A few months ago,I decided to visit Milan en route to Budapest.It was the first Italian city I would visit, and so, was super excited! I just had the most common notions about the city: that it was the fashion capital and a very touristic place. I was told to take the metro from the central station, to get to the city quickly. I could get off at Cadorna , or otherwise, at the Duomo. I got off at Duomo, but hadn’t anticipated the beautiful sight that awaited me shortly after coming out- the magnificent cathedral: Duomo di Milano, in all its glory! Enthralled by the sheer beauty of the structure, I knew I had to grab my camera and take a picture.However, I somehow kept delaying posting the pictures on this blog. Hence, a few days ago, when I was told about the #NoFilter Milan project, organized by the London City Airport, I knew I had to take the opportunity to post a few unfiltered and unedited pictures of the city.

What struck me most about Milan, was the sheer contrast of people you find in the city.I was mostly expecting to see shopaholics frequenting the luxury malls.But, that wasn’t the case. The area around the Duomo was extremely lively, with all sorts of people. I was surprised by the huge number of hawkers outside the station, trying to sell varied products to the passerbys. There were, ofcourse, a lot of tourists, some of whom, like me, were moving around with their suitcases.Then, there were those, who sat in pairs or in groups, observing the numerous selfies being clicked all around, and sometimes, offering to take their pictures too. There were some who kept trying to talk to random strangers, asking for donations or help. And, also those who toiled in the sun, trying to make a living by selling food,gelato or other products to the tourists. Quite a few policemen were spotted in the area too, and were extremely helpful when I tried asking for directions.

While in Milan,you can visit some of the art galleries and museums, like the Brera Gallery or the Leonardo Da Vinci Science and Technology Museum, depending on your interest. Da Vinci’s famous painting of the ‘Last Supper’ is preserved in the church of Santa Marie delle Grazie, which is about 15 minutes away from the Duomo.

After a few hours of walking around, I wanted to just sit somewhere peacefully and get something to eat. I spotted a chic cafe/gelateria, but with such a huge queue that put me off. I wanted to acess the wifi somewhere, and get in touch with Aila, who had offered to host me at her place. Milan offers free wifi at many places in the city, though I got connected while sitting at one of the McDonald’s cafe in the area. By the time I reached Aila’s place (after getting up on a wrong tram and wasting an hour or so), I was quite tired, and also worried about catching an early morning flight. If you intend to spend a whole day travelling around Milan, getting a day ticket for 4 euros or so would be the best option.

I like that many of the residential buildings in Milan are old, and give you a feel of the architecture of the olden days. You can of course, find a number of stylish skyscrapers and multi-storey buildings in other parts of the city, especially on the way to the Milan Malpensa Airport.My host was very welcoming, apart from being very quick and creative with everything; from cooking to home decor. Apparently, it is very difficult to find work in the city if you don’t speak Italian. I must say that I was surprised seeing the budget-friendly rates at several hair saloons and eateries in her area. We went out for a walk at night, and I saw some more places, that I probably would not have seen, if I was a lonely tourist. This is why I love meeting locals and staying with them; you get a much better perspective of the city and the culture. Later that night, I wrote down a few Indian recipes for her,and we exchanged a lot of stories, apart from addresses for keeping in touch. Here are some of the raw pictures from the city: