A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I visited Milan for a short city break. When going on a city break there are a few things we love to do: eat as much good food as possible, spend a lot of some time shopping and really take in the local culture.

Milan delivered.

Firstly, I have to mention how stylish this city really is. The men sure know how to dress! From young guys to middle-aged men and older men – they all dressed impeccably.

The fit of Italian suits is just incredible; it was as if the street was a catwalk.

The food, naturally, was delicious.  We ate heaps of lasagne, pasta, pizza and tiramisu. Actually I could quite easily live of the happy hour antipasti buffets.

Interestingly, after a night of partying in Milan’s hottest clubs, you can head back to the same spot you were sipping on cocktails the night before, for brunch- yes a ‘happy hour’ version of brunch. In nightclubs. Only in Milan, surely?

I also loved seeing the fast food stands in the town centre, which seemed to be healthy sandwiches of various cold meats. Much more appetising than Mc Donalds.

I had read online that Lake Como is quite close to Milan so we took a 40 minute train and went there for the day. I am so pleased we did. Despite it being quite a horrible rainy and windy day in November, Lake Como was breathtakingly beautiful.

The pretty houses situated on the cliff tops (which although look tiny, I am sure are actually million pound mansions), the lake, the lovely little coffee shops – just heaven.  I truly believe visiting places like this are good for the soul. We got a little lost walking from the station down to the lake so definitely take a taxi.

Once back in Milan to keep my boyfriend entertained we went to the San Siro stadium to watch Inter-Milan play football. He loved it. I kind of liked it. One thing to remember is that as a foreigner, you need either a driving licence or passport as identity to buy tickets at the stadium. Also, once leaving the stadium it is very easily to get lost so I highly recommend you have a map or take a taxi to the nearest metro.

The majority of our time was spent wandering around the Piazza del Duomo which is the main square right by the famous Duomo (cathedral to you and me). I found some cute little vintage shops and boutiques among the more well-known European stores, which is where I found my new white Winter coat that I’m wearing above!

We did also visit other touristy haunts like the Castle and the extraordinary Duomo. We paid a small fee to walk up to the top of the Duomo which had some amazing views. However, it was a rainy day and walking on a slippery surface so high up in the sky, was quite scary to say the least.

Overall, Milan was a lovely Winter city break and I highly recommend visiting for a long weekend.

A few tips:
– The metro is really easy to navigate so you don’t necessarily need to stay in the town centre.
– Do try some of the Italian makeup brands in the department stores, I found a few fab pieces!
– Venture out of the city and visit Lake Como, it’s only 40 minutes on the train!
– If you’re into football, go to a game at San Siro as it really is an amazing experience.
– For real authentic Italian food, walk away from the Duomo square as there are some lovely little gems hidden away where the locals eat.