For my third and final free weekend, I went to Milan, Italy. Although it is often overshadowed by more famous cities in Italy like Rome and Venice, Milan has a great deal to offer any traveler. In addition to the many famous sites and shopping destinations, I also found that the people in Milan were mostly receptive to tourists and were willing to help my friend and me find our way around to the less touristy destinations. After getting a shuttle from the airport to the central station, we walked around the city looking for a nice place to eat. We found a nice little cafe where you get to pick a meat, pasta, and vegetable all for only 10 euros and based on the server's recommendation, I ate rabbit for the first time (and loved it). After the meal, we accidentally found our way to Sforza Castle and the neighboring Sempione Park, two major attractions in the heart of Milan. The castle is one of the largest in Europe and had several interesting museums, many of which were free admittance the day we went (I don't know if that's standard). After looking at some of the medieval catholic art and the Ancient Egyptian sarcophagi that was housed in the museums, we ventured out in the rain for a stroll through Sempione Park. This park is massive with outdoor cafes, playgrounds for children (or easily amused college students), a running track, and several landmarks including a massive arch at the very far end of the park.
The next day was mostly spent in the Piazza Del Duomo, where the famous cathedral is located. Also found in this area is one of the most famous shopping malls in Milan, where we mostly just enjoyed window shopping because most of the stores were a little out of our price range (particularly the Mercedes Benz store). We also enjoyed walking up the spiral staircase to the the Duomo's rooftop, which only costs 7 euros to visit. This was the most scenic part of the trip as the view offered a combination of beautifully detailed architecture and a great panoramic view of the entire city. I had heard that you could see the Alps from the roof, although it must have been too cloudy when we were there because I didn't see them. After about an hour of lounging on the Duomo roof, we went to the Brera area, an interesting neighborhood to eat and visit that was recommended to us by a local college student. The main site in this part of Milan is a university, which houses a very old library, a botanical garden, and several classical looking sculptures. After touring the campus grounds, we walked to a little cafe and got a nice Italian meal and a bottle of wine. The food was good although not great for the price starting with the 4 euro stale bread that would be complimentary in the US. After dinner, we went back to the hostel and watched some of the European Cup soccer matches and rested up for a 6 AM flight.
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