Arrivederci, Milano
Just to set expectations, this post is not about those delicious little cookies that are usually enjoyed by the boxful (don’t judge) but about our brief two days in Milan, Italy. We were quick to note that this felt like a vacation from our vacation in some very interesting ways. First, being a pretty large cosmopolitan area of Italy with a lot of commerce, Milan felt VERY different than our experience in Italy so far. Imagine a slightly cleaner (but far more tobacco-ey) New York City. This was a far cry from the historical sites and quaint villages we have gotten used to. Second, we were checking into the nicest hotel we had ever stayed in! Let me try to explain our time further in pictures.
After riding the train in from Florence and managing the Milan metro (some nice alliteration for you there), we ascended the stairs from our stop only to be greeted by this:
And this:
We couldn’t help but stop in awe at everything around us. Frankly, it took a little while to adjust!
After picking our jaws up off the floor, we quickly made our way to the Park Hyatt hotel which was located just a block from the metro stop. We booked this using some free night certificates that I received for being a part of the Hyatt awards credit card program. This hotel was literally right next to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and was absolutely splendid. I’m sure the door crew was pretty puzzled to see two hot, tired, and sweaty backpackers enter the hotel; I bet it doesn’t happen often!
We were surprised at how un-snobby everyone was at reception and can honestly say that the wonderful hotel staff were a memorable part of this stay. They quickly walked us to our room; of which we can only explain in pictures (queue another round of jaw dropping upon being handed the card keys).
Our evening consisted of a quick walk to get a feel of the area before hitting the hotel gym for a much-needed assault on all the pasta we have been eating. It burned so good! We also got to take advantage of the incredible spa facilities and jacuzzi-ed and sauna-ed before bed. We lucked out and basically had the gym and spa to ourselves throughout our stay. Now maybe you can start to feel how this seemed like vacation!
We only had one main agenda item the next day: find clothes to wear for the opera. We started uptown in the Brera district with brunch at Bianco Latte and some sightseeing of the area. There is plenty of art in this neighborhood and a few interesting churches and piazzas. Not having much luck yet, we wandered back to the Vittorio Emanuele area and were able to find clothes that fit the dress code for La Scala Opera House. We had tickets that night to attend Englebert Humperdink’s (not making that name up) opera, Hansel Und Gretel.
The opera, located two blocks from our hotel, was a very memorable experience and definitely a highlight of our time in Milan. It was pretty amazing watching an opera in one of the most historic opera houses in the world. Even though the performance was all in German, it was an incredible show to watch and we were able to follow along with subtitles on the backs of the seats. After walking back to the Hyatt, we relaxed with a Prosecco nightcap, also courtesy of the hotel’s rewards program, before turning in for the evening.
It took us about 4 snooze buttons to get up the next morning but we started the day in the Milan Duomo and it was just stunning in every way! It is the largest church in Italy, third largest in the world only to St. Peter’s basilica in Vatican City and the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil. Here you can see the gothic-style interior of this church that took six centuries to complete.
We also got to climb up on the roof! Sadly there were no hunchbacks to be found but plenty of great views. It was interesting to see the juxtaposition of history and modern day from our vantage point.
Sadly, our brief time in Milan drew to a close. Through my Hyatt membership we took advantage of a late 2:00pm checkout to get in one more workout before packing up.
All-in-all it was a good stop on our journey. We departed Milan that afternoon and headed towards Verona!
GP