The perfect Mother and Daughter Weekend: Climbing the Duomo and Obika


After a busy, but wonderful day in Turin, we decided to take it easy on Sunday.

Well that's what Sunday's are for right?

Relaxing, and eating and drinking...and more eating?

(there's no doubt I have definately developed some kind of obession with food whilst being here in Italy, I think it's a good kind of obession though because you know, I have to experience the culture and stuff, ahem.)

In fact one of the first things we did when we got to Milan was pop into Princi bakery for a slice of their heavenly pizza.

It's more like foccacia with toppings than say a slab of Spontini's cheesy monstrosity-see below.

so.much.cheese.so.good
But it's still delish. And if you aren't satisfied with just a pizza you can choose from a huge range of yummy cakes and pastries. We just went for the pizza option as we knew we would be eating a lot later (and of course also having Gelato).

We sauntered on down Corso Como, the route I usually take people because not only is it a lovely walk into the centre but here, hides the famous 10 Corso Como.



The ultimate concept store: High-end fashion boutique, design exhibition, bookshop where you can find all kinds of wonderful art-related things, photography exhibitions....




and there's even a roof terrace, a pocket of peacefulness up and away from the hubub of the city.





Classy ladies just chillin' on the roof garden.

If you're into fashion or love all things arty then you really should go.





But you really should go even if you're not because I promise you, you will find something that intrigues you.

Plus it's all free- the roof terrace, the photography exhibitions- unless you decide to buy something of course (which is highely unlikely once you see the price tags).

I always kind of forget this route takes some leg power (it's around 30 mins of walking) so by the time we got to the Duomo we really needed to sit down...and my mum needed a Jelly Baby.

She has diabetes you see, so when it's Jelly Baby time you know it's time for a break.
Of course I had the perfect remedy: Gelato!

Unfortunately for her, I decided to show her the delicacies of I cioccolati italiani, which being how yummy it is and being a Sunday was it's usual packed self.

This meant waiting for a good 20 minutes.

I felt kinda guilty but I knew it was going to be so worth it.

(Seriously if you see a huge crowd of people don't be put off, get in there and get in the queue! They have a ticket system so thankfully it's not just a free-for-all because we all know what Europeans are like with their queueing).

Finally re-fuelled we could get on with our next activity and the main attraction:

The Duomo.

But this time I wasn't just going in it, I was going to go up on the roof.

I had been wanting to do this for aaaaages and I'm so glad I finally got round to it.

You can see the gothic architecture in all it's glory, being so close you can almost touch the curly arches.





Walk all the way around, discovering the normally hidden parts.



Marvel at the marble.


And of course you have an amazing view of Milan.







...especially if you go just as the sun is starting to slip away.





It costs 7 euros (12 if you take the lift, but the stairs really aren't that bad) but I definately think it's worth it and is something everyone should do on a visit to Milan.

One tip: buy your ticket from the kiosk around the corner, not where the entrance to the terrace is as there was a long queue but we just skipped right to the front because we already had our tickets!

After a relaxing hour admiring the colours in the sky I then dragged my mum off to the Navigli. I say dragged because in hindsight it probably was a bit far away from where we were (I have a habit of making people walk miles) but I hardly ever go there and I was keen to show my mum one of the more "hidden" parts of Milan.



The Navigli were built by Leonardo da Vinci (what a good guy eh?) to carry the marble to build the Duomo. Only a couple of them remain today and sadly the most recent time I went there wasn't actually any water in them! But when there is, it's a really pretty place.

Bars and restuarants line the Navigli making it a great place to come for aperitIvo- you know, that amazing Italian invention I've mentioned before where a drink and buffet is only 6-8 euros.

Saying that, we didn't actually go for aperitivo, we ended up just having a cappucino because we didn't want to spoil our appetites for dinner at...

Obika

Officially a Mozzerella bar, but actually does a variety of pasta and pizza as well, it's located on the 7th floor of la Rinascente, a large Italian department store on the lines of House of Fraser, opposite the Duomo.

Which means...

you get to look out at the Duomo while you munch away.


Well, if you don't mind sitting outside on the terrace but they have heaters so even though it was November and we were all the way up there, (it's level with the terrace of the Duomo so that's pretty high!) we were still nice and toasty.



Which means we could concentrate on the food (and the view).

We started off our sophisticated evening sharing an antipasti of cheese, salame, proscuitto and bread.




Can't beat a good bread basket!

before ordering pasta dishes (as the Mozzerella itself is a tad expensive for our budgets).


I still got my cheese though!

You might think all that emphasis on the formaggio could leave the other dishes being second rate.

But you'd be wrong because it was delicious.

Not to mention the bottle of red.

a. whole. bottle. of. wine.
I had to document the momentous occasion

This got me wildy excited, probably a bit too excited but hey, I have never ordered a whole bottle in a resturant before.

So naturally, I felt incredibly sophisticated and grown up.




Salute! (cheers)
And although we may have chosen the cheapest one on the menu - as with all wines in Italy - it was still damn good!And I think 22 euros was a good price, considering where we were.

Who cares if it was a Sunday night and I had work the next day, I was going to drink my share! (Which obviously did result in some mild tipsyness on the way home).

And that concluded my mum's short visit to Milan. *sad face.

But I couldn't have wished for a better way to spend our last night together and I really think it was one of my best weekends I've had in Italy so far!

See you at Christmas Mum!



Comments

  1. Fab weekend oh eldest one! Can't wait fpr Vienna next year and PARTY TIME ! Xxx

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