ITALIA: Milan, Venice and Rome

ITALIA. The first thing coming to mind is the food (and GELATO) and with reason. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, Italy was the first country I visited in Europe. For me it was love at first sight. I love how warm the people are, how good the food is and the way everyone talks with their hands all the time is just unique and so expressive. I felt very comfortable in this culture because in some ways it was similar to my own. Before starting my co-op in Germany I had planned to go to three cities in Italy: Milan, Venice and Rome. I was so excited to go to the first two because I had never been there before. My friend and I had been planning this trip for a few weeks now and it was her first time in Italy so suffice it to say we were very excited about it.

We booked a flight through a website called JustFly.com and I recommend it because it doesn’t add any more money by booking it through the website. They are also very flexible about changes in case you booked the wrong flight (it happened to me once of course), but always compare prices to other websites just in case to know you’re getting the best one. Another option to book flights once in Europe is to check them out using Google Flights. You can track flights easily through this website (I had like 18 flights tracked). This way you can book them when they are cheaper. There are many websites that tell you the best and cheapest option so it is always important to research properly when you are on a tight budget. Our flight would go out from Hanover and go to Milan. From Milan we would take a train to Venice, from Venice a train to Rome and then from Rome’s airport we would go back to Hanover. A family friend of Kathrin (my friend coming with me on the trip) was able to book the hotels for really good prices in Italy because she had connections there. The locations to us were important so it would be easy to move around and explore better each city. Otherwise, I certainly recommend staying in hostels to save money.

First stop: Milan

Sitting at the top of the cathedral in Milan

The first stop was Milan. Once we arrived, the hotel had a driver that picked us up from the airport which was really nice because it was not close to the center of the city. We arrived at the hotel, did check in, and then took a walk around as it was already pretty late. Whenever I travel to other countries one of the most important things to me is food. I love eating at local restaurants with authentic food from the country prepared by locals. Exploring a city or a country through its gastronomy is also important when traveling and although we all have had Italian food, nothing can truly compare to when an Italian who’s passionate about cooking the best of best prepares your meal. That first night we researched several local places using an app called “Like a Local.” This app lets you know the places to go recommended by locals in each country. Even though sometimes there’s nothing really capturing your attention, in Milan it really told us nice places to go eat and see. We saw there was a good restaurant with really good reviews not far away from the center of the city which was the "Piazza del Duomo." This “piazza” had a beautiful cathedral that we were able to see at night, and in about 10 minutes we found ourselves in front of the restaurant which name is “Risso e Latte.” 

"Risso E Latte" Restaurant from inside

It was such a nice, cozy place. The restaurant was actually a house that had been turned into a restaurant so wherever you sat was a part of the house. We sat in the kitchen, and the owner of the restaurant and his wife received us with open arms. They were very nice and explained to us the specials etc. We were very excited about our first Italian meal. The chef brought the meals himself and explained each one and how he prepared them. We were fascinated with the food and the way they treated us here. I highly recommend going here if you ever find yourself in Milan. We stayed until the very end of the night and when we asked what they recommended for desert, the chef brought us three options so we could taste anything we wanted (two of them were actually free and he just wanted us to try to see if it was good I highly recommend the "gelamisu" which is tiramisu and gelato combined; don't ask me how). We befriended the chef and the owner of the restaurant and with my broken Italian I was able to speak to them in a combination of both Italian and Spanish. I felt pretty happy with the fact that I understood everything they were saying (even though I couldn’t completely express myself in their native language).

Picture with owner and chef of the restaurant

The cathedral in the "Piazza del Duomo" at night 

View from the top of cathedral 

The next day, we went to the top of the cathedral and the view was priceless. It was a beautiful structure and its architecture was impeccable. We walked around a lot and went to the gardens of one of the castles and just got a glimpse at the environment and vibe of the city. In the app we found, a local talked about how after 2pm on Tuesdays (and it was a Tuesday), there was an exhibition we could access for free it we were under 25. The museum was called “Museo 900”. It was a combination of both art exhibitions and some history facts regarding Impressionism. It was nice to be able to access this exhibition for free and by the time we got out we were already pretty tired so we went back to the hotel to prepare for dinner again. Our stay in the city was very relaxing and enjoyable. It was exactly what I needed after everything that had happened with the bags etc. but I was ready to go to Venice. Our train would be leaving the next morning at 9am and we would be spending two entire days in Venice and taking a night train to Rome. Dinner the last night in Milan was also really good, but nothing compared to “Risso e Latte.” I definitely will go back and like I said, befriending the chef and the owner and talking to them for the entire night while we had a nice, homemade dinner was an experience that I think everyone should have. This type of occurrence is also why I love Italy so much and what makes it such a special and unique country. 

Top of the cathedral in Milan

Second stop: Venice 

The next morning, we took a four-hour train to Venice. It was pretty easy to take the train from Milan. When we arrived, we were fascinated already. The city had such magical vibe; it was hard to describe.  I couldn’t wait to explore more. We stayed at a nice hotel near the Grand Canal which was perfect because it was a very good location. Although it sounds “very touristy”, we definitely wanted to do a gondola ride and take some nice pictures of the city view from the water.We had also booked a free walking tour during the evening so it wouldn't be as warm. It was a nice way to see the city the first day: with a local. I highly recommend doing the free walking tours of the cities or countries you visit. These tours are technically free, although you always give a tip in the end (about 8-10 euros depending on how good it was) and they are given by either a local or at least a person that has been living in that particular city for a long time. The people who do this are truly passionate about the city and will tell you the best places to go eat and the best things to do in a way no other tour or person could. That is why we decided to do it the first day so we could have an idea of what to do the second day or whenever we visit again. 

Gondola ride in Venice 

The tour started at 6pm and took us around the different museums, theatres and restaurants. We met people from Australia and South America who were backpacking and it was interesting to hear their stories and why they were in Europe. The perspective from the tour guide we had was incredible. He told us the best prices to see the museums and shows and how to access them. There was so much to do in Venice it made me want to go back again with more time. He said the average tourist only spends 24 hours in Venice and, “does two things: the gondola ride and takes a selfie at the Rialto bridge.” It was an interesting fact because after the tour we were amazed at how many different things one could do in Venice. He showed us a little street that is full of local restaurants and local hang outs. He even took us to a restaurant and ordered food for us to try. It was an amazing tour and I highly recommend it.

Burano; colorful houses

After the tour, we realized we didn’t have much time left in Venice and we wanted to have a better view from the water so we saw there was a special price for a boat tour around the three different little islands surrounding Venice: Murano, Burano and Torcello. In Murano you could find the famous Murano glass and see how they prepared it. Buying it there in Murano was also way cheaper than in Venice. The boat ride was a really nice way to relax and rest from all the walking we had done the previous days. I recommend if you want a more low key day which was what we needed at the time. That same night we went to the train station and took the night train to Rome. 

Recommendation: if you are ever taking a night train in Italy, pay a bit more for first class. It is worth it because the train ride was rough. It is not a big difference and it is really worth it to be able to rest a bit before getting to the new city. 10 hours sitting straight up was not the best idea. We were so tired when we arrived to Rome. However, we were lucky they gave us the hostel room immediately so we were able to rest a bit and shower before continuing to explore Rome. 

Murano

Third stop:  Rome

Roman Colosseum

As I mentioned previously in one of my posts: this was my third time in Rome. We stayed in a hostel called Funny Palace. Its location is near the main train station so it was really convenient getting off the train and being able to get there fast (considering we were so tired as well). The guy who checked us in was incredibly nice and when he noticed how tired we were he gave us a room immediately. He also gave us coupons for a free dinner and breakfast. He explained to us the best tours and the best ways to explore the city. It was a nice, local perspective to have because he mentioned things I didn't know about even though this was my third time visiting Rome. 
After settling in and resting for a bit, we decided to walk around and see the main attractions like the Roman Colosseum, the "Piazzas", the Forum, etc. We had two days in Rome. In my opinion if you go to Rome have at 
least one day completely devoted to go to the Vatican City. I did not go again this time but it is worth it.

In the end, it was a nice way to end the trip in such a familiar place because since I had already seen most of the places in Rome I was able to relax and walk around without a hurry. One of the tips I have for Rome is that if you are taking a plane, there are buses that for 4 euros take you to the airport versus having to take a taxi or Uber (which is certainly more expensive) since the airport is about 30-40 minutes outside of the city. We took one of those buses to go to the airport and catch our flight back to Germany. They are located in the entrances of the main strain station. It even had Wi-Fi so I was able to communicate with my parents to let them know I was finally going back to Hanover. That same day, Sarah and Merlin told me my bags had appeared and that they would be waiting for me once I got off the plane in Hanover! I was so happy because after a week without my clothes I was already starting to think that I was not going to be able to find them ever.

View from one of the Piazzas in Rome

My trip around Italy ended up being precisely what I needed. I was able to relax and enjoy one of my favorite cultures and (like I mentioned previously) come back to the first country I had ever visited outside of the United States. It was a nice way of starting what would be my year abroad and my semester in Europe.