Buon giorno, Italy!

So apparently, Italy is now over $2.5 trillion in debt – a quarter of Europe’s debt total. If that’s not screaming “HELP”, I don’t know what is. But even though I can't do a huge deal about it (no, I’m not running for prime minister of Italy), I like to think that I did my part with my obscene pizza-, pasta- and gelato-loading.

First stop: Milano.

For a city reputed for being so beautiful and stylish, Milan left me a little underwhelmed. That being said, if I had had enough money to separate the ‘window-’ from ‘shopping’, my opinion may now be drastically different.

The highlight for me, literally, was climbing the Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) and admiring its gothic architecture from the rooftops. Intricate sculptures, pinnacles and spires, and of course, the majestic yet delicate flying buttresses... If you only have a few hours to spend in Milan, spend it up here. Shopping can wait.

I also quite enjoyed the Castello Sforzesco – a medieval castle that houses many museums, including that of musical instruments, to which I devoted a few hours. I was also lucky enough to catch a medieval concert performed on traditional instruments. I may be a Baroque-Classical girl, but I actually adored the Gregorian chants. What can I say? Guess travelling really does open the mind.

Dear old Leonardo does get quite a big tribute in this city too, having spent his early working years here. I popped in to the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church to see his Last Supper and a collection of his inventions in the Art and Science Museum. Is there anything Da Vinci can’t do?

Oh, and the markets. They were intense. What do you get when you mix a few thousand Italian women and a kilometre-long market of cheap clothes, jewellery, bags and shoes? Flying elbows, angry mouths and sudden, overwhelming claustrophobia. And once you step in, it’s at least a two hundred meter commitment till the next exit. Not for the faint-hearted.

So all in all, a great start to my backpacking trip and a sweet first impression of Italy. But now, it’s time to say “ciao” for a while – I’m off to Athens!