STYLISH
Oh so Milano
Italy is full of surprises. Spend an hour at any café table on a Milanese side street and you'll see why this city is known as the style capital of the world. Words by Sue Baker picures by Richard Parsons
Italy's cultural magnetism has always been irresistible. Our own affair with Italy dates so far back that we've even coined English versions of Italian city names. We made a big mistake, though, when we chopped the 'o' off Milano. What we should have done - as any fleeting visit to this hothouse of fashion, faith and vin o frizzante reveals - was to add at least one exclamation mark. From your first slalom encounter with a moped, Milan is shockingly busy.
If you've flown in, direct your taxi to the Four Seasons Hotel on Via Gesu (or grab the metro to Montenapoleone). Barely a baritone's blast from La Scala opera house, this converted
15th-century convent is within a handbag's swing of the big-name stores and couture houses of the Quadrilatero d'Oro. And if it's not the cheapest cappuccino in town, it is one of the most relaxed places to savour it. But when you leave, beware: retail temptation lurks at every turn.
Within the Quadrilatero, you'll find the combined appeals of Prada, Armani, Missoni, Gucci,
Cavalli - the list is longer than a catwalk. Shopping here is not for dawdlers - particularly if you're strutting out for a bargain. Studio K is in the far east of the city, on Viale Bianca Maria, but a must-do excursion if glitzy, full-on Italian
couture is your bag. Back in the main fashion quarter look out for bargains - at Basement, on Via Senato, and D Magazine, on Via Montenapoleone.
By now, you've earned a bite, but where do stylish locals head for lunch?
Possibly not to Luini on Via Santa Radegonda - although Luini has been serving mouthwatering panzerotti (a stuffed and deep-fried pizza) since the days before Italy became a nation. Or if the city centre crowds deter you, haggle for panini, fresh salami, cheeses and fruit from a sidestreet market, then head to either of Milan's splendid parks, the Parco Sempione, in the north west, or the Giardini Pubblici, close to the Quadrilatero d'Oro. Picnic paradise awaits.
As for dinner, you might want to check out the menus around the Stazione Centrale, the imposing main railway station, built by Mussolini. This is the ethnic quarter and a leading-edge choice. Or walk a few minutes west of the