Happy Valentine’s Day to me!
Slightly late, however, a lovely belated Valentine’s trip away to Milan. It’s never been a huge occasion in this house, usually I’m happy for a takeaway, a bottle of fizz, and a cheesy romantic film. However, when Nathan told me to keep a weekend free, I couldn’t wait to see what he had planned.
I’m not great with surprises, and I’m a chronic snooper, however, I didn’t want to spoil this one for myself. We’ve spoken a lot about Italy over the past year though so I did have an idea…
Other than being the fashion capital and the home of the Chicken Milanese, I can’t say I knew much about Milan or where to go, so everything was left to Nathan to plan. Whilst I’ve visited many areas of the US, Europe is still such a mystery to me, so there’s so much of Italy that I need to visit.
Whilst we only really had a day in the city, we walked around 40k steps and saw everything we wanted to see. The sun shining definitely helped.
Manchester:
So, let’s be frank. Whilst I’m a big fan of a boujee flight, on this occasion, convenience was key as we were arriving on the Saturday and flying home on the Sunday. With a 6AM flight from Manchester, we decided to stay over at the Radisson onsite. After finishing work for the evening, and driving over from Leeds, the complimentary spa access was a bonus. Stayed here when we went to Florida in 2022 so had some lovely flashbacks. Also, had a cheeky complimentary upgrade to the superior room.
Flight:
Prior to this year, I’ve only flown RyanAir once (Benidorm…), however, this year so far, I’ve already flown with them twice. Am I a changed woman? The flight was uneventful in fairness, best part of 2 hours but had a quick nap both ways and arrived in no time.
After landing at Milan Malpensa Airport at around 10AM, we got the train to Girabaldi (€13 each) as we were staying at the Palazzo Cornalia.
Accommodation: Palazzo Cornalia
Whilst we originally looked at staying near the Duomo (The Corner Duomo Hotel), a mix of cost and busyness meant we looked elsewhere. In hindsight, the right decision!
A short walk from the Girabaldi train station, the Palazzo Cornalia is a boutique hotel filled with colorful pop art. On first impressions, the hotel screamed that it was chic and cool, rather than ‘luxury’ feeling. Definitely welcoming, and staff were lovely. Although, definitely odd to only have 1 chair at the reception desk…I found myself standing awkwardly whilst Nathan checked in.
As part of my Valentine’s treat, Nathan had opted to upgrade to the Premium Loft. The room was huge, had its own walk-in closet, and big bathroom. However, I was disheartened to find no bath considering I spend 90% of my time in the bath. (P.S. Nathan wanted me to say, they gave a complimentary bottle of wine that we couldn’t drink as there was no corkscrew!)
Features of the Room:
• Flat Screen Satellite TV
• Safe
• Minibar
• Complimentary Water
• Alexa
• Kettle (with flavoured teas & coffees)
• Bathrobes
• Slippers
• Acqua di Parma Toiletries
Whilst the hotel was reasonably priced and in a great location (only 2 metro stops from the Duomo), for a 5-star hotel, I expected more wow factor from the room. Granted, it was lovely, but didn’t quite deliver that over-the-top luxury I’ve experienced elsewhere, especially since we had upgraded. The complimentary drink at the bar (though no cocktails or premium options) and discount at the restaurant were nice touches.
The room itself was spacious with a comfy bed. I loved the addition of Alexa to easily request help/information. The toiletries were lovely, and the rainfall shower was sublime after a long day exploring. As someone who relishes bathtub soaks, the lack of one was disappointing, but the gorgeous marble bathroom was still a favourite feature.
Day One in Milan:
After checking in, and a wander around Biblioteca degli Alberi di Milano (had a cute dog park, botanical garden, play area, and surrounded by amazing architecture), we headed over to the Duomo. It was about 3PM, so by the time we got there, it was HEAVING. Whilst it was stunning, there would be no chance of getting a good photo at the time, so I recommend getting there as early as possible.
We decided to walk over to Navigli (took about 40 mins with Nathan), it was much more chilled and loooooads of cute bars to sit outside and have a glass of wine or 10. Perfect people watching spot.
Nathan had chosen our dinner for the evening, I was dubious as I hadn’t researched but we were headed back near to the hotel to Ratana.The restaurant describes itself as a combination of Milanese and Lombard cuisine and ‘a menu that interprets on the one hand the gastronomic tradition of our Region, on the other the freer expression of modern cuisine.’ As a Michelin guide restaurant I had high expectations.
On first impressions, the restaurant was intimate but classy without being pretentious. The staff were incredibly friendly, and very knowledgeable on each course.
Served with a glass of wine, the courses we received included:
• Pork belly glazed with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and baked peppers
• Risotto alla milanese (with bone marrow)
• Crispy artichoke, chickpea hummus and mayo, sumac and chopped herbs
• Stuffed and grilled chicken, mountain mashed potatoes, bbq lettuce and dried porcini chicken stock
•Caramel cake, chocolate mousse, puffed rice, salted caramel and peanut ice cream
Day Two:
We started early to make sure that we could get some actual photos in front of the Duomo (see below). It’s a completely different vibe walking around at 8AM compared to the evening before. In fact, much more pleasant…
Whilst we didn’t go inside the Duomo, the area itself is stunning. I think, if we came again, we’d make a point of getting the lift as inside is stunning. If you do intend to go inside, ensure to pre-book as things get VERY busy.
Not only is the Galleria straight to the left, but also La Rinascente, a huge and beautiful department store with all your favourite brands. I will definitely be back when I’ve saved some money!
After a wander around the plaza, we decided to make our way over to Pavé, I’d seen a lot online/TikTok about it. A little walk out of the centre, but it was sunny, so of course, we didn’t mind.
Of course I couldn’t decide between a croissant and a bagel, so got both…
Hazelnut cream croissant and the Salmon stuffed bombolone.
Took the long way back to the centre, wandered through a park, and headed back to the Galleria. However, in the midst of fashion week, walking through was difficult, but trying to get a photo was nigh on impossible!
Top Tip: Do come here early as it was empty in the morning.
As the crowds got busier and busier, and we moved increasingly closer to our flight time, we made our way back to Repubblica, grabbed our bags from the hotel and found a lovely little cafe close by.
Despite being an extremely short trip with so much left unexplored, I didn’t feel like I missed out. I definitely need to go back for a shopping trip (once I’m a millionaire…), but there’s lots of Italy I’d like to visit next time including Rome, Venice, Florence etc etc.
Not our most boujee of trips but definitely a memorable one and a lovely Valentine’s to remember <3.
Haven’t got much else in the diary for a while, but I’m already planning 2025…
See you shortly!
Beth
x
P.S. Want to find out more? Follow me on Instagram at @bethsboujeeadventures
