Italy

Milan: A Reunion, A City, A Moment in Time

During my Erasmus semester in Poland, travelling became one of the most meaningful parts of the experience. One trip that stands out vividly was my journey to Italy.

I flew from Poland to Milan, where I reunited with some of my university friends from Türkiye. Meeting again in a completely different country felt surreal. We had studied together in Istanbul, and now we were wandering through one of Italy’s most iconic cities, catching up on life and sharing stories from our Erasmus journeys.

Milan welcomed us with a certain warmth. The city carries an atmosphere where history and modern life seem to coexist naturally. Elegant buildings line the streets, cafés spill out onto sidewalks, and small pizzerias appear almost everywhere you walk. Italian pizza, as expected, lived up to its reputation.

One of the most memorable places we visited was the magnificent Milan Cathedral. Standing in front of it, you cannot help but pause for a moment. Its enormous Gothic structure, covered in intricate carvings and statues, feels almost unreal when you see it up close.

Just a short walk away stands the historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the oldest shopping galleries in Europe. With its glass ceilings and elegant architecture, it reflects Milan’s identity as one of the world’s fashion capitals.

But some of the best moments of the trip had nothing to do with famous landmarks.

One afternoon we bought food and sat in a garden nearby, simply enjoying the sun and the calm of the place. After days of traveling and exploring, it was nice to pause for a while, eat together, and talk about everything from university life to where we might all end up after graduation.

Then came one of the most unforgettable and slightly mischievous moments of the trip.

At a small pizza place, one of us jokingly decided to put a little ketchup on the pizza. In Italy, where pizza is almost treated like a sacred tradition, this is not exactly the usual way to eat it. When the chef noticed, his reaction was unforgettable. He looked at us with a mix of surprises and amusement, as if silently asking what we had just done. The moment quickly turned into laughter, and it became one of those small travel memories that stayed with us long after the trip ended.

Looking back, what made Milan special was not only the city itself but the feeling of reunion. Studying abroad often scatters friends across different countries and universities. For a few days in Milan, those different journeys intersected again.

After exploring the city, sharing good food, and creating a few slightly chaotic memories along the way, our journey continued north.

From Milan, we crossed into Switzerland.

But that story belongs to another chapter.