Milan: Beautiful city, beautiful people

Even without the excitement of the Salone del Mobile, Milan is a beautiful city to explore. With our most comfortable walking shoes on, my #blago2014 travel buddies and I pounded Milanese pavement for hours, passing by some of the city’s most iconic sights along the way.

Oh my DSLR and wide-angle lens, how I’ve missed you! I love my little Sony point-and-shoot, but it would never let me get the immense Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II in a single shot…

or to capture the Galleria from head to toe, for that matter.

Speaking of head to toe, Milan’s beautiful and stylishly dressed citizens sure know how to steal attention away from its stunning architecture.

I secretly love to people-watch, and Milan’s unique flair makes my little pastime a true pleasure.

From a pop of hot pink on a hipster carabinieri to the elegant tailoring of an elderly doorman, there’s no shortage of details to surprise and delight.

Every city has its obsession. In Amsterdam, people are glued to their bikes; in Antwerp, everyone has gorgeous outerwear. The Milanese? They take their shoes very, very seriously.

As a midget in a land of giants, I sure could use a few extra inches. But I will never, ever resort to platform sneakers. I just don’t get them. Not even if they’re the pricey, sought-after Hogans that the Milanese (and according to Kat, the Italians in general) seem to be obsessed with at the moment. Those red velvet platforms, though, are just dreamy.

More than just shoes, the Milanese are serious about looking good in general. Even on wheels.

They’re serious about football…

and they sure are serious about food, as I discovered when I stepped into Eataly, a gastronomic megastore boasting 5,000 square meters and four storeys of artisanal, locally sourced food products.

Dammit. How can they eat so well and still look so good? It must be an Italian thing. Or maybe it’s just Milan!