I found the Duomo to be breath-taking each and every time I saw it, in the same way that I find the Rocky Mountains to be breath-taking even though I can see them out of my window every day. The last day in Milan was spent walking and shipping, and I think in the grand scheme of things, I hardly bought anything. I think my suitcase was already pretty full of outfits and shoe options, so it was hard to imagine what else I’d have room for. If you end up in Milan, Brera is a nice shopping area that has lots of cool perfumeries, some that are even run by the brands themselves or the distributors, and you can find literally anything. It kind of reminded me of Soho in NYC, or Berkley in California. Same vibes.
Mazzolari is a perfume store that was fun to go through and it was amazing to see all the brands that I’ve only see in on the Internet in one place. The store was packed corner to corner, but I will say that the service isn’t the greatest. They don’t want to help you, but they will stand by and watch you spray scent strips yourself. But if you ask for help, they are lovely. Someone told me to download a translating app to help me while I was there, but I didn’t find that I had much of a problem.
Rinascente department store in Duomo was the best place to buy designer because their customer service was excellent and they have machines in the store where you could get your tax back if you had your passport information with you. It was so convenient, and a great place to get souvenirs too. I got some soaps and some stuff to eat, a new bottle of Coromandel, and… I think that’s it. They had the latest designer releases too and you could smell to your heart’s content. The rooftop is a food hall, definitely less impressive than other European food halls I’ve seen (like Harrod’s or even Kadewe in Berlin) but it was stocked full of Italian treats.
My favourite thing is that if you sit down and order a drink, little appies magically appear in front of you.
I loved Milan. It was cold and rainy, but I was warm the whole time.
