San Siro Stadium, it's shaped like fusilli!

Paul makes few demands regarding our travels; he's generally along for the ride which is both a blessing and a curse. So even though he was annoyed that we were staying so far away from Milan, he couldn't complain because he'd not done the legwork either. But one demand he was keen to make related to his other great love, football. Since he delved into the world of wine tasting with me, I figured a jaunt to Italy's greatest football stadium was a no-brainer.

Home to both AC (owned by former Bunga Bunga prime minister Berlusconi himself) and Inter Milan, the San Siro stadium is Italy's largest (and fourth largest in Europe). It occupies a patch of land 5km northwest of the city centre and seats over 85k people at any one time. Street art litters the hoarding leading to the stadium in an homage to football's greats in their historic (and infamous) moments.

One glimpse at the stadium and Paul was like a kid in a candy shop. 'Jen, the staircase columns are shaped like fusilli, did you know that?!' I may never have seen him as excited on a holiday as this.

The San Siro area of the city (hence the stadium's nickname) is also home to the city's main horse racing venue and was in fact the reason that Piero Pirelli, AC Milan's then-owner, opted to build the stadium here.

Once inside, we joined a lengthy tour, from pitch to locker room to press screening area. I must admit, it was pretty interesting. The stadium's formal name, Stadio Guiseppe Meazza, is named after one of Italian football's greats and is perhaps a good sign of how important football is for the Italian psyche. The city of Milan actually bought the stadium in 1935 and thus, its future is in their hands. 

AC and Inter Milan share the pitch but have separate changing rooms. On match days where they play one another, one team is seen as 'home' and another 'away'--home teams get more fans and so the rivalry continues.

The stadium is also home to two museums, one devoted to each team. Although much of the exhibits were lost on me, Paul seemed to really enjoy himself. 

For 18 Euros, a few hours of football bliss seemed well worth it. If you're not a football fan, there's still plenty to appreciate. Just be mindful to book in advance!