Milano!

Next stop: Milano!

After spending a wonderful four days in Venezia, the next stop on this Italian journey is Milano. My first observation upon being in Milano is how much cheaper the hotel rates are than in Venezia! It's great that you can find a quality place to stay even on a budget. I checked out three different options:

El Paso Bed and Breakfast

This little Bed and Breakfast sits in a location that's just a short walk from the Piazza Loreto, where the Red and Green underground lines interesect. This proximity makes it easy to hop on and jet off to more central areas of Milan. Rates run at 35 euros a night for a single room. This price includes a shared bathroom, included breakfast, and a friendly family-run atmosphere. Reviewers gave this hotel an 89% overall satisfaction rating, one of the highest I saw online!

Hotel Trentina

Another hotel I found with excellent satisfaction ratings 88% was Hotel Trentina, located only 800 metres from Milan's central station, with excellent access to bus, underground and tram transportation. The hotel promises a quiet, relaxing atmosphere while still being within walking distance of many of Milan's main attractions. The breakfast looks great (a huge buffet!) and there is also a bar and cafe within the hotel itself. All of this for only 55 euros a night for a single room!

Hotel Demo

The last hotel I found was Hotel Demo, which looked like a really fun place for backpackers and young travelers. This hotel also received great reviews from past travelers, with the only real complaint being some noise coming from the nearby road. However, the upside to this problem is the proximity of the hotel to Milan hot spots! The hotel is only 100 m from the Central train station, making it incredibly easy to naviage the city from this area. A cool point of this hotel is that the lobby is an art gallery! If you happen to be an artist, you can arrange with the staff to have your artwork shown! Pretty cool. This hotel costs 50 euros a night for a single room, and I think I'll choose to stay here because of it's unique atmosphere and close proximity to the train station.

Day One:

My first stop in Milan will be a visit to the Duomo. It is only five minutes by subway from my hotel, so I'll hop on at the Central station and head over. I want to walk around it, go inside, and take the elevator all the way to the top! From what I've read, despite Milan's notoroiously smoggy reputation, the view is still worth the climb.

After checking out the Duomo, I will spend the rest of the afternoon wandering through Milan's parks. A popular tourist park is Parco Sempione, which lies around and behind the Castello Sforzesco. I would also like to explore the Giardini Pubblici (public gardens). Giardini Pubblici is free admission but provides snacks, refreshments, and even bumper cars! Sounds like a fun way to spend the afternoon.

I think I'll end my first night in Milan at the Just Cavalli Cafe, owned by fashion designer Roberto Cavalli. That kind of flashiness usually isn't my style, but it looks pretty funky and it would be fun to experience the high fashion side of Italy while I'm here! The dishes are very fancy and the prices aren't even listed on the website ...so I may have to resort to nothing more than a drink and appetizer ...but still get to enjoy the environment!

Day Two:

Today I think I'll do a little shopping at the Milan markets. Through my research, I've found a few different markets to choose from. One of which being the Marcatone dell'Antiquario del Naviglio Grande which is an antique market selling everything from books to furniture. Also, the Mercato di Vivale Papiniano is a bargain market known for its fashion, and especially its shoes.

Day Three:

Today I'm going to see Santa Maria delle Grazie church to see DaVinci's "Last Supper" masterpiece. Luckily, I purchased my ticket ahead of time, because they sell out early. Thankfully it isn't peak season or they would've been sold out months ago! I chose to do splurge on this adventure and sign up for a three and a half hour walking tour of Milan that included my ticket into to see the Last Supper. I figured I've been here for two days of wandering on my own, and it might be nice to get an insider's take on the city and make sure I get to see it all before my last day here. The tour was about $75.00, and I booked the tour using Viator.com.

Day Four:

For my last day in Milan, I'm going to hit all the important destinations I've missed. Depending on what looked interesting on my walking tour from Day Three, I'll go back and explore certain destinations more closely. Hopefully wander and find some yummy gelatarias or pizzarias for a snack.

I wanted to see a show at the Teatro alla Scala tonight, but from what I could tell on the website tickets were all booked up until July! Guess that goes to show how important the theatre really is ...guess I'll have to see it from the outside, and hopefully get a glimpse inside before the show starts!

For my last meal in Milan, I found a great restaurant called La Topaia; a traditional Italian restaurant with live music! Locals are said to bring in their guitars and join in on the singing and playing. La Topaia opens at 8:00 pm and stays open late into the night until everyone is all sung out. The price of a dinner ranges from about 25-40 euros, which isn't too bad at all!

Ciao, Milano!

Venezia!

Day 1:

For my trip to Venice, I chose to stay at the Sweet Dreams Bed and Breakfast right on the Rialto Bridge and Rialto Market. I've booked my flight to leave at 7:01 pm out of JFK on February the 8th (last night), arriving in Venice (VCE) at 11:55 am on the 9th ...with a layover in London. Fortunately, check-in times at the Sweet Dreams bed and breakfast run throughout almost the entire day, so if something happens and my flight is delayed, I should be fine upon check in. It claims to be very easy to find in a confusing city, which will hopefully be a nice way to start off this adventure. This bed and breakfast has many convenient features such as breakfast, WiFi and other meals upon request. All rooms have picturesque views of the Venetian canals and classic rooftops. It's 15 minutes from the Piazza San Marco, and also just a 15 minute walk to the closest train station.

A private room in this bed and breakfast was about 60 euros a night, which was a little pricier but may be worth it to some for a nice single room. However, I'm more interested in a hostel setting within the hotel and that option was available as well for around 35 euros. It's a little more expensive than other places I looked at, but I'm willing to pay it for the proximity to the bridge and piazzas I want to see; not to mention a slightly more comfortable and picteresque area! Since I'm traveling on my own it may be more fun to stay in the mixed rooms to meet fellow travelers around my age, hence why I chose the hostel setting. The staff claims to be young and friendly, which seems like a perfect fit for my travel style. I found this hostel/Bed and Breakfast through HostelWorld.com, which was a very useful tool with numerous other options of places to stay.

Link to my hostel/bed and breakfast:

http://www.hostelworld.com/availability.php/Sweet-Dreams/Venice/34651

The below map provided me a great representation of where my hostel is in comparison to the Rialto Bridge.

I'm also happy to be relatively close to the Piazza San Marco, and can't wait to begin exploring! My travel style consists of wandering and stumbling upon hidden treasures. One of the top tips I got in researching Venice was to just get lost in it! Anyway, I think I'll spend my first day in Venice headed towards the Piazza San Marco. I am excited to take in it's unique architecture and the Venetian culture within the piazza.

Day 2:

After checking in and getting settled on the first day, to begin Day 2 I'm headed off to Piazza San Marco for the morning! I'm not too interested in guided walking tours of the area, I like to travel at my own pace and wander a bit. I'd much prefer to buy a travel book and discover the city on my own! From what I've read, Piazza San Marco has been described as the "nucleus" of Venice - as the first Citadel and church were erected on its foundations! (Palazzo Ducale and Basilica di San Marco). I plan on just wandering through the Piazza and window shopping (can't afford to buy anything in the fancy shops!). All I really want to take with me from my trip are lots and lots of great photos. After spending the morning outside with the pigeons and people watching, I might head over to the Museo Correr. Fortunately, the Museo is open for most of the day, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Also, when you purchase a ticket for the Museo Correr you also gain entry into the Doge's Palace! Today will be my day to hit them both. I'll probably just grab something small for lunch from a nearby panini shop..nothing too expensive, and I don't want to stop exploring for very long! I'd love to eat around the Rialto Bridge and Rialto Market area, but I keep reading that restaurants directly around the Rialto bridge are overpriced tourist traps, so I may wander the streets a bit to find somthing unique and off the beaten path. I've read that Arte della Pizza is a good, inexpensive place for a slice of pizza (only 1.50 euros!) It's hidden away somewhere on the Strada Nova, and is popular even amongst the locals, which is always a good sign.

After walking for most of the day, I think I'll find a nice place to sit and relax for dinner. One affordable place I found was the Taverna del Campiello Remer, which has a rustic courtyard overlooking the Grand Canal. There is a happy hour menu of cheap drinks and appetizers from 5:30-7:30, which will be a perfect time for me to eat. The restaurant is an all you can eat buffet style place, serving up huge plates of smoked ham, salami, salads and either a steaming risotto or pasta dish.

Day 3:

Right now the Carnival of Venice is going on! This huge celebration is no doubt one of the biggest in Venice, and encourages everyone to wear crazy masks and costumes everywhere (with the exception of churches!) From what I understand, there are numerous ativities and events going on all around Venice in honor of this celebration. Hopefully there will be lots of food stands that I can buy from. Through research on the carnival I've found that there are endless opportunities to choose from. From face painting (for young and old!) to extravagant chocolate displays to concerts and shows at night. There are street markets and parades and comedy shows galore! The options are endless ....I'll spend the day soaking in the culture of the Carnival!

Day 4:

During the day, I'm going to a glass-blowing demonstration on Murano Island. I have tons of Murano glass at home, and would love to see how it's made!! From what I've read, there are plenty of glass factories that will let you watch for free, without even making an appointment. I've heard that many artisans will let you just walk right into their warehouses and check it out! For only about 5 euros, you can take a tour of Museo Vetrario (The Glass House).

As my last night in Venice, I am determined to take a Gondola ride. I've booked a slightly pricey (around $100) but extremely nice gondola ride and dinner for my last night! The tour consists of an hour long ride through Venetian canals, topped off with a lovely dinner at Hostaria Ai Coristi Restaurant, near La Fenice Theater. I found a few gondola rides that were slightly less expensive, but most of those were a romantic ride for two, which I'm not interested in! This one will be great because it's a group tour and I could even meet a few new friends on my last night. The tour departs from Tour departs from the Gondola's mooring point of Santa Maria del Giglio Square (next to the entrance of Hotel Gritti Palace) at 6:30 pm. What a great, relaxing way to cap my experience in Venice!