In June, 2008, Matt and I had the opportunity to travel to Europe together. Matt had a Biomedical Engineering conference in Italy, which was the main reason we were able to go. Thanks to Matt's conference, his flight and a portion of our hotel stays were covered by his grant. Using a travel voucher from a past flight hiccup, we were able to snag my flight for less than $200. We have been fortunate to plan many of our vacations on the heels of our work/school conferences. It has saved us so much money and opened the door to travels that we would not have otherwise been able to afford.
Matt's conference was held just outside of Milan, so we headed there first. We had heard that Milan was one of the least attractive cities in Italy so we had prepared ourselves for a gray, industrial city with little charm. Our expectations were low, so we were surprised by how much we enjoyed our time in Milan. Milan has a lot of great sights to see, including Il Duomo, the Sforza Castle, the Brera Art Museum, and many others.
It is true that Milan isn't as romantic as some of the other cities in Italy, but we had a great time nonetheless. Since there wasn't quite as much to see as there was in say, Florence, we felt less pressured to use every minute of our time and we were able to relax and just enjoy ourselves. Plus, Milan was FAR less crowded with tourists than some of the other cities we visited, so we didn't feel as claustrophobic there. It didn't hurt that we stayed in a nice hotel (thanks to Matt's travel grant) and had a relaxing place to retreat and recharge.
We stayed at the StarHotel Anderson right across the street from the central train station. The hotel was small, modern and chic. It was very clean and quiet, the bedding was luxurious, and the room was bigger than many European hotel rooms (although you can't tell from the picture.) An added bonus was the full European breakfast served every morning, which saved us time and money.
The most impressive sight to see in Milan was Il Duomo. We explored the interior and also climbed to the top and looked out over the city. The architecture was impressive and the views were breathtaking.
The Sforza Castle was worth the visit, but not very memorable. It was fun to walk around and see all of the different rooms filled with relics from Milan's past. I remember that it was pouring rain and I was very thankful for the shelter.
There was a dance group practicing the Brazilian Capoeira, which seemed a bit out of place, but it was so much fun to watch.
We also visited the Brera Art Museum, a small but impressive collection of works.
Afterwards, we stopped at a bar across the street for a drink and aperitivos. This was one of our best finds in Milan. I can't begin to describe the delicious, fresh and flavorful dishes that were served. I couldn't believe that all of it was basically free (as long as you order a drink.) When I lived in Spain, many bars offered free tapas, but they were nothing compared to the fantastic spread we encountered at Bar Brera.
In the evenings, we strolled along the winding neighborhood streets, looking for good restaurants. We often restaurant hopped and had a glass of wine in one place, an appetizer or entree in another, and dessert or coffee in another. It was a nice way to eat a leisurely meal and wind down from the days activities. We did end up in a tourist trap once and paid way too much for a below average meal. We learned our lesson and avoided all such places the rest of the trip.
One attraction that we did not get to see was The Last Supper. This was booked months before we ever got there. It would have been nice to see, but I wasn't that upset that we missed it.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Milan. It was a great starting point for the rest of our journey.
