03 November 2015

Day Trip to Venice




Ah, Venice! I thought I would never set my foot in that place. And I did! And I am happy!

This year is our summer Euro trip. I didn't plan for any US trip because we haven't visited Europe for sometime. Hubby allowed me and our daughter to go on our mother-daughter bonding trip to visit relatives in Milan and experience a road trip to see Venice. We were so excited to finally see the much talked about place in the planet. It didn't disappoint!




Venice is located in the region of Veneto, Italy.  It is approximately 3 hours drive from Milan (with pit stops) and even the drive to Venice was full of rolling hills with vineyards, beautiful villas, vistas of green trees, and clear blue sky. It was like seeing all the beautiful pictures I have only seen in travel magazines come to life right before my eyes. Breath taking!



We spent 4 hours in Venice. We even got lost in the winding alleys that looked the same to the newbies. But we weren't nervous. It was fun getting lost in a place filled with history, culture and romance!

I had wonderful time watching the gondolas pass underneath the bridge were we stood. We were even lucky to watch a singing gondolier! The place is simply captivating. I and my daughter were mesmerized.



Souvenir hunting was superb! There were plenty of shops to check out. They were pricey but we managed to buy a few.

A visit in Venice wouldn't be complete without eating the famous tiramisu gelato which is a fave of my daughter.

It was a bit difficult to walk towards noon time. The scorching heat made it impossible to enjoy the view. So we rested for a while in Piazza San Marco and watched other people pass by and the pigeons. Yes, there were still plenty of pigeons.

Some of the architectural structures around Piazza San Marco was being refurbished so we weren't able to get a decent shot of the famous buildings. It's okay. We still had plenty of snaps taken around the place.







We wrapped the whole Venezia trip around past 4 as we need to head back to Milan before it got dark.

Will we visit the place again? Definitely but not during summer. Perhaps, when it's a bit cold because I love the cold weather.

La Dolce Vita!


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21 September 2012

Post Summer In Milan

That way
© www.riatravelbug.com - Benvenuti a Milano!
It is our first time to visit the cultural and historical-rich Milan in August 2008. We briefly stayed with my husband's cousins so budget in accommodation was not an issue. During our 3-days stay in Milan, we were able to see few of the places it is known for. It is also in Milan where we had our very first authentic "gelato" and the flavor - Tiramisu!

Here are some photos of our trip in Milan and brief description of the places.

Piazza del Duomo

This is the main city square  of Milan. The Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is situated in this piazza. This is filled with tourists and locals alike during weekend. It is a nice place to just sit and unwind.

plaza in front of the Duomo
© www.riatravelbug.com
Duomo plaza
© www.riatravelbug.com

The Duomo

The Duomo
© www.riatravelbug.com - The Duomo's Baroque-style facade

The Duomo is the 3rd largest church in Christendom and is located in Piazza del Duomo. This is dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente. The Baroque-style church is adorned with more than a hundred spires and visitors and worshippers alike can take the elevator to the roof to view the surroundings of Milan. The main spire of the Duomo showcases the bronze statue of the famous Madonnina.

Golden Mary at Duomo
© www.riatravelbug.com - bronze statue of Madonnina on the main spire of the cathedral

 The Duomo was being renovated when we visited so we were not able to go up the roof. I didn't take pictures inside the cathedral out of respect to the others who were praying.

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© www.riatravelbug.com - The beautiful Duomo from afar. 


Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

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© www.riatravelbug.com - Facade of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
 
If you are facing the Duomo, it is situated to the left side, just a few metres away. It is one of the famous high-end shopping malls in the fashion capital of Italy which is Milan.

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© www.riatravelbug.com - skylight roof, really beautiful!  
It has a skylight roof giving the mall a more luxurious feel and in the middle of the mall is a big glass dome. Such a marvelous structure for an old mall!

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© www.riatravelbug.com - our princess posing in the middle of Galleria

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© www.riatravelbug.com - Glass dome ceiling in the middle of the Galeria, see the beautiful frescoes?


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© www.riatravelbug.com - posing in front of my favorite LV in Galeria.


Castello Sforzesco

Few metres away from the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is the Castello Sforzesco. According to history, the palace was constructed in 1368 by the Visconti family. It was completely destroyed in the 1400's and was rebuilt by the Lords of Milan who were the House of Sforza. We arrived quite late and didn't have the chance to go inside the courtyards and the other museums. However, we decided to just take snaps in front of the entrance as a remembrance. The first photo shows the time and the tower of Castello Sforzesco. It was almost 7 p.m.
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© www.riatravelbug.com - See the time?

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© www.riatravelbug.com - in front of Castello Sforzesco

Leonardo Da Vinci statue in Piazza Scala

Located in the by the Museum of Science for technical work of Da Vinci. It is also a short distance from the Duomo.

Leonardo da Vinci
© www.riatravelbug.com
 
Piazza Codusio and Statue of Parini

This was also one of the plazas in the city of Milan. It is the starting point of the pedestrian Via Dante which leads to the Castello Sforzesco. Old trams still traverse along this piazza.

Parini is a literary figure of the 17th century.


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© www.riatravelbug.com - hubby and his cousin


And lastly, some serious gelato!

This gelato was the highlight of the Milan city tour of the day! Really, really delicious and if we will go back to Italy one of these days, I will definitely have not 1 but 2 scoops of this gelato.

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© www.riatravelbug.com - this is one biiigggg serving of Italy's famous Tiramisu gelato! Yummy!
 

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© www.riatravelbug.com - my princess had 2 gelatos that day!

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© www.riatravelbug.com - a proof of the gelato's yumminess! See her bulky cheek?!? :)

I hope you enjoyed our Milan pictures. Grazi and Arrivederci!

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