Italy was my last Europe destination before I finally graduate and left to Malaysia for good. I thought it would be a good idea to end my university life by indulging in carbs and Gelato, hehe. Besides, my mum had always been wanting to visit Italy, so why not? Jessica & I are hugeee fans of pizzas by the way ( who doesn't love pizzas anyway? ) so we were pretty psyched about this trip. Don't forget about the abundant supply of Gelato too!
M I L A N
Visited yet another fashion capital that birthed some of my favourite brands; Fendi, Gucci, Miu Miu, D&G to name a few. I could instantly feel the sweltering weather that was brought by the Summer heatwave the moment I got down the plane. Ugh. It was around 38°c throughout the whole trip, a perfectly valid excuse to have Gelato I must say. It was actually pretty hard to savor every Gelato we got as they immediately melted as soon as we got hold of them, I'm not in the least bit exaggerating.
One of the largest cathedrals in the world, the Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) is probably the No. 1 tourist attraction in Milan. It's strategically smacked at the heart of the historic Milan city, at Piazza del Duomo. The magnificent masterpiece really demonstrates the beauty of Gothic architecture. Tickets to the terraces can be purchased online or at the self-service ticket machines. I did not manage to take a stroll on the terrace due to the weather. It can get veryyyy hot and sunny in the afternoon and as the day goes by, the piazza would be swarming with both tourists and locals.
Do you know what was more annoying than the weather? The bird feeding scammers at the piazza. So what would they do?
1. They approach tourists.
2. They offer them bird food. Some would just grab the hands of unsuspecting tourists.
3. Tourists would start feeding the birds and the birds would flock towards them . The tourists would get excited over it and would start snapping photos.
4. Finally, the scammers would demand money from the tourists for the 'service'.
I've actually witnessed many tourists who fell for it. Much to my surprise, most of them were actually willing to pay which I could not comprehend. The scammers seriously got on my nerves especially when they interrupted Jess and I while we were taking photos, even though we have rejected their offer for countless times. So, if anyone wants to avoid the crowd, the Sun AND the scammers, go as early as possible. You'd probably have the whole piazza to yourself.
Don't worry about not knowing where to head for a a meal, tea break or for shopping. The world's oldest shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is situated just beside the cathedral. The interior is amazing as you can see on the pictures. It did not feel scorching even when the sunlight peeks through the roof made of arching glass and cast iron. You can find many high-end Italian brands here or you can just sit back, relax and enjoy an Italian aperitif at the terrace overlooking the cathedral.
I highly recommend the pizzas at Spontini which is just a few minutes walk away from the mall. This is one of the few pizza places that Jess & I are still dreaming of everytime we reminisce about our trip. The crust was like focaccia to me, thick and crispy yet fluffy and light. One was definitely not enough to satisfy our craving but we had to save some stomach space for Gelatooo.
With only 3 items on the menu, Piz is claimed to serve the best pizza in Milan. To be honest, the pizzas were good, not great - maybe my expectations of pizzas have elevated to unrealistic levels.. However, their service was undeniably first-rate. We were each given a glass of wine and a slice of pizza while waiting in line for a table. Not forgetting the shots that were offered to us after our meal! Service was quick and the atmosphere was cozy and casual; it's definitely worth the experience.
Located a floor above Prada in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Marchesi 1824 is a pastry shop that provides a wide variety of patisseries, cakes and brunch food. It's a perfect spot to have a break for those seeking for tranquility after shopping or to shelter from the merciless sun. This cafe was acquired by the Prada Group which explains the walls and furniture enveloped in green brocade. Despite the elegant interior, I thought an equal amount of effort would be placed on the patisseries. The croissants were hard and there was no crunch factor. It was disappointing, sadly.
Cioccolati Italiani was my very first Gelato stop in Italy and boyyy, the Gelato was amazingly creamy, smooth and dense. It beats any Gelato that I have had in London and probably anywhere else hands down. It's an ideal place to indulge your sweet tooth and you'd have no regrets.
Stumbled upon Gelateria Odeon which is situated opposite of Duomo di Milano. The gelato was surprisingly good which I totally did not expect as the place was filled with tourists and I usually would choose to avoid overrated tourist traps whenever possible (although I'm not saying that all tourist traps is bad! Just mostly.). Thanks to Mama Heng and her cravings for Gelato!
Gelato Giusto (which means 'gelato done right' when translated to English) also serves incredible Gelato that makes me want seconds! The Gelato is made fresh daily and only natural ingredients are used in their products. Although it only offers very limited flavours compared to many other Gelato places, each flavour is unique and they are probably equally good and tasty! If and only if I have a larger appetite...
Another gelato place that is highly raved by many people, Grom is a place I found online and I thought of giving it a try since it was very near to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. In my esteemed (or not so esteemed) opinion, the Gelato tasted mediocre to me. It wasn't as creamy and dense as I thought it would be. It was not bad but it did not leave a lasting impression on me.
I would write about my trip to Venice and Rome in two separate posts because I realised a post on just one destination seems a little too long, heh. Till then!
