A weekend in Milan or two days in Lake Como?
15/06/22 - 18/06/22
If you couldn't tell already, once I book a holiday, I can't stop myself from browsing for more. After finding a bargain in Spain, I managed to persuade a few of my friends to book a few nights away for June, the justification being it was my birthday month.
Personally, I like the adventure of staying somewhere slightly out of the centre, being able to experience the reality of life in different areas and discover places that aren't posted on top recommendations. Luckily for us, Gio, one of the friends that was very easily convinced to go away, is from Sorrento. The downside of staying somewhere slightly out of the centre can be the language barrier, so having someone fluent in the language definitely comes in handy.
We left Coventry at 5am for an early morning drive to Stansted Airport, parked up at short stay and got through check-in and security by 8am. Plenty of time for a pint at Spoons! The only way to kick start a break! However, whilst at Spoons, we had the realisation that the hotel district we were staying in wasn't where we thought. It was still in Milan, but a 30 minute taxi to the centre. Our hotel was in Busto Arsizo, just left of Milan Central.
At first we were slightly concerned about the cost of commuting back and forth and the time it was going to take. But as for me, I was excited to see the parts of Milan undiscussed. It meant an opportunity to experience transport around the city and become acquainted with other residents.
This is where I turn into Trip Advisor! The hotel we stayed in was called Hotel D120. It was rated 4 stars and I can see why. We stayed on a room only basis, however the bar and restaurant area were optional to use once we were checked in and of course we made the most of the bar! The bedrooms were large, with a king bed, TV with Netflix, a private outside area and built in speakers and air-conditioning. The exterior of the hotel was also a reflective material (I'm sure there's a more official name for it but that's as architectural as it gets on here), perfect for full outfit pictures. There was a train station just a 10 minute drive/half hour walk away from the hotel and a supermarket and a McDonald's down the road. The train was only £4 from Busto Arsizo to Milan Central station and the train itself was a double decker bus on tracks...being the mature 20-year-olds we are, that was obviously the best part.
After settling into the hotel, we visited the restaurant next-door, ForGood Olgiate. To begin with, we weren't too keen on staying. We were not able to sit outside due to the tables being reserved for pre-bookings only, even though majority remained empty all night.. The menu was also limited for Jess and Bailie due to the fact that they are both fussy eaters. However, considering it was already getting late and we had opened the table water, we decided to give it a chance anyway. The waiter was lovely, offering us the chance to change dishes to better suit our preference and bringing free drinks over to our table. 3 of us decided on the spinach pasta, which was more of a spinach lasagne stack, and Gio tried the seafood pasta, for dessert we shared chocolate waffles and limoncello shots. Personally, I found the pasta was delicious but very repetitive in flavour. I think the expectations we had placed on Italian pasta dishes were high and it didn't reach the mark, however, the hospitality was unmatched and I would return for the family treatment we received.
We then left the restaurant, returned to the hotel, ordered drinks from the bar and all sat outside our room. I had a 'Mega-Moretti', PERFECTION. One thing about me is a full belly and a pint in my hand will always equal a smile on my face. The 80's music blasting and the drinks going down a treat, we spent the evening appreciating the fact we were able to book a flight with each other and experience parts of life that not everyone our age can do so easily.
The next morning we ventured into Milan central for some lunch at 'Graffiti' restaurant, where we had to take out a mortgage to cover the bill and then wondered into the city for a small bit of shopping. After dragging Gio around every shop we walked past, we all got a pot of ice-cream and head to Milan Central station for the next train to Lake Como. Now, if you're heading to Milan Central station on your own for the first time, i'd recommend getting there ahead of time...it was blooming massive! Of course we missed our train and had to wait in the station for another hour to catch the next one, but the best part of being away is the fact there's no pressure on being anywhere at a certain time.
A short half an hour train journey later...
The train arriving into Como station, Italy
All I have to say is beautiful. Words can not do Lake Como justice and if they could it still wouldn't be enough. After leaving the station its around a 10 minute walk to the Lake, where you will see street vans of ice-creams and slushes and boats harboured for the evening in front of the sinking orange sky. Restaurants surround Lake Como, with a soft atmosphere of mixed languages laughing and enjoying the location in sync.
After speaking to a local for recommendations, we head over to Giulietta al Lago, a hotel beach club. Due to the time of the day, entry and a sun bed was free, which meant laying in a bikini, cocktail in hand, watching the sun descend behind the hills. A moment that you wish could last forever, pure serenity. A few hours later we headed back towards the station, before being enticed into Bargiuliani restaurant. We all tried the seafood pasta bowl for €20 and we shared a variety of deserts. The food was to die for, with the pasta being filled with fresh seafood from around Italy, sawfish, prawns, muscles and octopus, truly a seafood lovers dream.
Following a lovely evening, we headed to the taxi rank. The final train back to Milan was around 10pm, however, the week we visited there were train strikes which meant the later trains were not running. This proved to be a rather expensive problem for us. After waiting around the central taxi tank for about half an hour, we walked to the station to see if there were any station taxis. Luckily there was, unlikely they were cash only and were going to cost a fair bit more than we had left on us. Around 20 minutes later we managed to get a taxi that took cash and was able to take us directly back to D120, €130 later, we were back at the hotel bar.
Originally we had planned to do the typical tourist site seeing in Milan on the Friday, however, due to how much we fell in love with Como, we decided to spend the whole day there and return to Milan another time to explore. Though the trip was intended to be a city break, relaxing at the beach club felt right and we do not regret spending the day there instead. We arrived at Giulietta al Lago at around 2pm, payed for our sun bed, ordered numerous cocktails each and swam in the lake until the evening began to dawn.
However, I think its important I address one thing...I am the worst swimmer ever. Luckily for me the lake was calm and there were barriers around the zone to mark where was protected by the life guard of the beach club, the only downside was the stoney walk into the lake and the occasional snake in the water. That was until what felt like a tsunami hit for about 5 minutes. Due to the rocks and the steep ladder out of the water, it was after to remain in the lake until the waves passed, unfortunately for me this meant a good 5 minutes of thinking I was Leonardo Dicaprio trying to stay afloat.
Of course after surviving the 'tsunami', we had to eat. So, we took it in turns to put some make up on and change out of our bikinis in the tiny bathroom and head out for what we were classing as my birthday meal. Originally we sat in the restaurant next-door to where we had eaten the previous night, however, in a matter of minutes I was atttacked by an exploding fan and offered no apology, so we left. Drawn in by the seafood pasta, everyone else decided they wanted return to Bargiuliani. Once the waiter agreed they would sing happy birthday to me, I agreed to eat there too. This time around, we shared a seafood platter, I then had a ceaser salad...with chips, a cheesecake and of course many, many drinks. Starting with a classic Italian sangria and of course ending with a pint of moretti.
After another eventful evening of trying to get a taxi home, only this time with the combined issue of alcohol, we were back at the hotel.
A full 6 hours sleep later, our bags were packed and we were ready to travel into Milan for the last time. We had Italian street food, consisting of pizza and arancini, devoured on the floor under a sheltered walk way and then headed to Bergamo airport. The trip didn't end there because no journey goes without a hitch that easily, but I'll save that story for another read.
Overall, I can not recommend Lake Como enough. Though our trip began with Milan, the memories were leaving with shine in Como. The views are spectacular and would make the perfect backdrop for a romantic weekend away. If you do pay a visit to Milan or Como, I would definitely recommend planning financially ahead of time if you're a student like me, or maybe an all inclusive visit may be more beneficial for the bank account in the long run. However, I wouldn't let the money put you off as there is always a way around a budget, and for the sake of the views, it is most certainly worth it.
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