Day 05 Exploring Milan

When we finally woke up and opened the windows to daylight, we saw Milan for what it truly is — bright, beautiful, and full of character. Our late-night arrival had shown us only shadowed streets and tired impressions, but the morning light pulled back the curtain. Suddenly, we were in Europe again.

Even the door-locking mechanism in our apartment fascinated me — a clever, over-engineered system clearly designed to slow down anyone trying to break in. It took both of us a minute to figure out how to escape the apartment, which is always a good way to feel like seasoned travelers.

We walked to a nearby café for breakfast, then over to Nail Fata to set up Donna’s appointment later in the day. From there, we hopped onto the underground metro and headed toward the more touristy heart of Milan. A street-tour guide convinced us to join a combined museum and cathedral tour — and honestly, it was worth every euro to skip the long lines and have someone knowledgeable bring the story of the Duomo to life.

Inside and out, the Duomo di Milano was breathtaking. No photograph can prepare you for it. The façade rises like a forest of marble spires, each carved with impossible detail. Our guide explained how construction began in the 1300s and continued for centuries, which suddenly made sense as we walked beneath towering stained glass and past sculptures tucked into every niche. The entire structure feels alive — ancient yet somehow always becoming.

Then came the climb.
We made our way all the way to the tippy top of the cathedral. The walk upward was pure wonder — sculpture after sculpture revealing itself at eye level, as though the architects assumed people would eventually climb this high. Donna, who does not love heights, deserves full honors for making it to the summit. Her main concern, hilariously enough, wasn’t the elevation but whether our extra travel pounds would cause the 600-year-old building to crumble. I assured her it had been standing for centuries. She shot back, “Yeah… and it can fall down at any time now.”

Touché.

I held her hand as we crossed the rooftop pathways toward the exit door, a quiet moment suspended above the city. Then came the long spiral descent — narrow stone steps, polished by generations of feet, echoing with our laughter and relief.

We took the underground back toward the Airbnb, and more importantly, back to Nail Fata for Donna’s appointment (see Day 05: It’s Donna’s Turn). Later, we grabbed an Uber to Eataly, that wonderful hybrid of elegant grocery store and restaurant. Dinner was excellent — fresh, flavorful, and exactly what a long day of walking, climbing, and awe requires.

One final Uber home, one last practice run with the apartment door lock, and then we tried to get to bed early. Tomorrow begins our next challenge: figuring out how to get to Monaco.

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