Last
year I accidentally ended up in Milan, but only to transfer through when my Royal
Air Maroc flight from Marrakech to Munich was cancelled. So this year, it was incorporated
in this long 2 week journey from Turkey > Italy > Switzerland.
Leaving
Venice, at only 1 week into my trip, it felt like I had been away from home for
a month. The schedule was so packed, but perfect enough to be able to see all
the essential parts of each place I went to. After checking out from Hotel Danieli,
our taxi took us to the Santa Lucia train station in Venice, where we boarded a
train taking us to Milan in 2 hours. The lowest fares cost just $20 USD, but we
opted for the $50 Business class seats for comfort (And storage of 2 very large
suitcases plus 2 carry-ons)
I’ve
always been very fond of taking trains since it is a great way to get a broad sense
of a country. Some of my favorite were the Trans-Siberian Railway, any JR train
(Japan Railway), the Yangon Circular line in Myanmar, the Deutsche Bahn ride
from Munich to Fussen and the list go on. All of these train rides offer
incredible views and insight into the local life.
I
was slightly disappointed that the view of the ride was industrial, lots of untamed
grass, and highways. But the train was comfortable with wifi, and very quick to
get to Milan, so I can’t complain too much.
My
first impression of Milan? WARM
It
was one of the hottest days of the year, 35, 36 degrees. Even though our hotel
was 750m from the station, there’s no way we’re hauling 2 big suitcases on
wobbly cobble stone road in this heat. Our taxi driver was a happy man when he
zipped back in the train station pickup line after dropping us off 3 minutes
away. And I made the mistake of picking the hotel location based on where we are
arriving and departing from, big mistake. I should’ve choose right in the
middle of Duomo across from the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano). But then
again, it might’ve been loud with all the constant tourists.
What
I can say is, don’t stay at the Four
Points Sheraton, it was an awful hotel. Small room, slow lifts, staff
actually shooed us out of one of the elevators, check in was incredibly slow,
wifi broke and took them over 24 hours to fix it, the club lounge was a joke. I
am surprised this is SPG quality, and the room wasn’t cheap either.
Despite a bumpy start to the trip, it was
still good to visit Milan.
Go
here for a view: Maio Restaurant
This
restaurant is right beside the cathedral on the top floor of the mall. I went
to the right-hand side where food is served for a better view! I highly
recommend their Sangria, it not only looks good but tastes very good to!
Go
here for amazing Pizza: DRY Milano
Reviewed
as the restaurant with the best pizza in Milan, it not only has great pizza, all
of the food I tried there was amazing. I do not remember what it was, but this
appetizer was ham and cheese on bread, it is the most amazing ham and cheese I’ve
ever tasted. As for the pizzas, you can build your own, and the toppings come separate,
so they don’t get spoiled by the gill or temperature while the base is being
made.
They
also have an impeccable taste in music, mostly deep house being playing in the
background accompanied with excellent cocktails. I could not recommend this restaurant
more!
Visiting
the terrace of Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral)
Most
important thing: BOOK TICKETS ONLINE IN ADVANCE (even if it is just the night before, which is what I did). Don’t
line up like the majority of the tourist who line up at the front of the Cathedral
to wait in the heat for hours and then having to take the stairs up. The back
of the cathedral has the elevator line and the fast track line.
The
terrace opens at 9am, but the fast track line opens at 10am which doesn’t make
sense. I booked the fast track line not knowing the 9am elevator line was going
to be short. Luckily, we arrived before 10am, and the staff was really nice to
let us go in the elevator line. (Fast track line also has an elevator, just next
to the elevator line).
The
price differences? Going up on foot is €
9 (plus a free sun tan and bathe in your own sweat), whereas the elevator
ticket is € 13, it is a no brainer
to get the elevator ticket. There are also combo passes which will get you into
the museum, archeological area, and San Gottardo Church.
After
you get to the terrace, it is really straightforward, and there is really only
one way to go, so you’ll see everything and not get lost. Walking on the roof “tiles”
was a bit scary and cool at the same time.
Some
quick facts about the Cathedral:
- The Cathedral took 6 centuries to build, from 1386 to 1965
- There are more statues on this building than any other in the world: 3,400
- The capacity is a whooping 40,000 people, and is the 3rd largest church in the world.
Last
minute dress shopping with TALLY WeiJL
This is an affordable brand that only has
stores in Europe (and does not ship internationally), so while I was in Europe,
I’m glad I could find a store just inside the Milan Central train station. This
is where I got my amazing Blue dress and yellow romper/dress from. I also got
this adorable Unicorn mug! It puts me in a good mood whenever I see it.
No comments:
Post a Comment