Milan and Lake Como

I love Italy. There is such a chaotic yet relaxed feel to it's cities but it's the smaller ones like Como which really charm.

Of course, Como is blessed with a lake named after itself but still it is the most gorgeous city if not quite the most beautiful in Italy.

The same can't quite be said about its big brother, Milan but then again Milan isn't really about beauty - apart from the Duomo, Galleria and Castello of course.

Milan was built to embrace Italy's consumerism and it shows with the streets littered with big global brands. It's a window shopping haven. But just to show that they want to cater to everyone, there's a McDonald's and Ciao in the opulent looking Galleria.

I like Milan. I wouldn't spend more than a day there as a tourist although if I had a job and lived there, it's not too bad a place.