It was our last full day in Milan (actually in Italy period), and we planned to cram as much sightseeing into it as we could. 

The first thing on our itinerary was The Last Supper. I have known about this painting for as long as I can remember. So when we found out it was in Milan, we instantly booked tickets. There are a lot of websites saying you have to book through tour groups, but just call the museum directly and you’ll get the tickets at a far better price. But definitely get tickets early. There are a very limited amount of tickets sold each day. Only 25 people are allowed in at a time to see the painting in 15 minute intervals. 

Because they only allow 25 people in at a time, you have to chose a time when you book your tickets. We chose the opening time so we could have the rest of the day free for sightseeing. We arrived shortly before our time slot and were ushered into a waiting room. Right on time, a guide came in and explained the process. We would first have to spend 5 minutes in small room to get dehumidified. Then we would get to enter the refectory (where the painting is) for 15 minutes. No flash photography or selfie sticks are allowed, and the guide strictly enforces this. Right at 15 minutes, an announcement is made and everyone must leave the room. Seems really strict just to view a painting, but I appreciate how they are trying to protect it. 

I definitely recommend renting an audio tour because it points out all the little details you might miss. For example, a door was cut into where Jesus’ feet were painted because at the time, it wasn’t famous or important. Luckily, every aspiring painter at the time copied this piece as a test of their abilities, so we know exactly what the full piece looked like. 

The opposite wall had an even more impressive though lesser known known painting. The Crucifixion by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano. There were so many details and so many emotions captured. Isn’t it funny how the most famous paintings (Mona Lisa for example) always have something even more impressive on the opposite facing wall!?!

And then it was time for… you guessed it… espresso! We started walking toward the Duomo di Milano and found the most adorable coffee shop. Even the name was cute, Tutto Bene (All Good). The espresso was less than $2 and was one of the best we had ever had. And, they gave a us a shot glass of water to chase it. ha! 

After re-energizing, we headed on towards the duomo, ducking into fun little shops all along the way.  And then, suddenly, the duomo appeared. We were in shock. Neither of us expected it to be so grand and magnificent. We have seen some pretty monumental and famous cathedrales like the Sagrada Familia and Notre Dame, but they didn’t even come close to the Duomo di Milano.

There was a massive line out front, but we didn’t let that stop us. We proceeded to the ticket office and quickly grabbed tickets for both the inside and the roof. And then we found a little known trick. The huge line in front allows you to enter the duomo. So it contains people with tickets who can only access the inside of the duomo and people with tickets who can access the inside and roof. However, if you go around to the back of the cathedral, there is a second entrance that goes straight to the roof. And from the roof there is another entrance that leads you straight down directly inside the duomo. There were maybe 10 people in this line. Winning!!

The roof access is an absolute must. The views of the city are awesome, and seeing all the carvings and details on the outside of the duomo were incredible. Each spire must have had 25 little statues exquisitely carved from the stone. There are 3400 statues, 135 gargoyles and 700 figures and none of them are duplicates! I can’t imagine the effort that was put into creating the duomo. There really aren’t words to describe it. 

The inside was equally grand and just as breathtaking. There were some fascinating statues like that of Saint Bartholomew Flayed. Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and he was skinned alive and then behead. And, that’s exactly what this statue depicted. The veins, muscles, and tendons were in full display, and his skin was draped around him like a piece of cloth. I think Mark Twain captured my thoughts exactly when he said, “It was a hideous thing, and yet there was a fascination about it somehow.”

There were gorgeous stained glass windows, massive columns, and detailed carvings. 

After spending hours admiring the duomo, we were famished. We were too tired to get find anything off the beaten path, so we chose a restaurant only a couple blocks from the duomo. My goal was to try the famous Milanese risotto, so that is exactly what I did. You can’t beat a hot plate of risotto and a large glass of wine when you are tired and hungry.

After our very late lunch, we headed to the next tourist attraction. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It the oldest active shopping mall in Italy and has all the luxury brands such as Prada and Versace. A few years ago, it also contained a Mcdonald’s, but the mall refused to let them renew their lease because they weren’t classy enough. Sure enough, Mcdonald’s sued the Galleria and the case was settled with the city finding Mcdonald’s a bigger place within a stone’s throw distance from its original location. We didn’t do any shopping but Nisheet did dot in and out of the Prada store just so he could say he went inside one in Milan, Italy. If you know me, I’m not really a girly girl who loves shopping. So, honestly, my favorite part was the bars in the front where you could grab a drink and enjoy the view of the duomo. 

We eventually made it back to Navigli and went in search of our last honeymoon dinner. We decided on a place right on the canal and had a feast of pastas and wine. It was a more upscale restaurant than we typically eat at, and it was uber romantic with candle lit tables for two situated in a lush green garden. And, the pasta was divine. 

We debated about dessert. Should we get split tiramisu? Nah. We decided to get gelato one last time. We hadn’t had gelato and it was our last day in Italy. What were we thinking?! It was an absolute must.

After gelato, we still weren’t ready to call it a night. I had a bunch of packing left to do, but who needed sleep? We could sleep all the way home on the flight the next day. 

Our host had given  us a list of his favorite bars, so we picked one and walked that way. When we got there, we were quite confused. The waiter had very broken english and kept telling us he couldn’t serve us drinks. Huh? Turns out that there was a big soccer match going on, and the main canal area had issues with too many crazy drunks during the games in the past. So, now, when there is a big game, they aren’t allowed to serve hard drinks. You can only drink wine. We were looking for cocktails, so they ended up telling us about another cocktail bar, Iter, that they owned a couple of blocks away from the canal. 

We begrudgingly went to the bar they directed us to thinking it would be a letdown, but it turns out, it could easily have been one of the best cocktail bar in Milan! It was a traveling and adventure themed place with a romantic cozy vibe, and the cocktails were complex and well crafted. Every six months, the staff at Iter travels to a new country to discover and bring back new cocktail recipes. Nisheet had the Balboa which was made with brandy, campari, marsala semi, and vermouth. I had D’Orange with vodka, aperitif, raspberry, lime, orange, and soda. Both drinks were divine and spot on! 

What a perfect end to our Italian honeymoon. Or so we thought…