Milan: A timeless city

WRITTEN BY Tim Surgenor

An Evening in Milan If on a clear spring evening you look out from your hotel balcony across to Porta Nuova, you could be forgiven for forgetting Milan’s rich history. Porta Nuova is home to some of the most spectacular modern buildings in the world. The great glass skyscrapers rise before you in the evening like exquisitely shaped mirrors. They reflect back at you the pale shine of the moon and the warm lights of the streets below. It is strange, you think to yourself, that a city with a skyline that is so thoroughly modern is such an unmissable destination on classic Italy tours.

An evening in Milan is unmissable

Travelling through time

Even if you had a lifetime, you would never see all that Milan has to offer. To even scratch the surface, you will need multiple classic Italy tours. So how does one begin? Here are a few ideas.

Stroll through the Quadrilatero della moda, the epicentre of Italian fashion and home to the best boutiques in the city. Linger outside of Versace on Via Borgospesso, or treat yourself – or a loved one – in Jimmy Choo on Via San Pietro all’Orto. When you tire, sit in a piazza and drink an Italian coffee in the sun, watching the locals drift away into the small streets that lead into the city like streams branching off from a river.

2. Be inspired by the intricate gothic beauty of the Duomo di Milano, the largest church in Italy. This is Milan’s gothic cathedral. Wander through the exquisite labrinthyne, finding solace in the beautiful sacredness of the space, whatever your belief or spirituality. Like generations of travellers before you, sit for a moment of silent contemplation. Rest your hand against the cool stone like a thousand wanderers before you.

3. Treat yourself to a meal at Spazio Niko Romito or Serica. Of course, it is impossible to choose only two restaurants in a city that, even by Italian standards, takes hospitality seriously. One could enjoy arguably the most innovative and sophisticated cuisine in Europe every day of the week for a year and never dine in the same restaurant twice. At Sapzio Niko Romito, take a seat by the window and look out onto the central square of the city. At Serica, be delighted by the artful combination of Italian and Chinese cuisine.

4. Drink in the serene wonder of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. You have undoubtedly seen photos of the famous fresco that has Jesus and his disciples at his infamous last meal. Be amazed by the range of emotions expressed here; it as though da Vinci has catalogued the whole range of human experience in this single image. Afterwards, wander out into the street and enjoy a glass of Franciacorta – sparkling Italian wine – as the sun begins to set.

If you can’t sleep, explore the city by night. When it comes to nightlife, Milan has some of the best in Europe. If you are feeling adventurous, join the throngs of young students and workers in the bars and clubs by the canals. In the Navigil district, watch the neon lights bounce of the dark water and immerse yourself in the noise and movement and activity of the party. If you’re looking for something a bit more intimate – perhaps you are celebrating an anniversary, a birthday, a promotion, or just the joy of being together – settle in for an evening at one of the wine bars in Brera.

Take a break from the city and read a book on the shore of Lake Como. Of course, this isn’t Milan itself, but it is close enough to draw the traveller into its orbit. Here, the water is a brilliant azure, and the mountains that rise around you are covered in lush greenery and spotted with the brilliant purples and pinks and whites of the seasonal flowers. Bring a book. Alternatively, glide out onto the water on a boat and look back at the ancient town that spreads itself out along the shore.

Back to the hotel

Let’s return to our scene from before: Milan, at night, viewed from your hotel. The cityscape before you.

Of course, the view is still distinctively Italian: the buildings are sophisticated, exquisitely designed, and as perfectly arranged as a bouquet of flowers painted by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, the Renaissance artist who called Milan home in the late 16th Century.

This connection – between Renaissance art and the glimmering view before you – is a reminder that Milan is neither old, nor new: it is timeless. When you arrive in Milan on one of our classic Italy tours, you don’t just notice this timelessness: you experience it. In Milan, the past and the present unfold before the traveller like the petals of a flower.

You take your glass of wine and raise it in a silent toast to the city.

Timelessness for those caught in the fever and fret of life.

For all it’s beauty, the thing we value most about Puglia is its gift of time. The days pass differently here – the mornings effortlessly blend into the afternoons and the afternoons into night. One day complements the next in the way that vineyards complement the sea in the Valle d’Itria. Puglia is best enjoyed with others – with those you most love – not just because good food and good wine invites good company, but because the region offers time to reconnect, rekindle, and rejoice.

In short, here is our humble opinion: tours of Puglia never disappoint. They rejuvenate, revive, delight. And while there is more to the region than the ocean, you are never far from the sweet, sweet sound of the sea.