It was bound to happen at some point: we slept through our alarms Saturday morning, our third day in Italy. Frantically, I texted our tour guide and let her know we would be late, and we did our best to get suitably pretty as fast as we could.

Looks mattered for this one, as I had booked a Milan Couture Fashion Tour through Context Travel. Much like the food tours, there were many fashion tour options, with Milan being the fashion capital. But none of the ones I found on the typical sites resonated with me. During my research, I stumbled upon this article, which led me to Context Travel and our lovely guide, Emilija Kelcher.

Emilija was waiting for us outside the Emporio Armani cafe when we breathlessly ran up. As our heart rates settled, she told us about her background, coming to Italy as a young woman from Croatia to be a model, and her later years working in the industry in other ways, and filled us in on what to expect. The tour was just the three of us (and the price was very reasonable — not much more than on the bigger group tours). We would spend the next few hours visiting various shops and ateliers in the fashion district known as the Quadrilatero, learning about the history of designers, and the industry, and would stop along the way if something caught our eyes. Oh — and so much did!

Our first stop was inside Armani, where we discussed his career and how he has changed fashion as we know it. from inventing the color greige, to, in his words “soften(ing) the image of men and harden(ing) the image of women” by creating less structured suits for men and power suits for women. We drooled over some of his fashions in the store.

Designers of course have long branched out from clothing. I was drawn to his love of flowers — in Milan, you can order from Armani Fiori and the designs are exquisite. The minimalist lines of the cafe decor were an interesting juxtaposition to the Christmas tree outside — and the view from the windows is a special treat all its own!

Besides the wonderful clothing, Emilija shared some of her favorite buildings and architectural hidden gems. These pictures are from the intersection of Via Santo Spirito and Via Gesu.

These two streets are connected by the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum and the private home of the people who own it. We did not visit the museum, but it is now on my short list of must-sees for a return visit. It is a “house museum,” showcasing the collection amassed in the late 1900s by a pair of brothers. The mansion, filled with items from the 15th and 16th centuries, is considered one of the finest examples of what a Lombardy mansion would have looked like at that time.

She had us stop in at the Four Seasons Hotel Milano. Besides stunning, as all Four Seasons properties tend to be, this one is remarkable for its history. The hotel is housed in what used to be a convent dating back to the 15th century. During recent renovations, frescoes were uncovered and preserved around the hotel, and they are definitely worth a look if you are in the area. The holiday decor was stunning as well.

Back on the fashion trail, Frankie and I discovered a store that Emiliji hadn’t visited before, and we were pleased with ourselves when she seemed impressed by it as well, especially when she saw the quality and the price point. Atelier Eme is a dreamy place, filled with bridal wear and special occasion dresses and all sorts of accessories, shoes, and the like. With the obligatory proffered glass of bubbles in hand, we explored while Emilija talked shop with the manager.

The prices were actually kind of amazing for the level of work done and the originality of the wedding dresses. The girl and I decided we would seriously consider coming back here someday when wedding dress shopping was on a to-do list!

Another well-heeled highlight was a stop at Dolce&Gabbana. These pictures show the items I would have chosen if offered: that fantabulous copper feathery loungewear set, and can you guess which accessory?

Next up was Gucci!

If you want more info on that poker chip set, click here. My birthday is in April, FYI…

Looking for fashion trends? These pictures at Prada really summed up a few things I saw often: Mary Janes with straps, bucket hats, purses with doodads, and lots of feminine details like flowers. This dress has straps made out of crystal daisies. Oh and this store, Pinko, made me salivate. It has inspired me to renovate my closet!

When the tour ended, we backtracked to some places we had to rush past. A favorite spot was the Piazza Quadrilatero—Ex Seminario Arcivescovile di Milano, an old seminary turned into a divine shopping area. We availed ourselves of the beautiful grounds for a quick photo shoot before visiting the stores.

One of our favorite shops there was Antonia, but the reason I really wanted to return to that shopping area was to visit a jewelry shop called SO-LE STUDIO. This really unique place features jewelry made out of leather that looks like metal. The founder is the granddaughter of the famous shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo, and she liked the idea of transforming leftover bits of leather and brass. This is where I picked up my souvenir for the trip!

That evening was our last in Milan before heading to Sicily in the morning. So we took our photo shoot back to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, and did what everyone else was doing: posed by the Christmas tree!

Afterward, we decided to find the bar we had seen from the roof of the Duomo on our first day and found ourselves at Duomo Terrace 21. After a cocktail and enjoying the view, we realized that there was another part of the building with a DJ, so we headed there. We soon found ourselves dancing with new friends from Turkey, having a ball listening to music by Andryx and sadly heading back to the hotel earlier than we wanted. At 1am, the party was just starting, but we had a plane to catch the next day!

Today’s totals: walked 12,646 steps or 4.95 miles and climbed 6 flights of stairs

Sunday’s flight wasn’t until the afternoon, so we had time to kill after packing. A European city is the best place for that, so a-wandering we went!

All roads from our hotel lead through the Galleria, so first we popped into Swarovski Crystals, which had always been closed when we’d been there before. The store took a jewel-box approach to displaying its wares. I was reminded of honeycomb, with glistening treasures hidden in the golden nooks and crannies.

We wandered past some holiday Lego displays…

…and ended up at, well, McDonald’s. We honestly just needed a bathroom break, but I couldn’t help marveling at the differences between a Milanese Mickey D’s and one in the States. Clean and classy, with multiple levels, everyone waiting patiently at different stations, depending on what they ordered at the automated kiosk. Of course, if you were simply ordering pastries and coffee, that was available at the espresso bar at the front. Yes: the full-service, high-quality espresso bar. Sigh…

We were headed towards the Castello Sforzesco, which we had seen lit up and looked up on our first night. This time we would be able to walk around the grounds, but would not have time to purchase a ticket and explore inside. Another item added to the “next time” list!

The castle was built in the 14th century and has been a symbol of Milanese glory and tyranny ever since. It has been the home of powerful people from many nations, as well as a fort and barracks for centuries. In the 1800s the city decided to renovate it, and in 1905 the castle and grounds opened to the public. The grounds house more than ten museums, including priceless works by Leonardo DaVinci. The park grounds cover more than 60 acres!

After a quick but delicious lunch at Bravo Bistro it was time to say ciao to the wonderful friends at The Street. But not for long: after Sicily, we would return to Milan for one last night!

When we landed in Sicily, my son Carter and his wife Lisa were waiting for us at the airport in Catania, where we secured our rental car and headed inland towards Mineo, Lisa’s hometown. Carter took the wheel for the one-hour drive for a few reasons. One, he gets car sick if he’s not driving, and the roads we were taking were not going to be exactly straight or flat. The second reason? Those roads. Steep, windy, and dark, the countryside was gorgeous in the daylight, but Carter didn’t really want me tackling it all for the first time in the dark. Fair — especially when he and Lisa argued over which map directions to take, in my small SUV rental (I wanted a smaller car, but when we realized that we would need a vehicle for 4 people plus luggage, my plans had to change). So we ended up on dirt roads in orange groves in the middle of the night, hoping neither sheep nor suspicious armed farmers crossed our path.

When we finally reached Mineo, high atop a hillside, we parked in a municipal lot and dragged our luggage up the ancient cobbled streets. There was no driving or parking within the city, that’s for sure. We made so much noise that one woman actually came out to investigate, fearful that a chunk of one of the ancient buildings had fallen off!

In the morning, we started to explore Mineo. The current village was founded in 459 BC, but there is archeological evidence of even older settlements. Like the rest of Sicily, the town’s fortunes, culture, and population bear the imprint of all the civilizations who have invaded and ruled over the centuries, including the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs. Many of the buildings in Mineo were built after the devastating Sicilian earthquake of 1693, but there are more modern ones as well, like the place we rented.

We stayed in an Airbnb rented out by the charming couple Marco and Maria, who, of course, knew Lisa’s parents (Mineo is a pretty small place). The 3 bedroom home had two living rooms and a rooftop deck with phenomenal views.

It was frankly way bigger than we needed, but there honestly weren’t a ton of options, the price for 5 days was less than a 2-night hotel stay in Milan, and the unit was literally around the corner from Lisa’s parents’ home, so it was perfect!

In the morning I was eager to explore Mineo a bit. We started with espresso and pastries, then meandered.

Sicilians embrace the Nativity scene like no one else. I learned this when we visited for the first time in 2021, and this visit cemented that belief. Mineo took it to the next level, as you will see in another post. But here are some miniature examples of their zeal:

Soon it was time for what I was most excited about: lunch with Lisa’s parents! The whole point of this trip was meeting Maria and Giuseppe. I had been worrying for months about what to wear, what gifts to bring, and if they would like me. They had welcomed my son into their family, and that meant everything. I know it had to be hard for them. I am sure they had to be leery of this dimpled Navy kid charming his way into their daughter’s life!

They were lovely.

Lisa played translator, as their English wasn’t stellar, and my Italian was abysmal (and don’t even ask about my Sicilian!). But we managed, and we laughed and smiled, bonded by our mutual love for our children. Oh — and over Maria’s amazing food!

Today’s total: walked 18,417 steps or 6.97 miles and climbed 19 flights of stairs