WHEN it comes to the world’s top shopping destinations, Milan is the first name that pops into many people’s heads.
“There is no place like Milan where you can get the latest, most fashionable and the most trendiest style,” said a Chinese tourist with a sense of humor wishing she could stay there forever and not return to China. But this northern Italian city that has been world’s renown since Shakespeare’s time has certainly much more to offer. Historical churches abound all over the city, while art galleries and museums are also numerous.
“Nod your head and learn a few greetings in their language and then you’ll know Milan is the place to visit and a place you do not want to leave unless you are going to another beautiful nearby city,” said a Dutch tourist traveling in Milan.
A German tourist in her sixties added: “Here especially, love is in the air. It is all about love and how it takes you from one place to another and how you totally forget time and, with no regrets, follow the Italian style.”
One of the most famous and probably the most visited is the Piazza Duomo where a 14th-century cathedral is found. Tourists also enjoy visiting the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which was built between 1864 and 1878 and which now holds the shops for such fashion brands as Prada, Fendi Louis Vuitton and others.
In Milan, even the men pay attention to fashion. They are all stylishly dressed, carrying brand-name handbags and, whether they’re driving Ferraris or riding bicycles, fashion and style tops their agendas.
The taste for fashion is balanced by a similar high taste in food. Few foreign cuisines may be present, but who needs foreign cuisine in Italy? A popular local dish is risotto with saffron, a dish that dates back to 1574, when a young apprentice was in charge of staining glass for windows using bits of saffron to add more color to the glass. After being criticized for this unconventional approach, he created the dish to serve at a wedding which — much to his surprise — became a hit. Panettone is a must-try dessert. The stories behind it are mostly tales of love and of couples becoming closer to each other. One story is that panettone was first made in the 15th century when a man fell in love with a baker’s daughter. The baker forbade the two to meet and so they met secretly at night when the daughter prepared the next day’s dough for her father. One day the young man added butter, sugar, candied citron and eggs and his new creation, which became popular. Then at Christmas he added raisins and to his surprise, this pleased the girl’s father so much that he gave the young man permission to marry his daughter.
Milan also means Italian football. People are so wild about the sport here and they support their teams with single-minded enthusiasm. Said one man who had come to a match with his grandsons: “Our only worry is that the game will finish quickly. We want our team to win or we will go home with sad faces and heavy hearts.” Milan is perfect for relaxation and within two hours of two famous Italian lakes — Como and Maggiore. Tourists will find all classes of hotels on the lakeshores — from budget to five-star. What is common to wherever you choose to stay is serenity and beautiful views.
If you want to save the best to last and have a day or two, then Venice is the place to go. Only three hours form Milan, tourists to Venice can visit a number of churches. Restaurants are popular and few leave the city of canals without buying a carnival mask.
Visitors may also take a boat to the island of Murano to be dazzled by the Murano glass shops, selling the much sought-after handmade glass as they have done for centuries.
