the hornymoon files: milan
08.10.08 20:34
We finally set foot in Italy yesterday, starting with a five-hour drive from Lucerne to reach Milan. We had a few minutes to take photos at Lake of Lucerne and we also fed the swans/ducks with bread that our tour leader stole from the hotel restaurant. We also got to visit the lion monument (Löwendenkmal/Sleeping Lion) which pays tribute to Swiss guards. We finally bade goodbye to Switzerland (boohoo), which I believe is one of the best places to visit in your lifetime. The scenery is just amazing, something you will never see elsewhere.
Since we were now in Italy, our tour guide kept on reminding us to take care of our belongings and ignore people selling random stuff to us. Apparently, Italian police do not care about these people and would rather go at tourists since tourists have more money to settle fines.
Anyway, lunch was at an Autogrill (fast-food joint). Joel and I shared on a margherita pizza and it was delish for a fast-food place. We arrived in Milan probably around 3pm. We did a city tour with a local guide which probably lasted for about an hour. We visited the Milan Cathedral and it was a piece of stunning gothic architecture, intricately done. The inside of it was equally amazing, the stained glass window, the marvelous altar, a very curious painting of Mary breastfeeding Jesus, and an elevator which is needed to reach the top of the ceiling which holds a piece of wood from Jesus’ cross. I was amazed by the whole place, it’s probably the best place to visit in Milan. I took a lot of photos inside the cathedral, I just hope they’re not too blurry.
It was scary to roam the city on your own because of gypsies and illegal immigrants looking to make quick money from unsuspecting tourists. We were actually witness to how a Chinese tourist was extorted 20 Euros by three guys who helped her take photos whilst pigeons were feeding from her hand. Good thing we were given the heads up by our tour leader and we walked in a group, that way they wouldn’t try anything funny with us.
There wasn’t much to see in Milan, except the La Rinascente (a huge shopping mall supposedly better than Paris’ Galleries LaFayette) and this mall. Our hotel was okay (Atahotel Fieramilano), a bit outdated in our opinion but actually a four-star hotel. Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant about 30 minutes away from our hotel. Food was okay, sweet and sour fish was neither sweet nor sour- it was so bland. Our group decided not to go to Verona (where statues of Romeo and Juliet are) so departure time was at 10am.
We returned to our hotel around 8pm, and I conked out by 9pm- too tired from all the travelling we did today. Our friends Dhey & Aileen bought us gelato from Gelateria Famosi (best gelato in Milan) and we didn’t eat it until the following day. It was very nice!
So today was our travel from Milan to Venice. We had the afternoon free but actually most of the time was spent on the bus. We started traveling around 10am and arrived in Venice around 2:30pm. We were taken to a mall (which was very quiet) and a few of us bought bags/shoes at a factory outlet inside the mall. Joel and I decided to get the Samsonite X’ion luggage for ourselves since we’re going to do a bit of travelling sometime in the near future.
We haven’t toured Venice yet, going to do it tomorrow. Our hotel tonight is at Hotel Albatross (four stars), still small and outdated which I think most Italian hotels are. Dinner was at Pagoda Chinese Restaurant and I broke my pesca diet again today. Hard to be a pesca when on tour, so I’ll just continue when I get home.
We finally set foot in Italy yesterday, starting with a five-hour drive from Lucerne to reach Milan. We had a few minutes to take photos at Lake of Lucerne and we also fed the swans/ducks with bread that our tour leader stole from the hotel restaurant. We also got to visit the lion monument (Löwendenkmal/Sleeping Lion) which pays tribute to Swiss guards. We finally bade goodbye to Switzerland (boohoo), which I believe is one of the best places to visit in your lifetime. The scenery is just amazing, something you will never see elsewhere.
Since we were now in Italy, our tour guide kept on reminding us to take care of our belongings and ignore people selling random stuff to us. Apparently, Italian police do not care about these people and would rather go at tourists since tourists have more money to settle fines.
Anyway, lunch was at an Autogrill (fast-food joint). Joel and I shared on a margherita pizza and it was delish for a fast-food place. We arrived in Milan probably around 3pm. We did a city tour with a local guide which probably lasted for about an hour. We visited the Milan Cathedral and it was a piece of stunning gothic architecture, intricately done. The inside of it was equally amazing, the stained glass window, the marvelous altar, a very curious painting of Mary breastfeeding Jesus, and an elevator which is needed to reach the top of the ceiling which holds a piece of wood from Jesus’ cross. I was amazed by the whole place, it’s probably the best place to visit in Milan. I took a lot of photos inside the cathedral, I just hope they’re not too blurry.
It was scary to roam the city on your own because of gypsies and illegal immigrants looking to make quick money from unsuspecting tourists. We were actually witness to how a Chinese tourist was extorted 20 Euros by three guys who helped her take photos whilst pigeons were feeding from her hand. Good thing we were given the heads up by our tour leader and we walked in a group, that way they wouldn’t try anything funny with us.
There wasn’t much to see in Milan, except the La Rinascente (a huge shopping mall supposedly better than Paris’ Galleries LaFayette) and this mall. Our hotel was okay (Atahotel Fieramilano), a bit outdated in our opinion but actually a four-star hotel. Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant about 30 minutes away from our hotel. Food was okay, sweet and sour fish was neither sweet nor sour- it was so bland. Our group decided not to go to Verona (where statues of Romeo and Juliet are) so departure time was at 10am.
We returned to our hotel around 8pm, and I conked out by 9pm- too tired from all the travelling we did today. Our friends Dhey & Aileen bought us gelato from Gelateria Famosi (best gelato in Milan) and we didn’t eat it until the following day. It was very nice!
So today was our travel from Milan to Venice. We had the afternoon free but actually most of the time was spent on the bus. We started traveling around 10am and arrived in Venice around 2:30pm. We were taken to a mall (which was very quiet) and a few of us bought bags/shoes at a factory outlet inside the mall. Joel and I decided to get the Samsonite X’ion luggage for ourselves since we’re going to do a bit of travelling sometime in the near future.
We haven’t toured Venice yet, going to do it tomorrow. Our hotel tonight is at Hotel Albatross (four stars), still small and outdated which I think most Italian hotels are. Dinner was at Pagoda Chinese Restaurant and I broke my pesca diet again today. Hard to be a pesca when on tour, so I’ll just continue when I get home.