A Quick Visit to Milano

On Friday morning we went from Monza to Milano Storico for a quick visit. 

Not having a GPS made for an adventurous drive. We meandered our way into the center of the city using a REALLY old map, vague memories, and a few street signs. Eventually, we thought we were close enough so we parked and made our way on foot the rest of the way. 

Our route took us through some of the prime Milano shopping areas. The Italian window displays are always great but in Milan it is a high art. Sometimes the simplicity of the products makes the window but other times the clothes, etc. are upstaged by the setting.

This is a Dolce & Gabbana window. I was fascinated by the way they did the tile. They actually spaced it quite far apart and filled everything with grout.

I am not sure how practical it would be but I thought it looked great.

Our route took us through the Galleria, one of the modern era's first shopping malls. It is filled with pricy stores, cafes, and people.

We meandered our way to the Duomo along with all the other tourists. You now have to pay to go in (Euro 2).

It had been so long since we had visited the Duomo that we could not remember what the inside looks like. At first blush it is rather plane but the sculpture is delightful.

It also has beautiful stained glass windows. For some reason it was impossible to get a good photo of the pictures on the windows. However, they add rainbow light to the interior. The floor is also beautiful tile work. We were glad we paid our money to see the inside.

I fell in love with these shoes and handbag! The photo doesn't show that they seem to be brushed with gold fairy dust.

As I've said before, I need to go back with more money! :-)

We found a spot for a quick lunch on our way to the car. By 1:50 we were heading back to Capannori. Surprisingly, it only took us 2 hours and 40 minutes to get back. That was after a forty minute drive to find the Tangenziale (the Milano ring road). Again, with no GPS it probably took us twice the time it should have.

It was fun to see Milan again. Now I am ready to plan another visit!