I was looking forward to this trip since I booked the tickets a few days ago. Did some reading on the plane about the history of Milan, it seems it has been ruled by Gaules, Lombardis, Romans, Barbarians, Spanish and Austrians among a few others, quite intriguing really. As it boasts as the Economic centre of Italy, before I came to Milan, I had in my mind a rather industrial city featured by shiny high rise buildings and wide roads packed with cars. But it is also completely opposite. During the taxi ride to the hotel from Cadorna, I noticed most old buildings we passed by and narrow streets in between traditional Italian style buildings with wooden shutters and small balconies with delicate iron fences. It was 6:30 in the afternoon and it was very sunny and warm, I came out of the hotel, the first thing I noticed is that the famous cathedral Duomo is just five minutes away. Following the big spire at the top of the cathedral, I came to a nice square with fountains in the middle, and there are roses blooming lovely in the sun. The season for roses are apparently a bit early in Italy than UK.
The Duomo cathedral is magnificent, just as you would expect for a historical place like this. The stones have been cleaned up on the front but they are still doing some work in the back. I had a stroll in the wide square in front of it, enjoying the scenary in the late afternoon sun, it definitely feels warmer than UK. There is a Galleria of posh shops and cafes on the side.
When my colleague from Sweden arrived, we came out to have dinner in a restaurant near the cathedral. This must be one of the most touristy places in Milan, as this is certainly reflected in the prices for wine. A glass of wine costs between 10 to 15 EUR, that is nearly twice as much for a restaurant like this in London. The food was average, but weather and atmosphere makes up for it.
Our office is located in central Milan where the financial district is. Nice location with stock exchange in the back, this must be where the money is. A good meeting, started a big difficult, but we overcame our differences and reached good conclusions on the way forward. Looks like I will be here for a few more times this summer.
