I had heard enough rumors to dislike all the high rises and uptight business culture of Milan. However, the big city buildings soon fade as I pass the Porta Nuova into the historic center.
Buildings now feature 18th and 19th century decorative facades and line the streets alongside modern buildings. They blend seamlessly together old and new.

I find the main theater and walk through the impressive gallery to the Duomo, the main cathedral. It is sharper and and well decorated with hundreds of different statues. It is a gothic marvel and the 2nd largest cathedral in the world.

I meander up the street to the castle, which from a distance looks like another ancient cathedral, but up close is impressive in its own right. There are many central courtyards and cloisters beautifully decorated with the Sforzesco family insignia, the Solaris, which covers many buildings throughout the city. It is gorgeous, and I love walking through the castle as if it is a park.

Sforzesco castle

There is also a park behind it marked with a big arch.

I walk to the neighborhood next door, the Bern quarter, and find another beautiful palace. This neighborhood belongs to the ancient inhabitants of Milan, dating back to Roman times when it was a field. It then became the Bohemian neighborhood of many artists and poets. Now, it is a pedestrian-friendly, car-free zone, giving it a different vibe than the rest of the city.

I walk down the street through Milan’s chinatown, which looks like typical palaces decorated with Chinese lanterns.

I continue on to my vaccine appointment; the Lombardi government offers vaccines hassle-free to foreigners. I receive my booster in 45 minutes and am off to see the rest of the center.

There is a gorgeous 11th century church and courtyard with columns. I find another, from the 5th century, octagonal and filled with mosaics and frescoes in the back room dating back to its founding. Check out these altars and artifacts originating during the point when Christianity transitioned from a minority religion to obligatory.

The city looks beautiful lit up with night, and I wander through the main boutique shopping streets sponsored by the biggest names in fashion. I decide I like the seamless fusion of old and new, trendy and history, and count myself grateful for this surprise trip to Milan.