Nano Bleu is delightful. I didn't expect to find myself in a toy store on this business trip to…read moreMilan. I don't have any kids and actually having kids or being around kids is the furthest thing from my mind, But, I also didn't expect my work mates to be so bloody boring. We can't go out and party EVERY night. Sometimes we have to stay put and be on call so to speak. Desperate for some entertainment, (I can't understand Italian, so no point in turning on the television) I went after the one game that just about anyone can enjoy-Rumikub. So I wondered around the Duomo area in search of a toy store and stumbled upon Nano Bleu. My Italian is horrible but the staff was really friendly. They spoke just enough English that we could hack through the conversation about Rumikub. Luck was with me that day! They had it. But more importantly, the store is very lovely. The shelves are made from wood with rounded corners. That detail doesn't seem important until you are experiencing it. Everything is in its place. They have a giant collection of stuffed animals. It actually made me feel like a kid again. The staff is great. The place is lovely. I might go back for a stuffed animal!

From the owner: Nano Bleu is an old fashion toy store with a large selection of toys, right in the heart of Milan…read more If you are looking for a gift you are sure to find something here, with FREE delivery to your address if you are staying in Milano.

A cute store the female of the species. Jewelry and…read moretrinkets. We came, she spent money.

When Gayle and I checked into our wonderful Gittana B&B (La CA' NOEVA), various fliers for local…read morebusinesses were tastefully offered in a binder. Il Pozzo was one of them, and we had an opportunity to stop in when we visited Varenna one day. Il Pozzo is located on the waterfront and offers jewelry, glass, art, and a variety of local petrified wood. There are not a lot of shops in Varenna, and I could see hwy this one would appeal to a wide variety of tourists who have the opportunity to visit this pretty little Lake Como hamlet. At the same time, I was looking for something a little more unique and that would speak to me in some special way. For example, I'm the guy whose prize souvenir from the Castelrotto (Dolomites) was a cow bell purchased from the local Coop. So onward I wandered, but not without making a few return visits here just to make sure.

It was the bright lights that drew me in to this shop between the Naviglio Grande and the metro…read morestation. Pretty colors and all sorts of ceramics. Lamps, crafted bowls, plates, dishes. Made by hand in Turkey, so not really a gift from Italy but it's pretty stuff and I bought three small bowls and a ceramic coaster. Very impulsive of me but I liked the stuff and it traveled well. [Review 10729 overall, 497 of 2019.]

I took the train into Milan specifically to go to this bookstore. I wanted to hold a real book…read moreinstead of attempting to read on my phone and being constantly distracted by messages and nonsense. American Bookstore wasn't an Amazon-styled warehouse of books. They had no catalog. You just look at the shelves and pick something out. And they have an immense selection to peruse and ponder. There were a lot of classics and plenty of new titles. They even had a large selection of rare books with a staff dedicated to restorations. It felt right out of The Nineth Gate. I spent an hour pulling volumes and pondering before I made my selection. It was one of the best hours I've spent in days but will be penultimate to when I open the book later on.

Unique bookstore that sells American books and historical pictures and maps. Books upstairs but the…read moremaps and pictures are all in the basement area. Just a cool stop in Milan that's unique and the owner is very helpful and engaging, especially with the maps and artwork.