Hello everyone! It’s THAT time again! As many of you know Great Britain's education system is completely different from what we american students are used to. One thing that I will never grasp is their long breaks or as they call it “holiday.” For my holiday (spring break) I decided to spend the majority of my time in Italy a total of 18 days and then my last 7 days in Prague. This blog post will focus on my stay in Venice and Milan. I’ll try and explain how I was both fascinated and unimpressed with my time in Italy!
Venice
So, my first stay was in Venice. I had received mixed reviews on this particular island, so my expectations were pretty low. As most students on a budget I didn’t actually stay in Venice, it was MUCH cheaper to live on a surrounding island and take a water bus to the city. Like most places in Europe the excitement of seeing an old place full of so much history is still exciting, but with that said, Venice is one of the most touristy places in the world. According to World Population Review, “It is estimated that approximately 20 million tourists visit Venice annually and that number only increases as each year passes.” This claim did not go unnoticed by me as I walked around Venice. The authenticity of culture is absence. The roads are so small and everyone is cramped trying to find the next big "tourist thing."
Oh! Don’t get me started on the prices! Hands down the most expensive place I’ve been to while traveling around Europe. Usually, I try to have a sitdown restaurant meal every town/city I visit, but the places I encountered were too expensive for me to justify to my aunt for a meal. But, you know what? I can’t complain too much, it wasn’t all bad! I stayed in an airbnb with a wonderful violinist who played beautiful music every night. After telling him my disappointment in my exploration of Venice he advised that I give it one more shot in the future. I think he’s absolutely right, one day when I’m not on such a restricted budget I’ll come back and give Venice the proper visit he believes it deserves.
Milan
After my somewhat disappointing trip in Venice, I headed to Milan. For the first time during my independent travel, I found myself in a hostile. It was super cute,it had a very tropical/coconut theme that didn’t remind me of Italian culture, but made me ache to be on a beach! While staying at the hostel I made a few American friends. They were literally backpacking around Europe with no plan. On a whim they decided to visit Milan and had no idea where they would end up next. Being as they were both students and it was also their first time in Milan, we spent a few days touring the city together. I went to the places that you're required to visit as a tourist such as Duomo Di Milan, Sforzesco Castle, Royal Palace of Milan, and a few other things sprinkled in there.
But, what I was most interested in was the FASHION!! The one thing I associated with Milan was Milan Fashion Week. I’m a huge celebrity nerd and I was well aware that some of the greatest fashionistas of our days walked the same streets that I walked. Window shopping was hands down my favorite activity in Milan. Dolce and Gabbana, Prada, and Gucci were obviously expensive and therefore I didn't purchase anything, but a girl can dream, right? The price of certain items absolutely blew my mind. For instance, Dolce and Gabbana had a scarf on sale for 800 euros. What’s the reason for something like that?
Anyway, I also tried pizza for the first time in Italy while in Milan. I immediately searched for a Dominos or Pizza Hut afterwards. I was unlucky. No, I’m totally kidding! The pizza was different from what my American tongue was used to, but defientely edible. I prefer Papa Murphy’s pizza, but without Italy I’m sure it wouldn’t exist, so, shoutout to the Italians!