I went to Milan expecting a fashion city that looked down its nose at tourists. What I got was a real
working city that had no particular opinion about me one way or the other, which was both more
comfortable and slightly humbling.
I planned too much
Milan is very easy to navigate. The Metro is clean, simple, and runs on time. The Duomo is worth
seeing. Navigli is worth an evening. Brera is worth half a day if you like art or looking at buildings
that make you feel like your life choices have been inadequate. Beyond that I would stop planning
and start walking.
The food situation
The risotto alla Milanese, the one with saffron, is the thing to order and it is everywhere and it is
almost always good. The cotoletta, which is basically a Milanese schnitzel, is also the thing to order.
The aperitivo situation where bars put out food with your drink from 6pm is real and genuinely
good. Do not let anyone convince you to eat at a restaurant that has pictures on the menu near the
Duomo.
What I did not expect
I did not expect the healthcare conversation to come up as much as it did. I was in Milan partly to
deal with some dental work, and I ended up in a long conversation with someone who explained that
Northern Italians with significant dental work increasingly go to Albania for treatment. Specifically
Tirana, which is an hour and a half flight from Milan. The savings on dental implants in Milan
versus getting the same work done in Albania through a properly coordinated service are significant
enough that it has become a genuine habit. Worth knowing about at
albamedhealth.com/it/dental-implants-milan/
The Italian
I learned eight words before I went. I used six of them. The six I used: buongiorno, grazie, mi scusi,
per favore, il conto, dov’e. That is a functional trip. Not a fluent trip. A trip where people treated me
like a person who was trying, which is all you can really ask for in someone else’s country.
What I would do differently
Go in November. Stay somewhere in Navigli or Brera rather than near the Duomo. Eat the cotoletta
on the first day so you stop thinking about whether you should order it. Learn eight words. Use six
of them. Let the city do the rest.