5 Places You Can't Miss In Milan

It has been a little over a year since I moved back from Milan and as bloggers are flocking to the city for fashion week I thought I'd share some of my favorite places to visit!

1. Luini's - I've written about Luini's before but it's worth another mention! The BEST panzerotti in Milan. It's a fact. I had never heard of it before I got to Milan but by the time I left I'm positive I was 70% panzerotti. Get there early to avoid the lines but regardless don't let the lines deter you, they move quickly with the help of their suited up bouncers!

Via Santa Radegonda, 16 Milano Italy

Open 10am-8pm

Closed on Sunday*

*I had my heart broken a few times when I would forget it was closed on sunday.

Luini's website

2. Princi - One of my FAVORITE places to grab lunch. While they are probably better known for their breads and foccacia. I was always queueing up for their octopus salad. TO DIE FOR. There sweets selection can't be missed either. It's just around the corner from Duomo so you can always take it to go and sit on the steps of the church! There are also 4 other locations around the city!

Via SPeronari 6, Milano Italy

Open: 7am-8pm

3. Shocolat - One of my FAVORITE places for gelato is Shokolat. It's near Cadorna and only a 5-10 minute walk from Duomo. Of course I flocked there every other week for the nutella gelato, the gelato being merely a vehicle for nutella. 

Via Giovanni Boccaccio, 9 Milan Italy

Open: 7:30am-1am

4. Bastianello -  Thankfully I only discovered this pasticceria about a month and a half before I left Milan because I would have come home 10 lbs. heavier. Every pastry there is beautifully made and they taste just as good as they look! The sfogliatella being my favorite! Right off the San Babila stop. 

Via Borgogna, 5 Milan Italy

Open: 7-10pm

5. Magnum -  Naturally I would recommend 3 sweet shops. My final recommendation is Magnum. You get to be a little creative and invent your own bar and add exotic elements like dried rose petals and passion fruit! How could you resist?!

Piazza Santa Maria Beltrade, 1 Milan Italy

Open: 8:15am - 8:45pm

Go get lost in the streets of Milan and enjoy Fashion Week!

DIY : Metallic Art Project

Friday I was in the mood to be a little creative so I gathered my brushes, paint and canvases and got to work…

:SUPPLIES:

Brushes - any size

Canvas

Paint

Metallic Paint

* All can be found at Hobby Lobby*

Painting and listening to radiolab is exactly what I needed.

:Directions:

1. Paint the canvas with 2 coats of any chosen color. Allow 20 mins to dry. 

2. Take your metallic paint and apply it generously to either end letting the brush fall away towards the middle of the canvas. Apply 2-3 coats.

3. You're done! Easy, simple project to add to your art collection.

While I waited for the paint to dry I spontaneously was inspired to put these lights up in my room being the rolling rack. All it took was 5 minutes, a hammer, 3 nails and a little creativity! Since I hung them up, I haven't turned them off!

5 Things I Learned From Living In Milan

1. Milan never runs short on street markets. Every day of the week you can find a different market tucked away along the cobble stoned streets of the city. The weekday markets sell a variety of fresh produce, flowers and designer goods. You can go there looking for eggs and vegetables for dinner and leave with a live chicken. The flowers are always fresh and vibrant while the vendors that line the streets are friendly and always offering a smile.

The BEST market is held at the end of every month on Saturday and Sunday when vendors and locals flood the streets of Navigli with the most beautiful antiques, art and vintage clothes that will have you wandering up and down the canal all day. Luckily the streets are also equally as vibrant with their cuisine where you can find the best pizza and aperitivo for when your vintage hunting makes you hungry!

Mama Farina Via dei Valtorta 44 Milano

2. Carbs are your best friend. I actually already knew that before I lived there, but I definitely took advantage of it every single day in Milan. In Italy you just need to embrace carbs and appreciate every delicious bite of that brick oven pizza or penne arrabiata. In Italy you are expected to finish a whole pizza by yourself so when you sit down you better be up for the challenge! Mama Farina was one of my favorite local places to eat dinner near my apartment. I would have gone there every night but I wanted to make it seem like I had somewhat of a life so I would stagger my meals there to 1-2 times per week. The streets of Milan offer plenty of delicious options and sometimes in the most unassuming places, so don’t be afraid to wander and you might stumble upon the best pizzaiolo!

 

Milano Centrale 

Venezia

3. Milan is great hub to travel through Northern Italy.  Milan is a great city to use as your base for traveling around northern Italy. Every city from Cinque Terre to Venice is within a few hours reach. Even a bullet train to Florence will get you there in an hour! A beautiful train ride through the Swiss Alps isn't even out of the question for a weekend adventure. The main train station in Milan, Centrale, You could start your morning in Milan eating sfogliatella on your way to the train station and by the afternoon you could be walking down the streets of Verona eating 10 scoops of crema gelato. Who wouldn't want to spend their weekend exploring historic cities and devouring pastries and culture?

Luini : Via Santa Radegonda 16 

4. Luini Panzerotti will change your life. Every day people crowd the small street near the Galleria anxiously shuffling through the line to get his or her hands on these famous panzerotti. They take it so seriously that there's even a bouncer in full suit and tie ushering people through the lines as if they're escorting the president through the airport. Luini’s runs like a well-oiled machine. Once you get to the front of the line you have 10 seconds to order, pay and move along. If you have never indulged in panzerotti before I compare it to an empanada but about 10 times better. The dough is crispy and fluffy, while the inside is filled with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. It’s exciting and always a fun mid day adventure.

That's right, I MADE this!

The Mag Cafe in Navigli

5. Cappuccinos run through your veins in Milan. Espresso, real coffee is a lifestyle in Italy. My first day at the showroom I said, "of course I know how to make cappuccinos, yeah I'll make them for our high profile clients!" I had no clue what I was doing but by the end of my internship I had become a full-fledged barista. Starbucks would have been honored to hire me. The cappuccino culture there is borderline religious. The espresso is rich and the foam is always perfect. I could easily sit along the canals of Navigli at The Mag Cafe enjoying coffee, free wifi and reading material. 

Barcelona + The First City I Fell in Love With

Almost 14 years ago I first discovered Barcelona and I've been back twice to experience and explore the unique culture and architecture. 

My first time in Barcelona I remember I was 11 years old and crabby from just having experienced my first bout of jet lag and then we came up from the metro and I saw Sagrada Familia and my eyes bugged out with excitement. All of a sudden I no longer felt tired and irritated, I felt like an explorer who had just discovered an entirely new world and I couldn't get enough of it. 

At the top of Parc Güel you can take a survey of Barcelona's short skyline but what pops out is Sagrada Familia, whose construction began in 1882 (13 years after my house was built!)and it is STILL under construction. It has taken so long because the funding for it comes strictly from donations. 

Casa Batlló

Throughout the city you will find BEAUTIFUL, unique and kind of crazy architecture and its all most likely done by Antonio Gaudí. Probably my favorite building he designed was Casa Batlló. It is colorful and weird and looks like an exotic lizard. 

Colors are constantly exploding across the city whether it is in the architecture or on the street performers along Las Ramblas.

The Mercado de la Boqueria is tucked away along Las Ramblas and if you don't look hard enough you might pass up one of the most vibrant and lively staples Barcelona offers. When I studied abroad in Barcelona for 5 weeks I would visit the market once or twice a week just snapping pictures of the changing environment and of all the colorful fruits and candies most of the stalls sold. 

Had I not lived with a host family, I would like to imagine that this market would have become a part of my daily routine, shopping for that nights dinner or grabbing a snack before class because who can pass up Haribo candy?! 

Please excuse the tourist that got in my way!

If you didn't already figure it out, this market is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Barcelona because its not too touristy and you get the feeling like your a local doing your daily errands in this beautiful and colorful market. 

Barcelona will always spark a light in me and it seems that when ever I do talk to people about this city I get excited and passionate about describing the streets and culture and architecture. 

Getting Lost in Travel Magazines

Afar, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler have evolved to be staples in my reading list. They all help inspire me to travel to the furthest reaches of the globe, let my Carmen San Diego-ness flourish and capture beautiful memories with my camera. 

Afar Magazine fell into my lap about 2 years ago and I could not be more grateful. Everything about Afar is so unique and different from other travel magazines that I read, even just the texture of the cover is kind of exciting! 

Being buried in these magazines every month keep my curiosity of the world growing and evolving and I would recommend to everyone I know to read them and explore the world and learn about different cultures. Even if you don't like reading much, the photography alone could catch the attention of a goldfish! I'll admit I have fantasized about some of my photography featured in these magazines.

Afar Magazine fell into my lap about 2 years ago and I could not be more grateful. Everything about Afar is so unique and different from other travel magazines that I read, even just the texture of the cover is kind of exciting! My favorite articles to read every month is following one of their writers as they're thrown into an adventure with 24 hours notice. They send them to sometimes obscure rural areas and then other times they get off the plane and are surrounded by the lights of Macau. It's always fun and has me on the edge of my seat to hear how they deal with new environments and language barriers and new experiences!

Bookshelves + Pieces of Me

My love of books has existed since I was little and saw Beauty and the Beast for the first time and knew I wanted a library in my home just like in the movie. Ok so I don't exactly have a library of books on that level quite yet but I take pride in my three bookshelves and my growing collection of books. 

Other pieces of my life have begun to inhabit these shelves and you glance quickly at them you'll begin to understand a little bit more about me. There's a shelf dedicated to every french book I own and read in the last 4 years. Then I have an entire shelf with travel books, mostly Lonely Planet and Top10, bursting at the seems. My passport is well preserved in a glass globe on one of my shelves with my daily little plate of jewelry. Some of my most valued momentos from traveling reside on these shelves and growing my collection of books and memories feels amazing. 

Christmas Market + Chicago

I haven't visited the Chriskindl Market in Chicago in probably 15 years so I thought it was time to pay this winter city staple a visit! Walking around the city is one of my favorite things to do so I was excited to have this adventure.

 It was an unusually warm night so we thought it would smart to go then… and apparently every other person had the same idea. The moment we stepped onto the Daley Plaza we transformed into bumper cars at a carnival. I would never say I excel at dealing with large crowds so this was going to be a challenge.  

The ridiculous amount of people did not stop me from enjoying and stopping to look at all the colorful and creative stalls that lined the plaza. We spent maybe half an hour walking around the market before we couldn't breath anymore and decided to take a nice walk around the loop and enjoying the holiday decorations around Chicago. 

Spray Paint + Center Pieces

 Every year Thanksgiving is a fairly large production at my parents house with usually 25-30 people coming over. I always love Thanksgiving at my parents house because both sides of my family celebrate together and the food is something to never be missed. My mom always has her cooking techniques and dishes down to a T and so I always place myself in charge of decorating. 

I always love creating the center pieces for the dining room table. I will sometimes use pinterest to get inspiration from. Last year I spray painted pumpkins with different designs and patterns in a gold metallic finish. This year I decided to use squash and carve them out at the top and place tea candles inside. 

Then I had a flash of creativity and decided I wanted to spray paint leaves to make the centerpiece fuller. Luckily every winter my dad converts our basement into a greenhouse and provided me with a large variety of fig leaves to complete my Thanksgiving centerpiece. Since it is a no no to pick leaves off the trees and plants, I gave them a good shake and got to work spray painting them!

After 2 hours of carving and getting a little lightheaded from spray painting, my diy project was complete! 

Banana Bread + Broken Platters

 Banana Bread Recipe

Made my first attempt at mastering banana bread today. It went… ok. I scoured through Pinterest to find the perfect recipe. Finally found one without walnuts to accommodate my inconvenient allergies and I got to work! I learned the key to a great banana bread needs ripe banana to keep the bread moist. I however was impatient and couldn't wait for them to ripen. The crumble was incredibly easy to make and tasted amazing. I'm considering putting crumble on every desert I make from now on!

The plate was one of the treasures I brought back with me from South Africa. Unfortunately it did not survive… In fact it did not even survive 3 hours after I purchased it thanks to my clumsiness. So now instead of using it to plate beautiful pasta dishes at the hypothetical dinner parties I throw, it will just have to be used as decoration.

Gatsby and Daisy for the Night...

Gold Coast Room at the Drake

Growing up in Chicago, you learn to associate The Drake with old school glamour and sophistication combined with proper tea times and refined evenings out. On Saturday night, The Drake lived beyond these expectations. I was there attending the most elegant, beautiful wedding my eyes had ever seen, something purely out of a movie.

As we walked into the Gold Coast Room at The Drake the gatsby themed wedding was in full swing. Dancers had been hired to do the charleston in 1920’s flapper dresses, dripping pearl necklaces and feather boas. The food had perfect presentation and the salad dressing I could’ve drank straight from the salad dressing dish but I had to show some self control.

Once everyone had sat down and the bride and groom had been introduced, a champagne parade ensued, I didn’t even know something like that existed but on cue to Raise Your Glass by Pink came on and 20 servers came marching out with bottles of champagne raised up in the air and they did a lap around room ending at the head table then trickling through the crowd.

For months I had been searching for a dress for this wedding and couldn’t find anything suitable for the occasion. I finally found luck at one of my go to e-commerce websites, Shopbop.com. They always have an amazing selection and their return policy is seamlessly easy to navigate. I bought a Joanna Augusta long black dress that wrapped closed with a delicate ruffle trim at the top. I wore a pair of strappy heels that resemble the Nudist heel by Stuart Weitzman, except mine were from Forever 21 and I can wear them the entire day plus dancing and not get tired! I found the perfect arm cuff by Vanessa Mooney to wear to make my outfit more unique and fun and then I wore about 15 Alex and Ani bracelets on my wrist to complete my look.

I didn’t let my boyfriend see me in the dress until the day of the wedding because I wanted it to be a surprise. He then got the same idea in his head to not let me see him in his tux… So I took him to Men’s Warehouse to pick up his tux a few days before the wedding and I couldn’t get out of the car. 30 minutes later he emerged from the store with a grin on his face and said he had gone in thinking he was was going to look like James Bond and he came out looking like the Penguin from Batman. The suit they had chosen for the groomsmen was what was appropriate for the 1920’s Gatsby themed event, with long coat tails, wide pants (not fitted like he prefers) and a pleated shirt. I thought he looked incredibly handsome and I felt like we were Daisy and Gatsby for the evening.

For me no event is complete without a photo booth. I am a complete sucker for them and it doesn't matter where one is, it could be in the corner of a sticky bar and I will be in there, and I've done that more than once. While I'm sure photo booths were not invented until after the Gatsby era, it was a nice element to have to the wedding and they even included props! The props included packs of candy cigarettes, my boyfriend and I stole 2 packs and couldn't stop eating them at the end of the night!

The wedding was undeniably wonderful and The Drake was the perfect setting for a Gatsby themed wedding complete with a 16 piece orchestra and 200 + guests that filled the room with dancing, laughter and fun. We capped off the night by taking a walk to Oak St. Beach since the weather was so nice and just sitting on a bench and enjoying each others company while we looked out onto the lake.

 

Collecting More Stamps Than Carmen San Diego

  Photo: Milano Centrale 

Traveling has always been a part of my life. My first airplane ride was at three months old to visit my mother’s family in Mexico. While I clearly have no memory of my first international travel and no passport stamp to prove it I still see it as the beginning to a long and wonderful love story between travel me.

I am fortunate enough to have amazing parents that saw traveling as an opportunity to give my sister and I what they never had growing up in families of more than five kids and immigrant parents. My parents also saw traveling as a way to teach us about diverse cultures and colorful cities that you couldn’t possibly learn about by sitting in a classroom.

They helped spark a love of travel in me that has taken me around the world. I’m 24 years old, and I’ve already visited 15 countries and grown up a lot along the way. I’ve visited some of the most beautiful cities in the world and even had the opportunity to live in Paris for a year and Milan for 3 months.  My favorite adventure to date was my month trip through South East Asia with one of my good friends Zoe. We ziplined through the jungles of Chaing Mai, snorkeled til I’d seen every fish in Ko Tao, kayaked through Halong Bay, dodged cars and tuk tuks through the streets of Hanoi and bared through the thick humidity of Hong Kong.

All of those cities come with many stories of embarrassing moments, amazing adventure, undeniable excitement and happiness, some travel failures that I learned from and many more emotions and photos that I hope to share later on. I would like to use this blog to share my traveling  and life stories and photos with you because in my short 24 years I feel like I have done a lot, and I am grateful for every opportunity I’ve had and created for myself. Hopefully it will spark inspiration and or at the least make you laugh a little.