"Magnificent Duomo (Cathedral)" Milan by Benson35

We decided for one oof our days we would explore Milan via a tour bus. We came to this decision because of two reasons: 1. We only had one full day there (not knowing about our delay at this point). 2. It got us out of the cold for an hour while sightseeing in Milan within the short time we had.
The tour bus was a guided tour (earphones plugged into pre-recorded information about the points of interest in Milan). It was a good informative guide to Milan where you could get off at different points throughout the city to explore more.

The Duomo is an amazing building (see photograph). The carvings are so intricate and must have been incredibly time consuming. The inside of the Cathedral takes your breath away. The ceiling is very high, there are masses of pews, alters, statues, beautiful stained-glass windows, tombs and places tucked away for quiet prayer and reflection.
When there is good weather you are able to walk on the roof of the Duomo (for a small cost). We were gutted that it was closed due to the ice, so it's back on my list of things I want to do!
The Duomo spectacular inside and out, it attracts a lot of people so it can get rather crowded.

Outside a cafe on the street

We (6 of us) were in Milan for approx. 3 days in December of 2010. And if you're wondering, it was part of a football trip! (Manchester City 1 Juventus 1)
We had snow and ice to contend with on our trip. In fact the snow was that bad, our flight was delayed 24 hours! Don't get swept away in the mind-set that Italy is always hot! Some places are also excellent ski resorts.
Within the winter months make sure you take lots of warm clothes and shoes/boots with good grips.

Spin on the Bulls Balls!

To the left of the Duomo is an indoor shopping centre. There are a selection of clothes shops, shoes shops and jewellery shops. Along with a few cafes and place to grab a snack (including a McDonalds - they get every where!!).
The main attraction of this shopping centre is a Bull that has been drawn using mosaic tiles on the floor near one of the exits (more-or-less opposite McDonalds). You will see from the photograph on the left that there is a metal concave circle where the Bull's balls should be. It is said that if you dig the heel of your shoe in the metal circle and spin around keeping your heel in the same place, it brings you good luck! You won't feel foolish doing this as there is always a queue!!

We also came across a market. I think that this was their Christmas Market and is not always there or as big (I could be wrong). The stalls were full of beautiful and unique jewellery, carvings in wood, food, oils, trees, plants and much more.

• Pros:Amazing architecture, good shopping, great sightseeing
• Cons:Easy to get lost on foot! (but we didn't have a map!)
• In a nutshell:Visit if only for the Duomo