72 hours in Milan and this is what happened
Milan! A city known as the fashion metropolis! But there wasn't much fashion to see on the streets of Milan during my stay there. Maybe it was just because there wasn't any Fashion Week when I was there.
We started in Stuttgart. We rented a car on Check 24 and then drove down to Italy. Our first stop was Milan. Honestly, I had no expectations and was neither positively nor negatively surprised. It took us about 6.5 hours to drive from Stuttgart to Milan. The traffic was fine. We hardly had any traffic jams.
When we arrived in Milan, we went directly to the hotel. Our hotel was called Acca Palace. We booked everything through Booking.com. It was quite cheap for four people and the most important meal of the day - breakfast - was included. The use of the fitness room in the hotel was also inclusive - and yet I didn't make it to the gym. The hotel was very well located. The nearest subway/metro line (M3) was about 8 minutes walk away. It took only 15 minutes by metro to get to the city center.
We ate at L'Osteria (near Centrales Fs Milano) on the first evening. A typical Italian restaurant with pizza, delicious wine, pasta, and everything that goes with it. I must say that it tasted way better in Milan than the L'Osteria, which we know from Germany. The ambiance and the staff were much more open and friendly than in Germany. The only small challenge we had, was the language.
Because the Italians in Italy are like the French in France: If you can't speak the language, you are on your own and have to try your luck with your hands and feet.
But our waiter was fine, he understood a little English and I - being the "linguist" that I am - understood his Italian a little. Only replying in Italian didn't quite work out for me. But it does not matter. We got our food anyway and washed it all down with delicious wine. There was great music playing in the background to which we could move our heads while eating. Around 10:30 pm it poured outside for a short time. But don't worry; we didn't get wet. Instead, we sat comfortably in the restaurant and waited for our dessert.
A short trip to Lake Como
Since we did not only want to stay in the city, we made a short trip to (Lake) Como the next day. A beautiful place about 1.5 hours away from Milan by car. This place, or rather this small town, is beautiful and has something romantic about it.
A perfect place for a romantic weekend or vacation with your spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend. In the alleys, you can always find hidden pubs, bars, and restaurants.
The only challenge - besides the language barrier, is finding parking spots. It's a pure disaster. Italy has the strangest parking bans and parking regulations for me. After looking for parking lots for half an hour, we found a parking lot that was very small and narrow. Fortunately, we still managed to fit in with our car.
Now let's come back to the essentials: In Como, you can take a small tour across the lake by boat and enjoy the sunset and the view from the lake.
We were very excited about Lake Como and have shot many great pictures, which you can admire here 😉
In the evening we sat down in a fancy restaurant right on the promenade and ate food that was very bland. I was not thrilled with it and the portions were very small for the price we had to pay. The only thing that was fair to its price was the wine. It was delicious and the waiters were very friendly. One even spoke a little German. But well: At the end of the day, you do not pay only for the food and the service but also for the great view.
After the meal, I treated myself to gelato (ice cream) on the promenade on the way back to the car. That was tasty. Later that evening we made our way back to Milan.
Once we arrived in Milan we couldn't do much because we were exhausted. The next morning after breakfast we went on to Florence.
Conclusion:
Milan is a beautiful city that certainly has a lot to offer if you know your way around and are with the right people (locals). We had no choice but to visit the usual sights (Duomo and the luxury shopping mall), eat ice cream and go shopping in the short time we spent there.
The food was okay - we had to add a lot of seasoning and the portions were smaller, as we are used to (from Germany) for the money we paid. The tourist attractions were crowded with people (as expected). Ah, and before I forget: In Italy, you don't only pay for the food and the view, but also for the service. That is, on the bill, there is also 'Coperto'. The amount always depends on the number of people sitting at a table and being served. That means as good as, no tip necessary because it alreay flows withinn the bill.
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