In July I was fortunate enough to visit an Italian friend and former tennis teammate who lives about an hour outside of Milan. I landed at the airport and we immediately took a train into the fashion capital of the world armed with our fanciest t-shirts, shorts, and old sneakers.
After getting off at one of Milan’s three train stations we wandered the narrow streets near Parco Sempione, passing bright street art, cafes, and beautiful Renaissance architecture. As we made our way towards the Duomo di Milano, an enormous and iconic cathedral that took over 600 years to complete, we saw the main tower of the Castello Sforzesco, a medieval fortress, in the distance.
We then entered the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest shopping gallery housed within a glass-covered four story arcade. I tried my first Panzerotti, which is a fried pastry that resembles a mini calzone, and could’ve had five more.
After looping through the streets behind the Duomo di Milano where we encountered a blend of modern and Renaissance architecture, it was time to head back and have some home-cooked pasta. Unfortunately, we initially went to the wrong train station and had an hour to kill before the next train. While waiting we ate gelato in the financial district and everything turned out just right in the end.