When I first visited Italy in 2011 while living in Spain, Italy has always had my heart. From the pizza to the piazza, Italy is brims with culture. The people are full of heart, welcoming you with open arms and wine bottles. I knew from then I would be coming back- and Niche Italy was the perfect host to reunite me with this wonderful country.
In May 2022, I had the pleasure of taking a Niche Italy trip hosted by Alysse Dalessandro. I flew in a few days early to explore on my own and see a few cities not included on the itinerary. My full itinerary went as below:
Milan->Florence-> Rome->Calabria->Praia A Mare->Matera->Ostuni->Alberobello->Rome
Milan
Flying into Milan and immediately exploring is the best way to starve off Jet Lag- so I went off to go find myself the classic Italian eats- pizza and a Aperol Spritz. There was a little snafu in translation when I asked for the garlic pizza- I thought it was garlic tomato sauce with cheese. Turns out it was just bulbs of garlic on pizza it no cheese. But it was still delicious! Just had to avoid vampires for awhile.
Went to walk off the Aperol Spritz by seeing the Castle of Milan and doing some light shopping at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II- which houses the most luxury brands under one roof in Italy. I bought myself a birthday present of a Gucci belt- which I have been wanting for ages. I topped off the night at a delicious local restaurant Trattoria Milanese. Their menu was all in Italian- so I relied on the waiter to pick out the best for me and he did exactly that! It was such a perfectly homey place, with soul cooked food, and heartfelt host.
I had their local dish cotoletta alla Milanese (fried veal chop) with their traditional risotto, and ended with House Tiramisu. It was the perfect Milan dinner with a quiet walk home
Day 2- Milan
Woke up early thanks to Jet Lag and used that advantage to take myself on a photoshoot. This was my first time ever solo shooting and I was EXTREMELY nervous- but with this tripod and clicker– it was so easy to get the perfect shot.
After a quick breakfast with a unbeatable view– it was time to see Milan! Getting a walking tour of the city is my favorite way to see the city. I feel like you truly get to feel the city and its people- and learn about the history in the best way.
We toured the Duomo, learning about the art- from the old testament stain glass, to the skinned statue of St. Bart to the Zodiac signs in the floor. My favorite part was learning they have a huge ceremony every year that the priest floats down in a “cloud” like a 15th century rock star and they parade around the town. The cloud is only brought down for one day- and the rest of the 364 days it is tied up in the corner of the ceiling.
When we went to go explore the Galleria, I learned that people spin on the bull for good luck which is why they have to replace the tiles every year. Then finally we got to the masterpiece of the tour- seeing The Last Supper.
Seeing The Last Supper was a once in a lifetime event. Getting to learn about the history and how it was found and preserved by the monks was so interesting! The best fact was when Italy was bombed in WWII- even though the church was directly hit- the painting remained untouched! How crazy is that!?
After the tour, I went for an upscale bite to eat in the north part of Milan and then rushed to Naviglio Grande for the sunset. The view was worth sweating in my leather jacket! The Naviglio Grande is such a bustling fun area full of shops, bars, and restaurants- I definitely bookmarked it to explore for next time I visit.
I’ll be breaking up each part of my trip into separate post. Be sure to subscribe to the email list below to not miss anything!
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Next Stop- Florence!
Kelsie Nick 