NoFilter Milan: A Day Around the Duomo

A few months before writing this, I decided to see Milan en route to Budapest. It was the first Italian city I had ever visited, and I was more than a little excited. My expectations were the usual ones: fashion capital, heavily touristed, expensive. People told me to take the metro from the central station to get into the city quickly, and to get off either at Cadorna or at the Duomo.

I chose the Duomo. I had not prepared myself for what waited at the top of the steps.

The Duomo, the symbol of Milan.

The cathedral, and the crowd outside it

Duomo di Milano, in all its glory, is not a sight you walk past. I stopped, got the camera out, and took the photograph above. Then I put off posting the pictures for months. When I heard about the #NoFilter Milan project run by London City Airport, I finally had a reason to publish them unedited.

What stayed with me most was not the marble but the mix of people. I had assumed the area would be full of shoppers drifting between luxury stores. It was not like that at all. The square around the Duomo was alive with every kind of person. Outside the station there were crowds of hawkers selling all sorts of things to anyone passing. There were tourists, plenty of them, some dragging suitcases like mine. There were people sitting in pairs or groups, watching the endless selfies being taken, and sometimes offering to take the picture instead. There were others who kept trying to start conversations with strangers, asking for donations or help. And there were the people working in the sun, selling food, gelato and other goods to visitors. I also noticed a good number of policemen, who were extremely helpful when I asked for directions.

Inside the Duomo.

If you have longer than a day

Milan has more than the cathedral. Depending on what you like, there is the Brera Gallery or the Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum. Da Vinci's Last Supper is in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, about fifteen minutes from the Duomo.

Gelato, wifi and a tram going the wrong way

After a few hours on my feet I wanted to sit down quietly and eat something. I found a chic cafe and gelateria, took one look at the queue and changed my mind. I also needed wifi, because Aila had offered to host me and I had to get in touch. Milan offers free wifi in many places, and I eventually connected at a McDonald's in the area.

Food on the move, outside a high-end fashion store. Who would not want a gelato?

Getting to Aila's took longer than it should have. I got on the wrong tram and lost about an hour. By the time I arrived I was tired and worried about an early flight the next morning. If you plan to spend a whole day moving around Milan, a day ticket for around four euros is the best option.

The city behind the shop windows

Many of the residential buildings in Milan are old, and they give you a sense of how the city used to look. Stylish skyscrapers and taller blocks exist too, especially on the road out to Malpensa Airport, but they are not the whole story.

My host was welcoming and remarkably quick and creative with everything, from cooking to decorating. She told me it is very difficult to find work in the city if you do not speak Italian. I was surprised by how affordable the hair salons and eateries in her neighbourhood were. We went for a walk after dark and saw parts of Milan I would never have found as a lone tourist. This is why I like meeting locals and staying with them: the city makes more sense when someone shows you their version of it. That night I wrote out a few Indian recipes for her, and we swapped stories and addresses to keep in touch.

The roof of the Duomo.

Flying out of Milan.

For a far more detailed guide to the city, with advice on where to stay, eat and what to see, there is this post about Milan by a blogger friend. Have fun.