church that is still there today.
Click on the image below to see a video of this cool room!
If you are interested in reading the entire history about Santuario Di San Bernardino Alle Ossa, click here!
Things I didn’t get to do while visiting Milan because of COVID-19
- Go to the famous theatre (Teatro Alla Scala) to see an opera
- Visit the church (Santa Maria della Grazie) that has the Last Supper painting
- Inspect inside the castle (Castello Sforzesco)
- Explore the rooftop of the dome
- Enjoy the paintings at the Pinacoteca di Brera
- Peek at the monumental graveyard (Cimitero Monumentale)
Monday Mood
Keep in mind, Monday’s in Italy are a lot like Sunday’s in America. Not a lot of stores are open. Museums are closed. You will miss out on a lot of entertainment if you visit on Monday.
Overall, traveling to Milan was magical and worth the visit.
PS- While I wrote an article about how to pack your bags to move abroad, there are tons of tips for just packing in general (especially internationally) that can help you prepare for your trip. Click here to get some awesome advice when preparing for your vacation!!
Like this article about traveling to Milan? Read my tips on how to vacation in Venice!
XOXOXO
