[Europe] First Day in Milan - Duomo di Milano and Around

Milan is one of big and famous city in Italy. This city become a must visit place for people who travel to Europe for the first time. And Yes! It was the first time for me to go Europe. So i put Milan into my itinerary and we explored this city in 2 days.

We came to Milan after a visit to Barcelona , with RyanAir. RyanAir is one of budget airline (beside EasyJet) that could be an option while traveling in Europe. It doesn't take a long time to fly from Barcelona. It took around 2 hours until we landed at Milan Bergamo Airport. From the airport we took Terravision Bus (it costs €5 one way) and it's going straight to Milano Centrale Railway Station which takes 1 hour to reach it. From here you can take any public transportation to reach your destination. Our accommodation is very close with this station, so we decided to just walk. During our trip in Milan, we stayed at Hotel Berna and i really recommend you to stay here. The price is not really cheap but it's also not too high for a 4 stars hotel. We paid €134 for 1 night (city tax not included). Honestly, it's quite hard to find a good accommodation with affordable price in Milan. At the first time we were looking for a hotel around Duomo, but the room rates is too high. Probably it's because we travelled in summer. At least, we found Hotel Berna and decided to stay here because the location is really close with the station, so it's gonna be easy for us to reach this hotel with our luggages.

First day in Milan, we decided to go to Duomo di Milano, the famous landmark in Milan. Going to Milan is not complete without visiting this cathedral, which is the one of largest cathedral in the world. Next to this gothic cathedral, you'll find Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the popular places for shopping in Milan. This place become one of my favorite places for shopping because they have different ambience with another shopping places. As a world's oldest shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele still have a European classic design for the interior. It doesn't looks like another shopping mall. It's an outdoor place but with a roof and it's a perfect spot for take pictures. There's a lot of famous high end brand in here, such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, but that's not what i'm looking for. I've done shopping with those fashion brands while in Paris . When in Milan, there's 1 store that you must visit, it's Ferrari store.

OK, i'm not a big fan of automotive. But we're in Italy, the place where Ferrari was born. Visit the store to buy their merchandise i think it's a must things to do. Beside only for shopping, there's a Ferrari simulator at the basement which is good for you who wants feel the experience of racing. By paying €25, you'll feel the true feeling of speed and movement of a race car (over 300mph). Even though it's only for 10 minutes, but it remains a good experience, especially if you're a fan of sports car.

Shopping in Milan is not always expensive. Right across Duomo di Milano, you'll find Via Torino street, which has a lot of stores selling affordable stuff. You can find many fashion stores in this street such  as OVS, ZARA, H&M, Terranova, and another Italian local brand. Not just a clothing store, but you also can find a beauty stores such as Kiko Milano, Essence, Shaka, Kiehl's, and Lush.

Terranova at Via Torino Street

(Also read : Cheap "Fashion & Beauty" Shopping Guide in Europe)

Hopping for one store to another of course made us feel exhausted, especially it's summer!! The heat really made me sick. However, thanks God, we're in Italy, and this place has a perfect "medicine" for me. It's Gelato!! Around Duomo, i found many gelato shops. I've tried some of them, but my favorites are Cioccolati Italiani, Grom, and Savini.

Stracciatella & Cherry

Chocolate & Pistachio

Beside gelato, we also found some tasty foods around Duomo. We bought it as a quick bites to restore our energy. There are  panzerotti from Luini Panzerotti, and also pizza from Pizzeria Spontini which is located right across Ferarri Store. I also found another takeaway retaurant that you will like (especially if you're Asian). It's Musubi. To be honest, i never thought that i will eat Japanese food in Europe. But after 2 weeks exploring Europe, my Asian blood told me to grab those Japanese rice boxes for a quick bites lunch. Thankfully i found this Japanese "mini" restaurant, because the foods are so tasty.. (You can read more about quick bites food around Duomo here)

Aurelia enjoyed her panzerotti

My shopping route ended at Via Torino street. However, before we went back to hotel, we decided to have a dinner at Nerino Dieci Trattoria. This restaurant have a top place at TripAdvisor , and has accepted many certificates for their food. For having a dinner (or lunch),  you need to make a reservation before because this restaurant is always full. We arrived 20 minutes before they opened, but people have started to queue, waiting for the door to open. I'll reviewing this restaurant at the next post.

[Europe] Cheap "Fashion & Beauty" Shopping Guide in Europe

Europe, known as a place with a high living cost. Start from the food, transportation, accomodation, and shopping. We're not talking about the high-end brand such as Prada or Louis Vuitton. We're talking about some local boutiques such as at Saint German area in Paris. They're selling local brand clothing with high price. For example, they are selling 1 simple dress for €200. Of course they use a good quality fabric for their clothes. But still, not everyone can afford it.

However, not every store in Europe selling stuffs with high price. During my Europe Trip, i found some stores which selling a good fashion and beauty stuff with the cheap price. At this post, i will write about that stores.

Lefties
Lefties is one of the main affordable fashion companies. The Lefties brand is designed for all ages of customers. They have 3 sections, men, women, and children (baby, boy, and girl). If you're a young women / men, you gonna love their style. With a good fabric, they're selling 1 T-shirt only for €2. How cheap is that!!! Not every country in Europe have Lefties. But you can find it in Spain, Portugal, Russia, and Mexico.

Zara
Who doesn't know Zara???? They have more than 2000 stores in over 88 countries in the world. So, why do i mention Zara at this article?? Actually, at other countries, Zara doesn't have a very cheap price. But if you go to Spain, you will see they're selling all their stuffs with very low price. €3 for a t-shirt, and €4 for a bottle of perfume. It's a very good deal. How can the price is very different between in Spain with another country? Because Zara is a Spanish fashion brand. So, when in Spain, don't forget to go to Zara, and shop a lot!

Massimo Dutti
Massimo Dutti is another fashion brand that founded in Spain, precisely in Barcelona. Don't ask about the fabric. Everybody knows Massimo Dutti has a very good quality fabric, and that's the reason why the price is not as cheap as Lefties or Zara in Spain. But if you compare it with prices in other countries, it's much cheaper. Just talk about men's trousers. Usually, the price gonna be €100. But in Barcelona, you can buy it with half price.

Carpisa
Not just a clothing store, but you can also shop for a bag with cheap price in Europe. Just looking for. a store called Carpisa. Not just a bag for woman that you can buy from this Italian brand. Because they also sell wallet, men's bag, and luggage. It's not hard to find this store in Europe. You can find Carpisa almost in every city in Europe such as Barcelona, Milan, and Rome.

Mango
Another clothing brand that you can find in every city, but don't forget to shop here while in Barcelona. Mango has a lot of stores in Barcelona and they all offers with affordable prices. If you want to get the "cheaper" stuff, you can visit Mango Outlet in Barcelona. In here, you can get any clothes, accecories and any other fashion stuff from Mango, with 70% - 90% discount and i think it's a very good deal (if you compare it with its normal price). This outlet is located at Career de Girona, about 15 minutes walk from Plaza Catalunya.

Terranova
Well, this Italian clothing brand might be not as famous as any other clothing brand. But you can find this store in some of European city such as Rome, Milan. This cheap urban clothing brand, not just sells women's stuff but also for men. They have a good style, fabric, and of course with affordable price. €4 for men's shirt and €4 for women's blouse, definitely its a good place for shopping.

OVS
OVS is a store with full of cheap clothes that you can find in Milan. But in here, you're not only shopping for clothes or accecories. They also have a beauty corner for make up with affordable price such as Shaka, Essence, etc. Essence become a famous make up brand that you can find in Europe. Not just because their low prices, but they also have a good quality and a lot of variants. €1 for a nail polish, you'll don't want to missed it.

Kiko Milano
If you see the name, you'll know that Kiko is a make up brand from Milan. But it doesn't mean you only can found it in Milan. Kiko has a lot of stores in Europe and it's not hard to find. You can find Kiko store in most every train station in Italy such as Rome, Venice, and Italy. Kiko's price is not as low as Essence. But their quality is better than Essence.

Well those are some stores that i found in Europe which selling a good fashion and beauty stuff with low price. If you have another recommendation for cheap places for shopping in Europe, just comment below.

[Europe] 7 Places to See in Barcelona

Summer is here... Are you looking for a good place for summer vacation? Why don't you go to Barcelona. Barcelona, the capital city of Spain has a lot of attractions and they're all amazing. As a tourist, you must be don't want to missed these places. But, if you don't have enough time to visit every places, you can visit only some of them. Here's the list of the must visit places in Barcelona :

1. Camp Nou
   Even if you're not a fan of soccer, you need to visit this place. Known as the largest stadium in Europe, Camp Nou become the famous attraction for tourist in Barcelona. Beside see the stadium and the museum, you also can buy FC Barcelona accessories at FC Botiga Mega Store.

2. Sagrada Familia
    If you never heard this name, you must be have seen the picture. This "unfinished" church become the most iconic building in Barcelona, because of the structure. The detail in every side of this building make it take a long time to complete it. Sagrada Familia is designed by the famous and talented artist, Antonio Gaudi, and become his masterpiece.

3. Casa Milà and Casa Batlló
   Another building designed by Antonio Gaudi, that you won't missed while visiting Barcelona. These 2 iconic buildings located at Passeig de Gracia, the popular street for shopping. They have different design, but both of them are amazing. At Casa Batlló, you can see the beauty of its building from the outside. But in Casa Milà (also known as La Pedrera), you must buy a ticket to look inside the building, and reach the rooftop. The rooftop itself, has a fascination for tourists. You can see the chimneys lined up, and it looks like a soldier's head. How unique is that!!

Chimney at Casa Milà's Rooftop

Casa Batlló

4. Barceloneta Beach
    Summer is nothing without a beach. Barceloneta is the most popular beach in Barcelona. In summer, you'll see a lot of people tanning and playing at this beach. Even until 9pm, this beach will always crowded. Unlike another beach that always look the same at the picture (just the sand and water), Barceloneta has their own "landmark", it's W hotel.

5. Park Güell
    Park Güell is a public park that also worked by Antonio Gaudi. Park Güell become popular because of the mozaic art, that you can see in every corner in this park. Start from the statue, the wall, and many more!

6. Montjuic
    Montjuic is an area that you must visit while in Barcelone. Located not far from the city center, Montjuic offers a lot of beautiful places that you won't regret if you visit it. Start from the Montjuic Castle, MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya), Poble Espanyol, and the Magic Fountain. Poble Espanyol (known as Spanish Town) is an open air museum, that shows an Iberian village. They're look fantastic!! If you want to try a new experience, you also can take a cable car which run from Montjuic Park, and climb up to Montjuic Hill. It will stop next to Montjuic Castle.

Magic Fountain in front of MNAC - Montjuic

7. La Boqueria
    Not just a landmark, museum, and beach, market is also a place that you need to visit in Barcelona. There's a market that really famous called La Boqueria. Located at La Rambla, this market will always full of people. Not just for tourist, but local also go to this market for get a fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, etc. If you're not going to shopping, you can go to this market to get a delicious Spanish food at Pinotxo Bar.

Tapas 24 - The Famous Tapas Restaurant in Barcelona

After posting about the best tapas (for me) at Cerveseria Catalana and the Michelin Star tapas bar , Tickets Bar , now i will write about the most famous tapas restaurant in Barcelona. It's Tapas 24.

Tapas 24 is located next to Passeig de Gracià, the popular street for shopping in Barcelona. So you don't need "special" time to go to here. You can try this famous tapas after or between your shopping time.

I was coming to Tapas 24 for lunch. The place is big, and like any other restaurant in Europe, they have outdoor seating as well. However, since the weather was really hot, so we decided to sit inside.

Bar table

So here's the foods that we ordered. We didn't order a lot of variety, instead we ordered the most recommended with a lot of quantity.

Fries with Scrambled Eggs

Bikini Sandwich

Well, i can say all the foods are tasty. My favorite food from Tapas 24 is the Bikini Sandwich. Honestly, that's the reason why i was looking for Tapas 24. The melting cheese from the sandwich taste so yummm. Go try them by yourself, and I guarantee you'll not regret it.




Tapas 24
Address : Carrer de la Diputació, 269, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Opening hours : Mon - Sun 9AM - Midnight
Phone : +34 934 88 09 77
Website : www.carlesabellan.com