Ah Milan, a place famous for it’s fashion week. I suppose there is much more but for me that is what springs to mind. After previous experiences in the capital (yeah I know I go on about it) we didn’t want to wild camp so instead booked ourselves into a campsite on the outskirts of town. Called Campsite Area Sosta it was the perfect place for us. All the amenities and a short walk to the train station. After we had settled in we headed to said station and after a lifetime trying to work out the ticket machine we eventually made it into the big city itself. As the sun was setting we took time to get our bearings and headed to the famous Duomo. As the sun set and dusk set in the lights lit the stunning architecture beautifully. We were not the only people admiring the famous building, we were surrounded by masses of people and even more pigeons. My absolute worst nightmare, I cannot stand the bloody things. Whilst actively avoiding these gross things, of course I mean birds not people, we admired the abundance of statues on the facade. There are over 3000 statues each one different form the next. It is incredible to see all the details of the Duomo and it isn’t hard to see why it is such an attraction.
After, we headed to the famous ‘party’ canal so called by our campsite owner. We fancied a beverage, why not? It was quite the walk but we adored passing the lively bars and restaurants all buzzing with the post work party people of all varieties. As we approached the canal we passed amazing little pop up stalls selling cool cocktails and beers. Well if the weather is beautiful why not enjoy the elements. People clasping plastic cups lined the streets and river. The theme for the restaurants on each side of the Navigli canal seemed to be enticing the cheaper clientele with all you can food along with unlimited drinks, its easy to see why the campsite owner called it the party canal. We tucked into a greek feast of all things…maybe I was just sick of Italian food, no thats a lie I never would be but it was the nicest option without a huge queue. The area is super chilled despite the flowing drinks, possibly because it was early. We found the cutest bar tucked away further down the street, with comfy seats and beautiful cocktails. It was an amazing first afternoon in the Italian fashion capital.
Up early we wanted to see the Duomo with less people crowding but seems like most people had the same idea. We stepped into the Galleria Vittorino which made me lust after all the designer pieces littering the window displays. For good luck we did the whole spinning on bulls plums. Fingers crossed it makes me a millionaire hey! We took to the direction of the business quarter to see what it had to offer before stumbling into a beautiful gallery called Pinacoteca di Brera. I was in awe of my surroundings and loved the stunning sculptures and architecture. It was a lovely surprise especially having not researched it. One of those things which made me fall in love with Italy even more, if that is at all possible. Next up was a coffee stop which was a businessman’s local but never the less was a trendy looking establishment. After a little pastry filled with jam/nutella we went back to the canals we had stalked the previous night. It was a whole different world. Calm and serene with coffee stalls and tables on the walkway, it was beautiful. Who even knew there were shops tucked between the bars? We flicked though an eclectic vinyl shop before relaxing on the waters edge, sipping bubble tea and watching an art installation being built. We had about an hour to kill so we enjoyed a snippet of my favourite hobby and sat on the duomo steps to people watch as dusk lit the square and cast golden hues on the tourists that flocked there.
We arrived just in time to check into our spa booking. Yes I had twisted Josh’s arm but it may have had something to do with the unlimited bar. We slipped into the main room of QC Termemilano in our white robes and slippers. We felt silly until the doors opened and we were greeted by masses of people ambling round as if we were in a living room only we were in an opulent dining hall. The very tasty buffet lined our tummies whilst we sipped ice cold rose and champagne. The spa itself was much bigger than expected. I adored the outdoor space where train carriages had been converted to saunas and infinity pools flowed into one another. Lights from the water illuminated the old archways. We tried every single option available to us, from foot baths to ice showers to face masks. After being thoroughly pampered we made out way back to the van slightly drunk and high on life and very much relaxed.
We had some extra time in Milan so why waste it sat around our campsite? We took a train into the centre and pulled into a coffee shop to spend the morning planning our next couple of weeks before we made our way to the shores of Lake Como.
