Now that I’ve had my fair share of shopping posts and actual shopping for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, I’m back to daydreaming about our vacation. Next stop in this Europe Trip series is Italy! This is going to be in two parts and I’m going to keep each stop as brief as possible because we were in Italy for most of our trip. Part 1 of 2: Milano and Roma!
First Stop in Italy: Milan
From Switzerland, we took the train into Milan which had honestly one of the most beautiful town squares I ever visited. The Milan Duomo is beyond beautiful with all the details all over, and it was huge! Sadly, Patryk and I didn’t get pictures together because we didn’t trust strangers there to give our phone to. My wonderful husband patiently took photos of me for the blog!
We weren’t going to be staying in Milan long. It was just an overnight stop on the way to Rome to meet up with my brother! When we arrived in Milan, after dropping off our bags at the hotel, our first stop: panzerotti! I saw it on someone’s vlog and thought I had to try it since it was going to be a lighter meal or a heavier snack. Dinner wasn’t going to be for another couple hours… We walked around the Duomo area and took tons of photos before it got dark. We obsessed over the duomo for a long time, just staring at it, and started walking over to get some gelato! Yes, this was still before dinner… aren’t those things required as soon as you get to Italy? I got a mango gelato, and Patryk got a lemon gelato. Massive scoops – we should have just shared one.
After some gelato, we ended up at this restaurant that was on the top floor of a museum overlooking the square and the duomo. I started with my first aperol spritz in Italy because duh… I’ve always loved aperol spitzes, so I was enjoying it, especially in the really hot weather. Patryk loves the heat, I do not. Patryk ordered a truffle risotto, and I got a veal Milanese. Nobody warned me about the size of the thing! It was enough for an entire family. Did I finish it? I definitely almost did!
After dinner, we checked a couple shops like Mango and of course, Sephora. Side story: I spoke Italian to the Sephora associate, and she thought I was local and she responded in Italian. I stared at her, hinting I had absolutely no clue what she just said. We both laughed. It was a proud but also funny moment for me. Who could have thought I would master the right accent a couple hours in?
We were so tired from traveling and so full from eating that we organized our suitcases when we got to hotel and got ready to go bed early for our train ride to Rome the next day.
Where We Stayed in Milan
We stayed at Sina de la Ville. Loved the hotel, even for the short amount we stayed there. The staff was so friendly, and it didn’t feel too busy even if they had a lot of guests. I only know that because breakfast was packed the next day! It was also easy access to a lot of things because it was close to the Duomo. I believe it was a 15-20 minute taxi ride from the train station, and it was near so many high end shops if you wanna go shopping! It is Milan after all.
Italy Stop 2: Rome
Ah, Roma. I have a love-hate relationship with it after this visit. It’s a beautiful city, but dang, was it hot and crowded. Two adjectives that turn me off from any place. However, it was definitely worth a visit. We spent the most time in Rome because we devoted an entire day just visiting the Vatican, and there was still so much to see. Also, Patryk is a history buff after all. We also wanted to take our time and rest in between activities, especially considering how hot it was.
When we arrived on our first day, we went straight to the hotel and immediately checked out the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain which was only a 5-10 minute walk. It was Pentecost that Sunday so the Pantheon was so crowded. Sadly, knowing how packed it was going to be, we didn’t end up going back like we planned to see the mass where they drop rose petals into the Pantheon from the top. The Trevi Fountain has to be my favorite part of everything in Rome though. I could just sit there all day – minus the people around me. Haha! It’s so fascinating and amazing how detailed it is, not to mention how massive it is!
The next day was Vatican day. We bought some sandwiches the night before so we can have an early and heavy breakfast (since nothing was open that early). It was gonna be a long day. We got to the Vatican before 7 AM to make it to our tour which lasted until 4 PM, and I am so glad we did that. The lines wrapped around the place later in the day! So we definitely recommend booking a tour that starts before the place opens if you’re considering going.
The Vatican was huge, and filled with so much beauty and grandeur. While we toured the Basilica, I actually had the chance to “see” from afar one of the masses during one of the blessings, so I stayed a few minutes before our tour group had to go. By the end of the Vatican and museum tour, I was feeling very tired and icky! We went back to the hotel to cool down and freshen up before dinner.
We went to Osteria da Fortunata, which I did not know was a known spot until after the trip! It was pretty good, and our server looked like an Italian Dave Franco. Haha. It was fun but a long day, so we went back to the hotel early to relax. We were gonna be up early the next day because my brother was finally joining us for the rest of the trip!
The next day, my brother arrived and was able to join us for breakfast. After a long nap since he was traveling for over a day, we explored the city for a few hours before grabbing some drinks and then dinner. We had an early tour the next day to go to the Colosseum. If you’re ever in Rome in the summer, definitely make sure you never run out of water… trust me.
On our last day, we went to the Colosseum and just walked around the city to try more food places. Then we were off to Florence!
Where we stayed in Rome
Honestly, our hotel and the rooftop bar made such a difference in our experience in Rome. We loved our hotel, especially the rooftop bar. The service, drinks, and food were all great! We were there for breakfast and every night they were open. We stayed at Hotel L’Orologio. It was a pretty new location for the chain too, and I hope to stay there again if I ever go back to Rome.
If you’re planning trips to Milan and Rome, I’ve linked some of the places we stayed at and visited throughout this post. Up next and the last blog post in our Europe vacation series will be the second half of our Italy stop: Florence, Naples and the Amalfi Coast!
