Milan is often introduced as Italy’s capital of fashion and finance, but to reduce it to runways and boardrooms is to miss its heartbeat of the place. Beneath the sleek glass towers and designer boutiques lies a city steeped in history, where art and music have shaped its identity as much as culture.
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| Typical square |
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| Late morning tea |
Today we plan to take a lazy look at Milan. Cos wants to visit Teatro alla Scala, the world’s most famous opera house. Opened in 1778, La Scala has hosted premieres of Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini—names that echo like sacred chants in the world of classical music. On a walk last next night, we noticed some local markets, if we can find them we intend to take a look. Otherwise nothing planned except a lazy day taking in the sights of Milan.
Today we stepped into the Leonardo3 Museum, taking advantage of a concession ticket thanks to our work in education. Nestled between the Duomo and La Scala, this museum is a treasure trove of interactive reconstructions of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions. From fantastical flying machines to his whimsical mechanical lion, the exhibits bring Renaissance ingenuity to life.
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| Leonardo3 Museum |
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| Leonardo3 Museum |
Leonardo3 Museum Scale models of bridges, war machines, and hydraulic systems sit alongside modern innovations, showing how Leonardo’s ideas anticipated centuries of progress. Visitors can test digital models, explore multimedia exhibits, and even “operate” his machines virtually. It’s a space that delights both families and curious travellers, and we found ourselves sharing the galleries with several lively ( and well behaved ) classes of Italian schoolchildren—proof that Leonardo’s genius still inspires young minds.
No trip to Milan feels complete without a stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the city’s most famous arcade and Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery. Built between 1865 and 1877 by architect Giuseppe Mengoni, it elegantly links the Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala, earning its nickname as Milan’s “drawing room.”
The Galleria rises four to six stories high, crowned by a magnificent glass-and-iron dome. Its intersecting barrel-vaulted passages form a central octagon, decorated with mosaics of Italian city coats of arms. Revolutionary in its 19th-century design, it went on to inspire arcades across Europe.
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| Galleria |
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| Galleria |
Of course, Cos couldn’t resist the quirky tradition of spinning on the bull mosaic’s testicles for luck—a ritual as amusing as it is enduring. For those with deep pockets (or perhaps a spare kidney to sell), the Galleria offers luxury boutiques like Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Versace, alongside historic bookstores (with recipe book purchased by us) and elegant cafés. Restaurants here serve Milanese classics such as saffron risotto, though the prices are as eye-watering as the architecture is dazzling.
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| Web image of La Scala theatre |
We also managed a peek at La Scala, Milan’s legendary opera house. Once free to enter, the site now charges admission for both the theatre and its museum. Luckily, the kind ticket office lady allowed us a quick complimentary look at the entrance galleries. Sadly, rehearsals meant that even paying visitors couldn’t see the theatre itself that day—but the aura of La Scala remains unmistakable.
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| Hot chocolate the right way! |
Our day was punctuated by several delightful stops at street-side cafés: breakfast at one, lunch at another, and afternoon tea at yet another. Cos indulged in a decadent hot chocolate—essentially melted chocolate with just a splash of milk. Reflecting on the day, we realized chocolate had featured prominently in several meals, a sweet thread running through our Milanese adventure.
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| La Scala La Scala foyer |
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| La Scala foyer |
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| La Scala foyer |
There was also a practical reason for so many café visits: in Milan, public toilets are rare and often require payment. Being a customer is the simplest way to gain access, and we happily embraced the excuse for more coffee and chocolate.
From Leonardo’s visionary machines to the grandeur of the Galleria and the cultural gravitas of La Scala, Milan offered us a day rich in history, architecture, and indulgence. And if chocolate became our unofficial theme, well—that’s a Milanese memory we’re more than happy to savor.
A final note about our visit to Milan. From the very beginning, we knew today would be different. Back in Australia, when we mapped out our trip, we deliberately left Milan with fewer plans. Rome and Florence had been whirlwinds—packed with tours, museums, and must-see sights. Milan, by contrast, was meant to be our pause, our chance to breathe.
And so we did. We slept in, letting the morning unfold at its own pace. By the time we wandered toward the historic centre, the city was already alive, but we felt no rush to catch up. Instead, we embraced the Italian way: piano, piano—slowly, slowly.
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| Parking Italian way of “no worry”. |
There’s a certain joy in moving at half-speed here. Milan invites you to linger over a coffee, to stroll rather than march, to notice the details that a hurried itinerary would miss—the curve of a balcony, the chatter of locals, the scent of fresh pastries drifting from a café.
Today wasn’t about ticking boxes or chasing schedules. It was about savouring the moment, letting the city set the rhythm, and remembering that travel isn’t only about what you see—it’s about how you live while you’re there.
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| The Italian lifestyle |
Arrivederci, Italia.
Grazie per i giorni pieni di arte, storia e sapori indimenticabili.
Ci hai insegnato a rallentare, a vivere piano piano, e a gustare ogni momento.
Portiamo con noi i tuoi paesaggi, i tuoi caffè, i tuoi sorrisi.
Non è un addio, ma un “a presto.”
Tomorrow, a flight to the Netherlands for something different. Cos is excited, it promises to be the land of Dutch comfort food.
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