Author Topic: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet  (Read 15587 times)

Offline chucksterace

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Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« on: February 10, 2014, 12:41:11 PM »
Milan Trip Report
Feb 7–9, 2014

Well once again, here goes nothing.

Unlike all you special folks, I have to spend only around $133 to get to Milan. Traveling from TLV my ticket was a $300 special with EL AL, but thanks to a $250 voucher from Orbitz, I paid a lowly $50 for a round-trip ticket, with the return on EL AL’s new Boeing 737-900. A nice upgrade from any other aircraft they had. Plus, somehow EL AL managed to block off the two seats next to me so I had a whole row  8). I met my mom there for the weekend who used the Wideroe fare to come.

I landed in MXP at 10am and that started off a long day especially only after sleeping three hours the night before. After landing I took the Malpensa Express to Cadorna station and then a quick taxi over to the Park Hyatt. Check-in was smooth and got upgraded to a deluxe twin room. The hotel is in an amazing location. Besides for being around all the main streets, it is also within walking distance to the Great Synagogue and the Chabad.

The hotel is only five or six floor high so no matter where your room is you won’t have a problem using stairs to your floor. To get into the hotel on Shabbos, they have a manual door to the left of the main door that you can use. The hotel has no problem letting you use the stairs to go up or down to your floor but you will still need someone to meet you by your door to open it unless you leave it taped open. There is a Mini-Bar in the room, but just ask them and they will come to remove the items from inside and empty it out.

After freshening up in the hotel we went to the Galleria, which is about 10 steps away from the hotel. I must say, leave your wallets in the hotel room safe, you will be much happier.  We walked around there, the Duomo Square, and the area before we headed back to the hotel for Shabbat.

Friday night we went to the Great Synagogue, about a 20-minute walk. After, we had a small meal in our room. Shabbat morning we went to Chabad, unfortunately they didn’t get a Minyan, but had lunch there after. Shabbat afternoon, we took a stroll down Via Montenapoleone, I must say, once again, happy it was Shabbat and didn’t have my wallet ;)

Saturday night we ended up going to Denzel restaurant. Got the Messi Meat and the Denzel Burger. Both were very good and tasty.

On Sunday we took a trip up to Lake Como. The train took about 40 minutes each way. Besides for walking around, you can take a boat tour or a train type lift up a mountain. We ended up going for the boat ride, which wasn’t bad and had some great views. At night we went out to Re Salomone, which is fancy and very good. We got the Lahmajain, Primavera, Home Made Mean Ravioli, and the Chicken Mix with Salad. For dessert, we decided to try the Tatin Cake. Might sound like a lot but wasn’t that much.

To end this weekend I dropped my mom off at the Sheraton in MXP airport for her United flight the next morning. For an airport hotel, it is very nice and convenient. IMO, definitely not worth spending the last night at the Park Hyatt if you have an early morning flight.


In MXP they had on the floor tiles a statement that has a great feeling.

"tutti i passi che ho fatto nella mia vita mi hanno portato qui, ora" = "every step I have taken in my life has led me here, now"



Hotel Entrance:


Hotel Lobby:


Galleria:


Via Dante:


King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy:


Train Station:


Lake Como:


Lake Como:


Random Hands Statue:


Random Extra Large Foosball Table:


Now a thanks statement: Thank you Wideroe for making this Weekend possible. It was fun and exciting and couldn’t have done it without your price fenzy. Thank you again.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2014, 12:48:26 PM by chucksterace »
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Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2014, 12:47:43 PM »
Sounds like a nice trip.


(I believe that is a Foosball table)
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Offline chucksterace

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2014, 12:48:46 PM »
Sounds like a nice trip.


(I believe that is a Foosball table)

Good call.. It is fixed.
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Offline meshugener

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2014, 01:01:43 PM »
Very nice, did you in advance you get the 737-900?
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Offline chucksterace

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2014, 01:03:09 PM »
Very nice, did you in advance you get the 737-900?

Huh, english?

But yes, I knew in advance I was getting the 737-900 and thats why booked that flight not the next morning. I must say, it is a BIG improvement.
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Offline CS1

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2014, 01:28:17 PM »
Neat!
First time seeing a foosball table that big. Imagine the goalie the whole game...

The photos are great! The Park Hyatt Hotel looks fantastic, European style. Really amazing to be right there in the middle of the city, especially on Shabbos.
(Thinking of where to use my 2 Hyatt nights.. so these TRs are helpful -- Thanks!)

Doesn't look like there is much parking. Do people rent cars? Take taxis?
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Offline meshugener

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2014, 02:16:00 PM »
Huh, english?

Sorry but mistakenly missing one word doesn't make my post Yiddish.
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Offline chucksterace

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2014, 02:17:33 PM »
Sorry but mistakenly missing one word doesn't make my post Yiddish.

Correct, but it does make it Mesh Languange
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Offline A3

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2014, 02:25:39 PM »
Nice report.  That football table would be a great neutral location for the upcoming match between you and JJ

Offline efflpetzel

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2014, 02:28:22 PM »
What was the hechsherim in the places you ate at?

Offline sky121

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2014, 02:28:57 PM »
And how was the food?
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Offline chucksterace

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2014, 03:04:28 PM »
What was the hechsherim in the places you ate at?

Don't know. Look at their websites and it should say.

And how was the food?

Denzel, was good. Just a classic burger. The desserts weren't anything special.

Re Solomone, was very good. The Lahmajain (pastry/dough with meat on top) was about the size of a quarter but good and tasty. The meat ravioli was tasty and had a lot of meat in it and topped with more meat. The Chicken Mix with Salad was basic but tasty, it is a piece of grilled chicken, schnitzel, and chicken kebob on top of some lettuce. Dessert I'll just let you guess.  ;)

Keep in mind, that both these restaurants charge a cover charge per person.
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Offline Penguin711

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2014, 03:26:59 PM »
The pictures are really great - out of curiosity did you take them on a phone or a camera?

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2014, 03:33:52 PM »
The pictures are really great - out of curiosity did you take them on a phone or a camera?

Thanks.

To tell you the truth, I don't know. I took a lot with my phone (iPhone 5s) and a camera. I don't remember what was taken with what as I mixed them in one folder.
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Offline Penguin711

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2014, 04:04:38 PM »

Thanks.

To tell you the truth, I don't know. I took a lot with my phone (iPhone 5s) and a camera. I don't remember what was taken with what as I mixed them in one folder.


Just trying to get a feel for whether I should bother getting a camera for my upcoming trip or not - but either way your pictures are great - thanks for the tr :)

Offline CS1

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #15 on: February 10, 2014, 04:20:04 PM »

Just trying to get a feel for whether I should bother getting a camera for my upcoming trip or not - but either way your pictures are great - thanks for the tr :)
I have an SLR and the iPhone 5s.
I used to always travel with the (big, bulky) SLR, however, unless it's a very specific
photo shoot, or a once-in-a-lifetime landmark location, it's been great just having a small iPhone on me. Much more compact, light,
and generally takes satisfactory pictures for most purposes!

Especially comes in handy with easier emailing, etc.. too.
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Offline jmansour

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #16 on: February 10, 2014, 04:39:51 PM »
He didnt mention the best part, A pre-shabbat do with me lol was a pleasure meeting you!

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #17 on: February 10, 2014, 04:44:58 PM »
He didnt mention the best part, A pre-shabbat do with me lol was a pleasure meeting you!

Didn't know how to fit that in  ;)

Thanks to jmansour for a Pre-shabbat meetup. You made my day a whole lot better.
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Offline Yaalili

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #18 on: February 10, 2014, 05:35:35 PM »
Great report and with pictures too :) - how did you add them to the page is there an easy way?

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Weekend Trip to Milan, Italy - Short and Sweet
« Reply #19 on: February 10, 2014, 05:44:28 PM »
Great report and with pictures too :) - how did you add them to the page is there an easy way?

Thanks, they only get better with time. I used photobucket.com to upload them was pretty easy to add them and I had to change the size also which was easy.
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