#75 Ciao, Bella—greetings from Italy

It’s been a while since we’ve had an actual holiday—you know, one where you have zero commitments, you don’t bring any work with you, no calls, no messages, just good food, hotel naps, and spontaneous adventures.

Well, we still didn’t have one of those when we were in Italy last week—I was there for a work-related conference (which was pretty ace, by the way), so my schedule was a bit tight.

But we made sure to speed through Milan on one of the days before flying back + got a few mini adventures finding cute little bars or food spots after my workshops, talks, and bits of networking.

Let me take you on a brief photo story recap of a handful of things you can enjoy in Milan when you’re short for time.

We stayed in Navigli area, right by a canal and next to a tram stop and a kebab shop (both super handy). Local metro was only 12min walk away, too. Our flat was inside a nice, secure courtyard building with a decent view of the neighbourhood.

There’s even a Lidl and an Aldi nearby so you can save a little if you want to eat in for some of your meals. Or if you fancy a random snack for the evening—I got myself a large box full of fresh strawberries for just €1.99.

The only downside was one of the residents had a small dog that made up for its size by barking loudly (which echoed all the way up), getting amped whenever they were about to get in the car.

When we got on the tram for our big adventure day, we realised there’s some roadworks so our tram is going a different route—not a problem, still going in the general direction.

A bit of a problem, though, was a big argument kicking off between a younger Italian man and an older lady, her husband (who seemed to have rung police), and a couple of other passengers joining in to shun the aggressive man until he got off, angrily walking away. Phew, I wouldn’t want to get in the crosshairs of an angry Italian nonna, either.

(I wish I had turned on Google Translate to figure out what the whole carriage is arguing about)

We started off with Arco della Pace—a large triumphal arch, kind of north west of city centre and right next to a large park (Parco Sempione), leading right to Castello Sforzesco, a large medieval fortress with museums within it. Unlike the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, this arch felt more approachable, in a more natural setting, and you could get as close to it without a single car in sight. Still just as beautiful.

You can explore the Castello Sforzesco courtyards for free, with cheap €5 tickets for all museums and exhibitions (or even free on certain days of the month).

We briefly wandered into Pinacoteca di Brera and its adjacent Brera Botanical Garden that led us in a loop; we couldn’t find an exit without doing a circle or two, until we cut our losses and just went all the way back to where we came in from.

On one hand I regret we didn’t book a tour for Pinacoteca di Brera, a palazzo full of medieval and Renaissance art, and we also somehow missed the Braidense National Library which looks stunning, but at this point I think we were a little desperate to have a good sit-down break.

Whenever we go abroad, we usually have a rule: no chain restaurants, cafes or coffee shops. Let’s try local stuff. But this time we actually wanted to visit Starbucks Reserve Roastery—it’s a totally different vibe. Beans roasting in the middle of the coffee shop, crazy drink recipes you’ve never heard of, and amazing pastries. No laptops or anything of the sort, just an elegant coffee store with tons of roasted bean options (and coffee merch) you can take home.

I can’t recall what I had (it was nice), but Alex went for an iced coffee with an olive oil shot. Not our favourite—there are definitely WAY better tasting options on the menu. And yes, it definitely did taste like olive oil.

I’d been to Duomo di Milano before, but that was pre-Covid era and I was pretty excited to revisit this popular landmark, right in Milan’s centre. Last time it was getting repaired, with an ugly large digital ad covering it. This time—it was there in its full glory.

It’s actually really beautiful if you really look into its intricate architecture, past all the pigeons flying all around. Though, I do love a good pigeon photo.

When we sat down on the steps in front of Duomo, we looked up to our right and saw these terraces. Turns out, you can actually get there, but it’ll cost you (quite a bit!).

We went up to to Terrazza Aperol, with two queues at the door: to the left if you’re happy to get a seat inside and to the right if you’re happy to wait for a seat on the terrace. We’re here so we might as well wait and do it properly, so off we went to the right.

A waiter took us through a swanky, orange hallway full of glass shelves featuring numerous Aperol bottles, and actually seated us at one of the best seats outside—right by the terrace wall.

We accidentally hit it just right with the timing too because the sun started to set, slowly disappearing and illuminating the cathedral and the whole plaza,

Was it worth it? The view was stunning. But you’ll have to dish out €21 for a single Aperol Spritz (or €11 for a Coke if you’re going alco free). We begrudgingly went for two spritzes for an eye-watering €42 bill for those two drinks, but at least the blow was softened with some nice snacks that come with it (we had no idea).

Still, would we do it again? Probably not. But if you have some spare cash, it’s a lovely view (though I wish they’d cut those bushes so you can see through the glass wall without needing to stand up). But you might as well queue for the terrace—indoors is just like any fancy indoors bar.

I actually didn’t take many photos inside the nearby shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. I feel like it’s one of those places swarming with other tourists that it’s nice to just enjoy all of the designer shops with your eyes, do three spins with your foot on the Milan’s bull for good luck, and get some nice gelato or pizza slice on the go.

The only photo I took on my camera inside the mall was of a new (I think) gallery that was closed down for VIPs only.

The mall is definitely well above my tax bracket, but you can still enjoy a good stroll around it, even if only to enjoy the beautifully-dressed windows and décor. A pretty big step up compared to shopping malls back at home!

I still have a few things I want to share with you next time, so I’ll keep those photos for the next newsletter.

That’s all from me this week—if you enjoyed this newsletter issue and haven’t subscribed yet, you can click the button below. I’d love to have you here! Hopefully, catch you next week.✨