Milan, 💖Mi Amore!

Italy has been on my bucket list since...forever. I visited Rome when I was 18 months old and needless to say, do not remember a thing! For all those solo travelers out there who have a nay sayer in their life saying, 'You can't go to a Paris or Rome on your own" or, "How about the future and planning for a rainy day", I say just forget them! Italy remained as a dream because there was always something more important or practical to take care of. 2019 was a year when I decided to change my destiny and as I shared in an earlier blog post, I got to see the freaking ball drop in NYC 🗽 with my own eyes!!

Italy had been a distant dream for a while and I decided to proactively look for an Italian stopover for a couple of days on my way back to Asia from the US. Milan, is a surprisingly underrated city as Venice, Rome, and Florence often get top billing. But let me persuade you for a moment to consider the huge advantage of Milan- it is big enough to discover, yet small enough to not be over powering. It is also well connected to Asia, Europe, the UAE travel hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well as many US cities, often being a cheaper layover. Two days is perfect in Milan and these are my top picks of what to do in 48 hours:

⛪The Duomo seen on the right is one of the most awe inspiring city cathedrals I have seen and an absolute must!

🛍 Window shopping and lunch at Galeria Vittorio Emanuele II, the oldest functioning and by far one of the grandest malls in the world, is a must and is conveniently right next to the Duomo!

Everything from Armani to local favorites like Piumelli (known for it amazing leather purses) is fun eye candy for at least a couple of hours. The Galeria has surprisingly affordable as well as pricey lunch options but do not pass on the unbeatable gelato at Vanilla Gelati Italiani unless of course you peruse the many bakeries that feature cannolis in and around the Galleria.

A couple more things that are definitely part of a two day visit (which are compelling reasons for me to return as well are):

🚆 Train for a day trip to Lake Como, the destination of celebrities like George and Amal Clooney, its allure and charm needs no introduction.

👗 Armani Silos- a fashion art museum which was sold out the days I visited. For the visually and architecturally inclined, this is a a must do.

Pack your bags, make no more excuses and see why Milan is Mi Amore! 💝💝