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Ten minutes walking. That’s what EVERYONE in Italy says when you ask directions. After our first week in country, it became a running joke with us. In Milan, with it’s cobblestone, teeny-tiny side streets, I couldn’t get anywhere in 10 minutes because I had whiplash. The street fashion was so off-the-charts fantastic that I could not walk more than two steps without saying, “so chic”, “I love that!” or I’m wearing that idea!” But I, lover of fashion since birth, was most impressed with the Milanese women and their mastery of the high heel shoe.

Now, I have been wearing heels my entire life, I’m almost certain I wore them everyday senior year high school, but I could not for the life of me balance on Milan’s cobblestone streets. I watched in wonderment as the beautiful Italian women gracefully maneuvered Montenapoleone and Sant’Andrea teetering on beautifully constructed, but challenging shoes. Shoes, my girlfriends and I refer to as “car shoes”, because you wear them only when you know for certain you are going straight from your car to a waiting seat inside with a guaranteed minimum time standing. So, eschewing logic, I, too, tiptoed through the cobblestones, and managed to shred the heels on two pairs of shoes. But I looked good and that’s all that matters, right? Ha! I am regretting it big time and I need to find a great shoe cobbler stat!

There was, however, an architectural marvel less than 10 minutes from our hotel and in an effort to get some culture in, I walked over to see the Duomo, a Roman Catholic gothic cathedral that is the pride of Milan along with La Scala and Davinci’s The Last Supper, neither of which you are allowed to photograph.

The Duomo is the 4th largest church in the world and is rich in architectural detail and history and a definite must-see when you visit Milan. Take a look.

Photos © Zavvi Rodaine.com

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