Welcome back to another travel blog. You are more than welcome to check out my two previous pieces on Budapest. For this issue, I decided to explore the beautiful city of fashion, Milan, Italy. Soon after I came back from Budapest, my suitcase was ready to go and board a plane to Italy. Now that I am thinking, this might be my favourite January of all time. I can’t skip the part where my friend and I almost missed that flight though. We arrived at the airport well in advance, however, we sat in a restaurant and lost track of time. It was also just our luck that our boarding gate was quite literally at the very end. I’ve seen people run with suitcases and not just in movies. I never thought it would happen to me. It became funny once we’ve reached our gate! We made it.
We arrived at the airport Bergamo Orio al Serio. To our surprise there was not a plug in sight. Being in a different country with not much of a plan and a low battery can really cause you to stress in a special way. A top tip I should follow, bring a power bank. We booked our bus from the airport to Milan. Upon arrival to the city, we figured out a way to get to our hotel. Now that I’m thinking, we really didn’t waste any time. As soon as we dropped off our luggage, we freshened up after travelling and decided to explore the nearby area.
The Naviglio Grande
The architecture is truly breathtaking. Our hotel was a five-minute walk from the Naviglio Grande. You can walk down the canal and pass vibrant bars and restaurants. So many to choose from, one will definitely catch your attention. The place to life in the evening! I would highly recommend going from late afternoon. The staff of each bar stand along the canal and invite potential customers. Music coming from the steam factory sparked our interest from the start. The pub is decorated with many marvel statues and other exciting figures. It may be described as almost chaotic, but I think the way it is designed and decorated makes the place stand out from others. You could order a game with your drink! Spoiler, it is in Italian. But hey, that did not stop us. Google image translator works a charm.
Piazza del Duomo
The Cathedral Square will make you stand and admire. Take a lot of pictures! The restaurants may be a little expensive around here, but the view is absolutely worth it. Here you will find the Terrazza Aperol. It has the most amazing view of the cathedral. The drinks are extremely expensive but again, the whole experience is worth the price. We were so lucky to get a table on the terrace with the cathedral in our view.
Grand Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Window shopping at Gucci, Yves St Laurent, Prada is fulfilling in itself. But what was really fascinating was the architecture yet again. The rich colour scheme, tall buildings and fine details stay in your memory forever. The pictures you can take here are also aesthetically pleasing! You will feel very comfortable having a photoshoot because everybody around you is!
Brera District
One of the most popular pasta restaurants can be found in the Brera District. You can wait quite a long time to get a table. We were lucky enough to wait a maximum of 10 minutes. The name of the restaurant is Osteria Da Fortunata. I ordered classic carbonara. The homemade pasta is so filling. You can see the ladies make pasta through the window from your seat. Definitely, a place to visit while in Milan. The Brera District is full of upscale food shops and fashion boutiques.
Milan city is extremely busy no matter what time of day. Use the trams and the metro! They arrive every few minutes and are easy to navigate. I would recommend using the Moovit app to get around.
P.S. – Visit every coffee shop you stumble upon. The coffee is really affordable and has a unique taste.
