italy – Check In Tune Out

Venice, famed for its canals and gondolas, is made up of over 100 islands connected by small bridges. With no cars or bicycles, only boat or foot to get around on, it has a very serene feel and is a great place for a relaxing weekend getaway.

Currency: Euro
Local time: GMT +1
Language: Venetian, Italian

Stay: Hotel Al Nuovo Teson

Centrally located near San Marco, Hotel Al Nuovo Teson is the perfect choice for comfortable yet affordable accommodation in Venice. We were warmly greeted upon arrival and given a map and several suggestions for a local dinner, which was a huge help for first timers in what can be a very confusing city!

The rooms, albeit small, were well lit and comfortable, and came with a minibar, daily maid service and a fully stocked bathroom. Everywhere was within walking distance, and the best place that we ate (Taverna Scalinetto) was literally around the corner.

Do: Gondola ride, I Tre Mercanti, Rialto

A trip to Venice isn’t complete without a ride on a gondola. These famous boats are located all over Venice, and the gondoliers easily spotted in their stripy uniforms. Wait at any of the ‘Gondola Service’ signs if there aren’t any readily available and a boat will show up in no time. It’s worth noting that the prices are set, so don’t try to haggle! A daytime ride will cost €80 for 30 mins, while a night time trip after dark is set at €100. Steep? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

Famed for its tiramisu, I Tre Mercanti is located on the corner of a canal and offers up an impressive 30 flavours! They aren’t all of offer at once though, so stop by and look at the menu, and if there’s one in particular you fancy trying, ask when the next batch will be out. We tried their original and the Nutella, both of which were divine! They are all handmade each day on site, and if you’re lucky you’ll turn up when they’re doing exactly this, on display in the window!

The Rialto area is one not to be missed. Go early to explore the local fish and fresh food market, located a few streets away form the Rialto Bridge. After that, I recommend stopping for a coffee (or an excellent hot chocolate) at Naranzaria, which has lots of outdoor tables literally on the side of the Grand Canal. Just watch out for high tide, when the water can lap over the edge and up to the tables!

Eat: Ristorante Al Giardinetto da Severino, Rossopomodoro, Taverna Scalinetto, Trattoria da Denis,

You’re spoilt for choice with the number of restaurants in Venice, but we were keen to experience local and authentic places whenever we could. We asked for some recommendations from our hotel, as well as other travellers we met on the trip, and the result was a holiday full of excellent food!

Ristorante Al Giardinetto da Severino could easily be walked past if you weren’t looking for it, but once inside you’ll discover a grand dining room lit by candles and filled with chatter. Smartly dressed waiters keep your glass topped up and a smile on your face, and the food only serves to broaden the smile. The house lasagna and Black Tagliolini are our recommendations.

Rossopomodoro is located near San Marco, very centrally, and while it is often frequented by tourists, the pizzas are excellent and a very reasonable price. They have expansive seating inside, but if its warm enough definitely opt for one of the outdoor seats as you can watch the bustling street life pass by while you wait for your pizza.

Taverna Scalinetto is tucked away in a back street, but is totally worth searching out. It’s authentic and cozy inside, with a great outdoor terrace situated under a vineyard for the warmer weather. The charcuterie board was excellent, and the spaghetti carbonara was the best we’ve ever eaten – no exaggeration! House wine is reasonably priced and very good, and the service was all done with a smile. Definitely recommend!

Trattoria da Denis was another back street find, and the layout made it easy to chat to other diners while we waited for food. House wine was very reasonably priced and bread was brought to the table shortly after we arrived. It was our first meal in the city and a great introduction to Venetian cuisine.

Taverna Scalinato

Rossopomadoro

Trattoria da Denis

Ristorante Al Giardinetto da Severino

I visited Milan for a weekend (literally two days!) in early October with a friend. In the 36 hours we spent in the city, we managed to cram in an impressive amount of sightseeing, and even more impressive amounts of wine and pasta!

Sample itinerary

Currency: Euro
Local time: GMT +1
Language: Italian

Stay: The Westin Palace

My trip to Milan was booked on a bit of a whim, with only a few weeks until departure, so we managed to get an amazing deal on lastminute.com. We booked one of their ‘Top Secret Hotels’ (for those who haven’t done this before, it’s where they list hotels and show you a rough location of each, along with a generic description of the hotel and a star rating. Thats all you get until you confirm your booking and pay. A gamble? Yes. One worth taking? In this case, definitely. Once I’d paid (£91, absolute bargain!) they emailed confirmation to say our accommodation would be at The Westin Palace, and upon googling, we were suitably impressed.

Upon actually arriving at the hotel, our impression levels were kicked up a notch. A doorman greeted us and took our luggage inside for us. In reception, there were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. And a harp player. Check in was a breeze, our room was ready and waiting for us (despite an early 11am arrival) and we were quickly escorted upstairs.

Although compact, the room was everything we needed and came with an impossibly comfortable bed and a seriously powerful shower. We couldn’t fault the service at the hotel, and the location was great too. It was within easy reach of several Metro stations, or simply a 20 minute stroll to the Duomo in the centre of town.

Do: Milano Navigli, Duomo Di Milano, Sephora

Without a doubt our favourite area of Milan was the Navigli area. It offered canal side eating and drinking as well as quirky market stalls and a very picturesque area to wander in the fading afternoon sun. (Tip: We tried to walk there from the Duomo and after getting ever so slightly lost, decided to purchase a Metro card and hop on. We never looked back!)

No trip to Milan is complete without visiting the Duomo! There are several options for exploring this incredible cathedral, but because the weather was so lovely, we opted to take the lift up to the terraces and take in the amazing views over the city. It cost €13 to go up, and while there was a bit of a queue for the lift, it was 100% worth it when we got to the top and had unlimited time to explore at our leisure.

Being British, we sadly do not have Sephora shops in the UK, so you can imagine my excitement when I realised they had them in Milan! Although not all of the brands I was used to from the American stores were available, I was still like a child in a sweet shop and had to be dragged out in the end in order not to miss our flight! It’s definitely worth adding to the list of many shops you will surely visit on your stay in the city of fashion but if like us, you’re travelling hand luggage only, don’t forget that you can’t buy anything over 100ml – sob!

Eat: Pavé, El Cicinin

For a fabulous breakfast/brunch in a place packed with locals (always tells me I’m onto a winner) head to Pavé. A neighbourhood favourite for very good reason; it comes complete with an incredible selection of cakes and pastries, as well as a main brunch menu and excellent coffee. If you only have time for one brunch out, Pavé is the place to head!

When it came to dinner in Milan, we found the best place to head was down to the Navigili area mentioned above. Restaurants and bars line the canal on both sides, and we were tempted by the aromas coming from most of them! After stopping for a glass of wine at an outdoor bar (the sun was setting and we were super lucky to get a table!) we wandered around the area in search of authentic Italian food. And wow did we find it! On a side road off from the main Navigili canal strip, El Cicinin offers cozy candlelit tables indoors and heated al fresco dining outside. The menu offered your typical Italian dishes; olives, bread baskets and charcuterie boards followed by pastas, pizzas and an excellent specials board. It was very reasonably priced, the food was divine and to top it all off, they served wine on tap by the litre. What more do you want for an evening in Italy?

Pavé

El Cicinin