Milan? Don't bother, but...

...if you really have to...

haha okay, looking at the title of this post, you know what my main point is. really, if you don't have time during your trip in italy, SKIP milan. it's really one of the most dull places on earth. not worth the time at all, especially when you should really be spending the bulk of your trip nearer the south of italy in florence & rome ^^ if you wanna see the real italy, that's where you should go! and forget all the nonsense about milan being the fashion/shopping capital. florence has the BEST shopping.

anyway, if you really do want to go to milan though...there are a few things you could do. please don't stay there for more than 2 days though. it's really not worth it at all...

haha so quitting the whining, here are the tourist spots to visit in milan! 

What to see in Milan

the most famous, and perhaps the only worth-seeing attraction in milan is the Duomo. it's magnificent both on the outside and inside. i particularly love the stained glass in this Duomo! (: it's probably one of the most intricate and detailed designs i've ever seen. 

the Castle is another relatively popular building to see in Milan, but it's pretty much just like a museum.

i would say that Parc Sempione is one of my favourite places in Milan! (omg do you notice that my face was slimmer then? :( i don't know how am i ever gonna lose these chubby cheeks now...) even though it was freezing cold when we were there. but i've heard it's much prettier in the spring & summer!

The Last Supper: I didn't manage to take any photos of this, because photos aren't allowed inside. but this would be one of the places i believe are worth visiting! (: there is a lot of historical and religious value placed on this attraction and it was pretty interesting! it's really popular though, so it's best to get your tickets (€8) early. each visit lasts about 30min if i remember correctly. you can also purchase the audioguide at the counter when you're there. it's very useful in explaining the painting! 

for football fans (realised that no one in europe calls it soccer...haha), try to get tickets to a match at the San Siro Stadium! i'm not sure how tourists get tickets, or whether it's even possible, but we had to go to a bank to purchase them for €20. 

Teatro Alla Scala: probably the most famous theatre in italy - catch a ballet/opera if you're an artsy one! (: tickets are REALLY expensive and sell out fast though! so you have to book them way in advance. apparently you can get last minute tickets for less popular shows if you queue up on the day itself, but you'll have to google for that! not too sure how it works. 

What to eat in Milan

so like i said...milan doesn't have the best food in italy. but there are some worth mentions that make it special (: Apperitivo is really popular in milan, and that's where you can get a buffet spread of food with a drink that you've ordered. for more insight into the italian food culture, you can check out my post here. 

anyway, singaporeans would totally go CRAZY over apperitivo, knowing our kiasu/greedy culture xP haha embarrassed to say, but i'm known to be one of those people who stuff myself silly during buffets, just because i love the spread and i wanna try everything! 

the BEST place for apperitivo in Milan is Maya! (: there are actually a row of restaurants/bars along the Navigli district, kinda like italy's version of singapore's clarke quay, which serve apperitivo, and most are likely to be pretty decent and relatively affordable compared to the higher-end districts. (of course, the prices in castellanza are unbeatable, but the spread is less desirable. and who would go all the way there anyway??).

Maya has the largest food spread, and the cuisine is slightly mexican, which makes it stand out among all the other apperitivos! (: i LOVED it. something different, finally ;) apperitivo is always very carbs-laden though. so it actually makes you full really quickly. maya is super popular, so be sure to go there early (they open at 6pm), or be prepared to wait! btw they do have dessert for this, and they usually only bring it out after 8.30pm ;) so if you wanna try it, wait around or come later! they don't usually like people to stay for long because of the queues, so perhaps later would be a better option ;) drinks are around €9 if i remember correctly! 

Maya Milano

Via Cardinale Ascanio Sforza, 41, 20136 Milano

Tel.: +39 02 5810 5168

there was also this other bar as well, not quite as popular as Maya, but also very crowded! i can't remember what the name of it was, but it was good!!! it was just next to the nutella ice cream shop below.

Nutella is big in italy, because everything hazelnut is big in italy ;) and you have to try this nutella gelato!!! it's the best ever, trust me on this, and you won't want to eat the same gelato anywhere else after it ;) rich, creamy, chocolate-y, hazelnutty. it was soooo delicious!!! it's really filling though, so don't be too ambitious :P i was, and completely regretted it. although it was really super yummy ;)

Rinomata Gelataria

Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 1, 20143 Milano

Cioccolati Italiani is another place that you have got to go to for your gelato fix! ^^ it's special because of their focus on chocolates, and get this, the best part is how they drip chocolate sauce into your cone before topping it with gelato! :D and so you get more sweetness at the end, just before you finish it up ;) we opted for three scoops of chocolate, and i'd say, just stick to the chocolate flavours! they have many. although we couldn't really tell the diff between them :P but they definitely outshine the other gelato flavours by leaps and bounds. 

Cioccolati Italiani

Via San Raffaele, 6 

it was hilarious how we chanced upon cioccolati italiani as we were looking for Panificio Luini. they are just around the corner from each other! no excuses not to get both ;) luini is famous for their panzerotti, which comes in both savoury and sweet flavours! i absolutely loved the fluffy bread and crisp exterior, that somehow reminded me of ham chim peng!! it was delicious :D 

Panificio Luini

Via Santa Radegonda, 16, 20121 Milano 

and so that's it for my milano adventures (: remember, no more than 2 days and perhaps you'll love it ;)