Milan only meant to be a one night halfway point stop between Switzerland and Italy. Instead, we ended up spending two much needed nights in Milan recuperating and preparing for the next leg of our journey through Northern Italy.
We had planned 3 nights in Mürren, but only spent 2 nights when the weather forecast in the alps called for heavy rain throughout the final day. We made the decision to leave early and spend an extra night in Milan.
We used our Starwood points and booked the two nights at the Westin Palace Milan. The plush king size bed and the large shower were so inviting and allowed us to indulge a bit. I’m embarrassed to say that we probably ended up spending more time in our ginormous room than outside exploring the city, but we caught up on much needed jet lag free sleep.
It’s not to say that we didn’t see the city at all. We had dinner and walked along the canals in the Navigli district.
We walked through a large park and along the shopping streets to the Galleria. We sipped a delicious cup of hot chocolate and espresso at one of many outdoor cafes in the Galleria. We loved people watching. Tourists carrying their recent Prada or Gucci purchases, the very dapper Italian gentlemen in their skinny suits and thin briefcases, and the many street hawkers selling their wares.
We also went inside the Duomo, but made sure we took the stairs up to the roof top terrace of the cathedral (you can take an elevator for a fee). The architecture was one of a kind and the views were amazing. I loved being able to see the contrast between the old Italian architecture and the newly built modern structures in the city.
Despite our very short visit, Milan was good to us and was a great start to our time in Italy!
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