YES, Finally Honeymoon trip!! after getting married 9 months ago (02.07.2021).
Because finally the situation with Covid is better and we already spent quality time with family after 2 years without seeing them.
So here we go! Excited to celebrate our honeymoon with short and sweet trips!!
Because as you know I am a bit of rebel in terms of following what society is telling us what to do :p so we decided to do short trips, coming back home to recharge our batteries, work, and have enough energy again for another trip!
Also, more reasons, like blogging is part of my job and when traveling we see and do so many different things in a day, that is hard to remember and project all in a blog post recap and social media, plus my husband is starting a new role at work which demands his attention. So here we go, instead of spending for example 1 full month traveling, we will do it for a long period of time while resting at home, as we appreciate spending time in our relaxing home, where the beautiful sound of birds makes our mornings.
FIRST DESTINATIONS
Italy: Milan
(Including one day trip to Lake Como. Visiting Switzerland & Italy. Lugano (Switzerland) & Bellagio & Como (towns in Italy)) – ALL DETAILS HERE
MILAN
– PLACES TO VISIT, and not so typical ones too :p
– TOURS OUT OF MILAN, beautiful towns nearby
– PLACES TO EAT, from Michelin restaurants to more affordable restaurants
– SNACKS ON THE GO, Savoury & sweet
– FASHION IN MILAN, affordable, more luxury and vintage second hand, for all tastes
I am including tips in each section and adapting to everyone’s circumstances and tastes.
Italy became my favorite country in Europe after visiting some cities like Rome, Florence, Sicily, and the romantic Venice, etc. I love pizza but I am not much into pasta though. I absolutely love the Italian gelatos, I also love fashion (still fashion is inside me) We decided to go to Milan and do one day tour to visit other towns in Italy around Como Lake and also visit Switzerland too, especially to eat the best chocolates 😛
We stayed in @worldhotelcasati18 4 stars hotel. Thanks, @worldhotelcasati18 for the lovely welcome! We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our honeymoon!
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Some pictures from the central and sophisticated World Hotel Casati 18 where we stayed
View this post on Instagram
THE TYPICAL THINGS NOT TO MISS IN MILAN
1. Duomo Milano Cathedral & Square
Duomo is an impressive cathedral You can select to reach the rooftop with the lift, a good option if you are in a rush. We chose “DUOMO PASS STAIRS” to reach the rooftops by stairs and add some steps to our apple watch 😀 the cathedral inside (I highly recommend, it’s a gift for your eyes), the archaeological area and the Duomo museum, church of San Gottardo and exhibitions.
> 15EUR per person and you can buy the tickets online through a scan code at the door or in advance.
The Duomo Square or like in Italian says, il Piazza del Duomo is a photocall for every tourist, including myself course! and sometimes the goal of taking a nice memory photo might take us from really creating a visual memory to remember. I recommend going to the end of the square where you can really appreciate il Duomo from further and appreciate each detail walking through it.
Once you are there and ready to take a picture, some guys will be there for you to have the most expensive picture by providing you with birds’ food.
Below you can see the result. A good picture after all? Think if it’s worth fo you?
View this post on Instagram
2. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II where you will find clothes shops and restaurants.
It’s the perfect place to meet up to find your friend quickly. In the Galleria Vittorio facing il Duomo.
2. Bosco Verticale, tow original buildings where the terrace of each apartment is full of trees holding from a higher terrace. From below it’s impressive and the terraces are quite big. Besides there’s an original painting in some apartments, two children pushing the houses.
3. Brera District, is a beautiful art area with cozy and bohemian streets, where you will find places to eat and enjoy a pizza on the go or like us, eat quick pizzas in 20 minutes and keep discovering the city. We ate at Bakery Princi. @princi_milano
Such romantic streets! we could not resist taking this picture, imitating the photo on the wall 😀
It’s also a posh area where at night you can enjoy an aperitivi. Although the most known place for aperitivi in Navigli.
4. Navigli, is the canal-based neighborhood, walk along the canal and nightlife, where you order a drink and depending of the place, you have either for around 10EUR an aperitivi to share (ham, cheese, olives, bread, etc) or around 13EUR buffet.
We did not eat in the main canal street, but in a perpendicular street, it was a more relaxing street where we enjoyed an aperitivi in Pizzeria San Giorgo by @seasnack__
5. Eataly, the Italian market, perfect if you want to buy some high-quality food to remember the memories in Milan through food.
– The savory food we bought; different types of cheese from a friendly guy who explained how he made each of them, Toma di Pecora Brigasca, Azienda Agricola il Castagno.
We also bought some racioppi alle olive – crackers with olives, Agricola del Sole.
– The sweets we bought; dark chocolate with nuts; the famous legendario de Perugia, a bonbon filled with nuts and chocolate mix, covered in chocolate with al almond topping.
Also, some double chocolate hazelnut cups, the famous Cremini, chocolate sweets typical of the Piedmontese tradition. We expected to bring them back home to Ireland but they were gone after the day before we arrived back at the hotel, they were so delicious and irresistible!
It’s like eating Nutella but in solid cups.
6. Botanic Garden is worth it if you are really into plants and gardening. Some nature in the city. We like to cross the parks and use them as a shortcut while enjoying a bit the nature…
– the typical creamy (I called the creamy tricolor Nutella, which did not last longer than that day xD), some crackers with oil and homemade cheese
7. The rainbow district. The secret rainbow street in Milan. The cutest street in the middle of high buildings in Milan, you will find colorful houses, such a calm area that you will find happy to see with your eyes!
This area was born at the end of the 19th century by a cooperative of workers. People of this area started to paint their façades with bright colors. The effect of the colors is impressive. Below you can see the beautiful picture I took between the houses.
8. Castello Sforzesco was the final destination of the first day after walking 30km.
And this is the best way I could represent the day… After walking over 30km the first day! it was worth it tho 😀
9. We just found the Basilica di Sant’Ambogrio like many others around Milan… and we admired an artist doing a painting.
If you are into history, museums and galleries:
10. If you are really into galleries, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II is Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery.
11. Il Cenacolo – Leonardo’s last supper. 15 EUR
12. Science and Technology National Museum Leonardo Da Vinci. 10 EUR
TOUR OUT OF MILAN
We did a day tour with viator & Instagram through City Wonders & Instagram
We saw stunning towns in Italty, Bellagio and Coma and a city in Switzerland, Lugano.
All the amazing places we visited, we ate in, and traveled in on THIS POST, coming soon!
Keep an eye or subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter (After entering on my website, scroll down until the end until the automatic box pops up so you will be asked to write your email).
PLACES TO EAT
Choosing places based on your values and goals in the trip.
If you want to have time to enjoy a relaxing traditional lunch, I recommend Ristorante Cracco & Instagram by Carlo Cracco & Instagram which is in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, beside Duomo Square. You will eat typical Italian food by celebrity chef Carlo Cracco.
If you prefer a not-so-popular or crowded place, just go two streets far away, and you will find lovely and cute restaurants out there, still traditional food. We tried Princi Milan & Instagram It’s a chain with quick food, to eat in or on the go. We had a quick lunch with nutritional pizzas and continued our trip. It was handy and affordable.
Don’t feel guilty if you want to see the city quickly and 20minutes mc Donald’s lunch is your choice!
As I mentioned before, aperitivi near the canal, which includes a drink and a plate with some “tapas” or buffet (all you can eat).
There are also nice restaurants and places to eat some veggies within the market Eataly & Instagram
Italy has options for all visitors. It’s very versatile.
SNACKS ON THE GO IN MILAN
Savory and sweet options. Even the sweets are supernatural, homemade that you will not crash after eating them, indeed they will give you energy enough to keep discovering places.
View this post on Instagram
The best Italian gelatos
My favorite flavors, at least to try in Italy are pistachio, stracciatella, tiramisu & hazelnut. But after asking my audience on Instagram for their favorite flavor, they gave me the idea of trying salted caramel! Thanks! So here you go another flavor or gusto like italians call it.
The first day was so hard to choose between the flavors, so I took the decision of ordering the same 4 flavours wherever I go.
Because every ice cream was big enough, I had some vegan options sometimes and I went for the pure sicilian pistachio (if) rather than the sweet pistachio version, because there’s nothing like a super creamy gelato.
I enjoyed how they were serving them… not taking a perfect ball with a circle spoon, but using a plan square “spoon” and mixing it and somehow shaping it in the cone. This is art!
I always asked for a cone, because they are also so delicious… Omg I always think to go back to Italy just to eat these icecreams again 😀
You can find Gelatos every 20 metros! which is fabulous… I was so happy… 😀 Gelatos were my to go snack during the whole trip! I also tried some savoury ones but since I am a super sweet tooth, can you tell me a better snack? well maybe cannoli especially for some days when it was not super hot and sunny.
– Some gelateries with really creamy gelatos in Milan:
Gelateria Concordia based in Piazza Risorgimento. A nice area to walk around and see the real life in Milan. 20 minutes walk el Duomo.
This beautiful gelateria has vegan flavours. I chose 3 vegan flavours and 1 normal one and I did not feel bloated afterwards.
Terra Gelateria & Instagram, offers special flavors. For example, salted pistachio apart from the just pistachio flavor.
Il massimo del Gelato & Instagram I chose my favourite usual flavours but if you love chocolate gelatos, this is the place for you!
– Some gelateries with really creamy gelatos in Como:
Gelab Gelateria & Instagram
Gelateria Amoruccio & Instagram
Gelateria Guide Instagram
Gelateria Rossetti & Instagram
2. Il Cannolo Siciliano on the go, Instagram OMG! with cream cheese and pistachio or pieces of chocolate and orange as topping.
3. You need to try the trapizzinos in Trapizinno, it’s an on-the-go place, where you have also stood up tables to eat. It’s placed before starting the canal walk in Navigli, we ate some trapizzinos before the typical aperitivi (dinner) to have by the canal (they are like mini burgers but pizza-based, where warm is added to the pizza bread becomes even tastier). It’s hard to express such a #foodorgasm 😀
> For only 5EUR you can enjoy a mini pizza as a snack before the aperitive by the canal…
I chose the one with veggies and cheese and my hubby chose the one with a meatball with pesto. Both meals were in tomato sauce.
We also tried the 2EUR Risotto made with Camaroli Rice, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried!
FASHION IN MILAN
This will depend on your interests and taste.
I am a fashion lady who loves trying the cultural food when traveling while discovering places by being active – walking.
Maybe because of coming from the modeling industry, I love creating my own outfit, where everything is valid for me. I don’t have a defined style. I basically adapt to each situation. I have a special passion for feeling comfy in style. I don’t focus on the brand as long as I like the clothes, I can either wear Gucci or Penneys. The price of clothes doesn’t identify me.
- Il Salvagente is the fashion outset where you will find high-quality brands for a normal price. I bought some boots from Moschino. Website & Instagram.
- Humana Vintage. I bought a sporty but stylish hat and an extravagant and cozy coat in the Vintage second-hand Humana Vintage clothes & Instagram. It’s a known chain of clothes that I found on our way back to the hotel.
The hat has a peachy texture and it can be worn with casual and more sophisticated clothes. The coat has a bohemia Milanese style! and something both items were fitting my purse and my usual ice-cream flavors 😛
- 10 Corso Como is an iconic Milan fashion shop, beside the restaurant with the same name. High quality and prices. A nice fashion museum if it’s on your way to enjoying a delicious dinner at the restaurant beside. 10 Corso Como & Instagram.
- In the streets around Duomo Cathedral and Square, you can find well-known brands but in a perpendicular street, you can find the most sophisticated and high-quality brands like Gucci. We found this street using it as a shortcut on our way to the hotel. It’s fascinating the decoration put into these shops. You can smell the sophistication from the outside which is linked to the prices too.
- I brought my hat from Dublin, from Penneys; the scarf is Lambswool from Edinburgh; dress from a designer back when modeling, leggings from Calzedonia, and the shoes from an Italian brand bought in Arnotts, Dublin years ago. The purse is from United Colors of Benetton & Instagram. Before traveling I had an idea of the outfit textures so I did my nails in pastel colors; beige, brown, pink and white at Essence Nails Longue in Dublin.
Oh! and I negotiated this handy bag pack/purse/sporty bag in a stand by the canal in Navigli. It will be super handy for my day to day and it totally fits my light pink bohemian hat ad the scarf.
So yeah basically I can wear anything, as long as it fits for that outfit and it’s comfy in style! Each brand has its attractive peculiarity, regardless of the monetary value that is attributed to it because that is even relative.
Be updated on the upcoming honeymoon trips – blog posts by subscribing to my Monthly Newsletter!
One day trip to Lake Como. Visiting Switzerland & Italy. Lugano (Switzerland) & Bellagio & Como (towns in Italy) – ALL DETAILS HERE
One thought on “HONEYMOON TRIP – First destination, Italy”