Destination Milan, Italy

This is not a paid post. Flights were curtesy of British Airways

Milan, the capital of style and sophistication pulsates with an energy that stimulates all your senses. It has plenty to shout about. Besides having a reputation for luxury fashion and design, it is Italy’s financial hub. The football and food are not bad either.

Milan
Courtesy of British Airways

The streets are punctuated with artistic and architectural wonders as well as museums. The old favourites continue to dazzle the crowds. I defy you not to stand in the Piazza del Duomo with the statute of Victor Emmanuel ll, the first king of Italy, reining in his horse and gape at the sight of the Duomo, Milan’s Gothic Cathedral. This most renowned symbol, sparkling white in the sun, will make you stop and catch your breath. 

The Duomo, Milan’s Gothic Cathedral

There are plenty of art galleries housed in gorgeous old buildings to enjoy. Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper is the painting that most tourists want to see. Getting a ticket is as hard as obtaining a front row seat at Prada during Fashion Week so book in advance.

Opera buffs will want to ensure they reserve their seats before they travel if they want to attend a performance at Milan’s fabled Teatro alla Scala. If you are visiting outside the season go and take a look at the building.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Arguably, the best show that Milan puts on is in the streets themselves. Populated with people elegantly dressed, each district stages its own performance. 

Wherever you go you will find shops. People flock to this city for retail therapy. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a domed- shopping arcade running between the Duomo and La Scala Theatre, is a work of art in itself. It is a taste of another era. The long glass roof delights today as when it was built in the second half of the 19^th century.  

Navigli District

With designer shops including Prada and Gucci as well as cafés and restaurants, it is the perfect place to mix with locals and indulge in an aperitif – a ritual in Milan. Your drink invariably comes with rather good nibbles so relax and watch the world go by. You may just pick up some style tips.

For good luck, according to old Milanese tradition, you should spin your heels on the mosaic bulls’ “private parts”. You cannot miss the spot as you will see plenty of tourists patiently waiting their turn.

No visit to Milan would be complete without sauntering around the Quadrilatero d'oro della moda, the golden rectangle of fashion that is the city's beating heart. Consisting of four main streets: Via Monte Napoleone, Via Alessandro Manzoni, Via della Spiga and Corso Venezia you will find all the luxury brands here. Walking around is inspiring even if you do not flex your credit card.

Brera is a treasure trove of speciality boutiques and chic restaurants. It has an arty almost bohemian feel. However, it is not just home to museums and galleries as you will realise as you take in the heady smells of brioche and cappuccinos that fill the air in the pretty, narrow, cobbled streets first thing in the morning.

Milan at sunset

From here I discovered several more interesting shops as I made my way to 10 Corso Como. This style emporium, a favourite with the fashion crowd since it opened in 1990, is tucked away in a quiet courtyard off what is often said to be Milan’s coolest street. Goodies include leading designer labels, accessories, and books. There is even a small boutique hotel as well as a lovely café/restaurant where you can refuel.

For a complete change of pace I ended my day in the Navigli District where edgy collides with the industrial past. Leonardo da Vinci reputedly helped overhaul this network of canals. Today the banks of the Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese canals are littered with bars which come to life in the evenings. Not quite Venice or Amsterdam, the area exudes a certain charm where you can escape the throngs of the city and feel as if you have escaped to the countryside. Just what is needed after a day hitting the shops.

By Daralyn Danns

British Airways flies from London City to Milan Linate up to twice a day during the week with one flight on Saturdays and Sundays flying-from-london-city-airport-to.html

(In addition BA has services from Heathrow with connections also available from across the UK and Ireland.)

Advance purchase each way. Basic fares are available from £47 and are available to book on www.ba.com/londoncity

Club Europe fares include a generous baggage allowance, complimentary refreshments and drinks on board and no debit card charges 

Customers have a quick and easy journey through the Docklands airport, with hand baggage it takes just 15 minutes to get from kerbside to airside. (It did not take me much longer to get airside despite having luggage to check in.)

I combined a stay in Turin (destination-turin-italy) with one in Milan. (You could also visit the beautiful Lake Como.) 

Stay at Hotel Dei Cavalieri Milano Duomo (spacehotels.it)
Just a few minutes’ walk from the Duomo, this modern hotel is a good base for exploring Milan. The rooms were comfortable and spotlessly clean. Service is good, staff attentive and helpful. The rooftop bar and restaurant has fabulous views over the city. While it is not cheap, the views are worth it especially if you like watching sunsets

For more information about Italy visit italia.it/en

Checking into the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio, Lake Como

Walk through the door of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni and you leave the 21^st century behind you.

Harking back to a bygone era, this hotel shrouded in beauty and rustic romance sits proudly in Bellagio on Italy’s Lake Como. Built as a holiday villa for an aristocratic Milanese family in the mid-19^th century the neoclassical building opened as a hotel in 1873. 

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio, Lake Como

Murano chandeliers, ceilings embellished with frescoes, marble columns and staircases as well as numerous examples of trompe l’oeil give you a flavour of what it would be like to peel back the centuries.

If you want to leave the rat race behind and enjoy a languid pace of life in the Italian sun you should check into the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. It is the perfect retreat for five-star R&R.

Hall

There are 95 rooms and suites, all different sizes and styled classically. My spacious room, decked out lavishly and resolutely traditional, was discreetly layered with essential modern sophistications. Despite it being grand this family-owned hotel has a warm and homely feel to it. 

The staff are friendly and the service is impeccable. There is a personal touch which so many establishments in this day and age seem to have forgotten. This luxury hotel understands its clientele.  

Lounge

Breakfast is served in an elaborate mirrored room adorned with gold leaf that could have jumped out straight from a set of the TV series Versailles. It is a wonderful way to start the day! 

If a restaurant having a Michelin star is what you hanker for on holiday, you can try out the Mistral where live music serenades you.  I love Mediterranean cuisine so I plumped for La Goletta, which is less formal. 

Sitting outside by the lake watching the sun retire for the day, the lights twinkling on the mountains that tower above the lake, had me entranced. 

Bedroon

The food equalled the setting. The kitchen insists on using good quality produce and this came through with every mouthful. I started with the octopus salad with dried tomatoes and black olives which was delicious. To follow I chose the grilled mixed lake and sea fish accompanied by mixed vegetables that went down a treat. 

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has an impressive wine list. Staying in a hotel of this stature you would expect the hotel to serve up a good house wine and I was not disappointed. I had a glass of prosecco, which was not at all sweet as some can be, as an aperitif and a glass of rosé with my meal. Both excellent.   

Not to have ice cream in Italy would be sacrilege so I indulged in vanilla and chocolate with a scoop of mango sorbet. If only I could always eat out so well!

As my stay in Bellagio was short I did not have enough time to make the most of the hotel’s spa and indoor and outdoor pools. Lake Como and its pretty towns were calling out and they won.

Having to say good-bye to the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni was sad. I could have stayed at this grande-dame for ever!

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

British Airways flies to Milan (Malpensa Airport) from £45 each way. Visit britishairways.com to book and for the cheapest rates

Take a short train ride from Milan to Como (for times visit trenitalia.com) and take either the slow boat (2 hours) to Bellagio or the hydrofoil (1 hour). Alternatively, take a train to Varenna and take the ferry from there

For more information about the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni and for best rates visit villaserbelloni.com

For tourist information about Lake Como visit lakecomo.it

Or call IAT in Como phone 031/269712 lakecomo@tin.it , Bellagio 031/950204 prombell@tin.it  (You can also visit Promobellagio’s website bellagiolakecomo.com) and Menaggio phone 0344/32924 infomenaggio@tiscali.it