Travel journal: Milan, Italy
Another trip to a major European city turned out to be great. As always, Italy does not disappoint in terms of food, drinks, beautiful buildings, and nice people. Milan is a beautiful city, but you must be ready to endure the extremely hot weather during the summer. I finally understood the meaning of "siesta" and why it is so important. Some days are so hot you can either die or hide.
Good food, historic buildings, nice people, cheap coffee, and crazy drivers.
My impression of the city
The first thing I noticed is that the streets in Milan are narrow and the cars are small. There are many nice restaurants where you can sit down either inside or outside directly at the street. And in addition to that, coffee is REALLY CHEAP. I don’t know how it’s possible but a coffee in a restaurant costs between 1.30€ - 2€. For this reason I was heavily caffeinated the whole trip.
Tip: You don’t need to tip in Italy - the service is already included.
The whole city is surprisingly calm, but that might be because of the hot weather. During the day, the majority of people in the streets were tourists.
1. Traffic
The first thing that I noticed after coming to Italy was that the traffic works a little differently than I am used to. As far as I can tell, they don’t worry about traffic rules as much as we do. Or maybe they have their own rules that I don’t understand. But from what I saw, the red lights are optional for both pedestrians and drivers, as are the majority of standard traffic rules that I know.
In case you ever happen to be in Italy, make sure to always double check it’s safe to cross the street.
2. Public transportation
Getting around Milan by public transportation is convenient and affordable, costing approximately €7 for a 24-hour pass. Most trams, buses, and metro services are air-conditioned, which was a lifesaver on several occasions.
In addition to that, they have a completely automated metro, which means it needs no driver! Coming from Prague and its public transportation system, it felt like stepping into the future. Way to go, Milan!
3. Food, food and food
It’s no surprise that the food in every Italian restaurant was delicious. I sampled many different types of pizza and pasta, and I loved all of them. However, after a few days, I found myself craving some variety. As much as I enjoyed the pizza and coffee, I realized I couldn't survive on them alone.
Summary
Milan is a beautiful city that is definitely worth a visit. There are many historical buildings that will blow your mind. Even if history isn't your thing, you'll surely enjoy the restaurants, coffee, and ice cream (pistachio is the best, and you won't convince me otherwise). Best of all, everyone is nice and happy to talk to you, often in Italian, even if you don’t know a word of the language.