Paul Rush cries ''Buon appetito'' as he samples the culinary essence of Milan.
''I was raised on water and wine from infancy and grandfather often dipped my pacifier in wine to quieten me down,'' says my Milanese guide Lorenza.
''Grandfather truly believed that drinking wine is healthful but he went too far when he later teased me by saying I must drink chardonnay with grilled trout or the little fish will swim around in my tummy.''
Lorenza is guiding our small group of Kiwi travellers on a walking tour of Milan's historic centre starting from our accommodation, the elegant and comfortable Hotel de Ville Milano.
Within two minutes we are standing inside Milan's ''drawing room'', the four-storey, glass-domed arcade called Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele.
Awe-inspiring may be a cliché but I believe it is the only word to describe the sheer size, elegance and aspect of this cathedral-like covered arcade of top-brand shops such as Prada and Louis Vuitton.
This is the perfect place to sit with a glass of fine Lombardy wine and watch the passing parade of chic, sophisticated Milanese carrying their Armani shopping bags.
It's a classic Italian tableau vivant, complete with alfresco cafes with brightly coloured awnings, fur-caped ladies leading miniature cotton-wool dogs and slick-haired Adonises striding incognito through the arcade behind a pair of dark eyeshades.
Slim fashionistas are strutting on gold high-heeled slingbacks with cellphones held before them like some satellite navigating device or clamped firmly on their ear as a permanent fashion accessory.
We gaze longingly into the ornate interior of the Art Nouveau classic Zucca's Bar, where campari was invented, but sadly it is closed today.
Surprisingly, we find a McDonald's Café dispensing fast food amid some controversy.
It's an intriguing anachronism in this heartland of style and haute cuisine.
As our group follows Lorenza under the great arched Galleria entrance into Piazza del Duomo I take in a sharp breath of utter astonishment.
The first sight of the startlingly white facade of the Milan cathedral is quite breathtaking.
A magnificent array of carved stone spires, elaborate stained-glass windows and countless statues rise ever higher into a pale blue sky.
Lorenza informs us that fashion, food, finance, football and fine furniture are the phonetically harmonious features of the city of Milan.
She guides us along the elegant street that specialises in ready-to-wear fashion and jewellery, Via Montenapoleone.
High-end fashion boutiques abound here and in the nearby Quadrilatero Della Moda fashion district.
I try on a leather jacket in one store and marvel at the inventiveness of the shop assistant's sales pitch.
I'm told the jacket is not just a perfect fit; it makes me look so handsome every Italian girl will ask me to buy her a drink.
I desperately want to believe I'm a modern Latin Lothario and the epitome of sartorial elegance but instead I sink back into the abyss of ordinariness and ask for a discount.
The Milanese are enamoured of long, leisurely lunches, serenity and afternoon siestas.
They have a saying ''When you visit a country, follow its customs.''
I find no difficulty in this proposition at all.
Our group relaxes over a degustation lunch at Trattoria Bagutta, which has an unbelievable antipasto buffet selection extending 6m along one wall.
We eat exceedingly well and drink even better with a selection of excellent red and white wines from the Piedmont region, rounded out with a glass of grappa, a 40% proof, mind-numbing concoction.
This perfect finale to a meal induces me to rise to my feet in an unsteady salute and cry ''Ciao bella,'' ''Bellissimo'' and ''Viva d' Italia'' with so little coherence I'm mistaken for an inebriated local.
Lorenza takes us to her local Mercanto market, which she visits daily to buy fresh meat, fish and pasta.
It's an understatement to say Italians are serious about food.
At this fresh produce market, customers do not touch anything.
Convention dictates you ask the vendor to explain the subtleties of his product as they willingly oblige in rapid staccato Italian.
The visitor soon learns to visually appraise the pyramids of pepperoni, the mounds of melons and piles of purple eggplant and pink fava beans.
After farewelling our guide, we retire to a quiet streetside café for a quiet aperativo while we watch the passeggiata, or promenade, in the pleasantly cool evening air.
Our tipple of dry white Barolo wine comes with a varied selection of bar snacks at no extra cost.
People-watching may seem a little voyeuristic but it is an excellent way to get a finger on this city's racy pulse and enviable lifestyle.
• Auckland-based travel writer Paul Rush travelled to Milan courtesy of Cathay Pacific Airways, Etruscan Pleasures Italy Ltd and the Hotel de Ville Milano.
Fact file
• Etruscan Pleasures Italia Ltd specialises in guided and individual tours of Italy, Portugal and Croatia for discerning travellers who wish to experience all aspects of the local culture.
• Cathay Pacific flies four times a week from Auckland to Milan, via Hong Kong, as well as offering a daily connection to Rome.
