Jenni goes to Milano: Como is calling

Welcome to a brand new series! We've got Jenni goes Stateside, Jenni goes East, and now we also have Jenni goes to Milano. If you read my end of year blog post, you'll know that my best friend Laura recently got married and moved there, so my trips are (and will be) somewhat frequent and I thought you might enjoy seeing more of the less-touristy stuff we get up to when I visit. The first two times I visited at the back end of last year were before Laura had officially moved there, and I was hardly about to steal her thunder by announcing it on my blog. Then my trip in January was the same week I completed on my new house and so it kind of got overlooked for a blog post (I naturally got very busy very quickly). So trip 4 is where the series is finally starting! Technically it's trip 5, as I first visited Milan back in 2018 with mum. But you know where it was my first time visiting? Lake Como!

This was also the first time that I travelled to see Laura and Fulvio and I wasn't flying solo - this time I was joining forces with Laura's friend Sophie for a proper girls weekend. I was giving her some insider knowledge on the way, such as the hack for knowing how to speak Italian is to pronounce every single vowel in the word, and how it's illegal to order any coffee but espresso after 11am (hence that's exactly what I got during a quick airport pit stop).

The thing I love about Italian culture is that all food and drink feels like an occasion, rather than something you rush. So after a big reunion hug with Laura and Fulvio, it was time for aperitivo! We had prosecco, olives and homemade pesto hummus, and then we moved onto a lovely butternut squash pasta for dinner. Laura was obviously there for the meal but she didn't like the photo so I've cropped out all but her wine glass as proof she was there (you're welcome).

Their apartment is in a really good location in the Navigli district and it's just a short walk from a couple of cool bars, a number of which we've tried on my previous visits. My favourite so far has been this pharmacy themed cocktail bar, so I was excited that the four of us were heading there again this time. Last time I was ordering super strong martinis but given we were doing a big night of drinking the next day, I played it safer with a French 75.

It presumably goes without saying that the weather in Milan is almost always nicer than the weather here in the UK. But this weekend was actually the first warm and sunny one in Milan so it was as much of a treat for the Italians as it was for us! Naturally it brought everyone out to enjoy the weather and we were no different - we decided to make the most of the good forecast with a day trip to Como. We caught the train from Centrale which only took 40 minutes and cost €15 each (one way). It would've only cost €5 if we'd got the normal train as opposed to the super fast one (which takes just over an hour) but it was just how the timing fell and we weren't about to wait 30 minutes for the next one to save £10. Although we weren't as worse off as the girls sat opposite us (English/American) who had decided to get on the earlier train than their ticket and had to pay €78 per person one way for a replacement ticket!

When we arrived, we headed straight for the lake and it was so beautiful! The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we decided to just have a little meander around. There were a few nice green spaces around the lake so we chilled there (until we were attacked by a flock of pigeons) and then wandered over a long bridge to the other side of the lake. Well. We thought that's what we were doing. It wasn't until we got right up to this giant statue in the middle of said bridge that we realised we were actually at the end of it, and it was more of a pier than a bridge. So we had to walk all the way back and round the lake the long way. That, my friends, is what we call the scenic route!

Lunch proved to be a little bit of a challenge because we really wanted a table in the sun. Naturally that takes out any side street or indoor options, and it seems everyone had the same idea, as tables in the sun were hard to come by. But we found this really nice little spot and Laura worked some magic (by practising her Italian) and we got a perfectly sunny table. Bellissima. As was the food! Sophie and I both got seafood pasta and then shared a Burrata focaccia too as we were obviously keen to make the most of the Italian food. Funnily (and slightly ironically?) Laura got a small lunch as she was saving herself for the British food we were going for in the evening - we must've heard about the fish and chips she was getting about 20 times that day. 

I wouldn't say there was a whole load to do in Como. Obviously there's boat trips and stuff if you have time but since we were only there for a short day, we didn't really. The main other thing is the funicular, which is basically a little train that takes you up the mountain so you can enjoy the views from the top. It did look cool and I would've liked to do it, but when we got there there was a massive queue and we asked the people near the front how long they'd been waiting and they said 30 minutes. So we figured it wasn't worth it and had another little meander round instead. There's loads of pretty buildings and green spaces in Como so you don't have to be particularly doing anything to enjoy it.

Something we did decide was worth doing though was finishing the day with another spritz. We found this cute little roof terrace to enjoy the last of the sun, and even treated ourselves to an affogato (worst ice cream to espresso ratio ever but it was still pretty good).

After we got back from Como, it was time for a quick refresh and then we were heading out for a night out in an Irish pub. There should be some kind of study on the fact that no matter where you go in the world, there's always atleast one Irish pub? Although going to one on this specific weekend actually made loads of sense as it was St Patrick's day! Hence the bright green outfit - never one to shy away from a theme. The theme also had me drinking Guinness all night, and introducing 'split the G' to all the Italians. A game they beat me at immediately since I was terrible, but I'll chalk that down to Guinness not being my usual drink. I'll also use the same excuse for the fact I felt absolutely terrible the next day! Thankfully my hangover had the good manners to wait until after my flight home to really unleash its pain. Until next time Milano - arrivederci.