- Planning and Getting there.
- Day 1: Rome – Waldorf Cavalieri, Villa Borghese and Getting around.
- Day 2: Rome – No agenda.
- Day 3: From Rome to Milan – Park Hyatt Milan and the New Year Eve in Milan.
- Day 4: Milan – Hidden pleasures and treasures.
- Day 5: Arrividerci Italy.
- Comments
In my opinion, the most exciting part of travel is observing local customs and ways of life and comparing it to what we have at home. Nowadays we live in a global village with day to day routines become more and more similar across the spaces but where the uniqueness still can be found is how people celebrate their holidays. To spend a New Year in Italy – that idea was always tempting, the curiosity persisting. True or false – do Italians throwaway goods, furniture, calendars to the point you have to watch out for the object flying from the windows on the New Year night? Turned out to be false – we did not see anything like that at least in the area we’d been. True or false – the prominent dish of Italian New Year dinner is lentil? Turned out to be a truth! The Italians believe it brings the luck and prosperity. On the New Year, a restaurant treated us with a complimentary lentil dish. Myths or reality – Italy is always Bellissimo, especially during the holidays, our trip was intense but exciting and here is the report.
Planning and Getting there.
To get the best options, I start planning this holiday travel well in advance. We wanted to go on an extended weekend and spend two days in Rome and two days – and the New Year night – in Milan. There are of course plenty of flight options from New York to these major Italian cities. I choose Delta non-stops New York JFK to Rome and back from Milan – the flight times were perfect, and the fare was attractive. The drawback – it was in an economy; moreover, it was in basic economy meaning no checked luggage and no possibility to upgrade; however, my Delta status reduced some of the inconvenience. For that short trip, we did not bring luggage anyway, all fit in carry-ons, and we had a priority boarding privilege. The latter is essential as you are strategically ahead of a crowd to board an airplane while an overhead bin space is still available. This, however, turned out not to be an issue at all since Delta flew a wide-body Boeing 767 outbound and Airbus A330 inbound, and even though both flights were full, it was enough carry-on space for everyone. Few months after the booking, Delta changed the schedule and moved the flight departure 20 minutes earlier. Usually, a situation like that gives you a bit of leverage if you want to change your travel arrangement without a penalty, but after exploring other options, I decided to leave it as is.
Taken care of the flights I moved on to the hotels booking. I figured the place to welcome a New Year in Milan was Duomo square, so Park Hyatt Milan came as the best choice. I used my stash of Hyatt points to book the New Year night (30K points was required), the second night was on cash + points (220 Euro and 15K). In Rome, I booked two nights at RomeCavalieri – Waldorf Astoria. Marina is the Diamond member, and we prefer Hilton chain hotels if they fit our plans. The last thing to take care of was travel from Rome to Milan. That was a no-brainer; Italy has an excellent high-speed train network that connects all major cities conveniently center to center and amazingly fast, soI booked 2 tickets on Rome – Milan Frecciarossa express. Travel arrangements were made, a countdown to the trip began.
Delta states international flight boarding starts 50 minutes before the departure. We walked to the gate only to find out the boarding was delayed by 20 minutes….then another 20 minutes….and then another 20 minutes. Passengers became irritated, and we retreated to Delta Sky Club, we wondered why we did not do it earlier. The delay time was passing easier with snacks and drinks. Finally, the boarding started. We occupied our 38C and 38D and prepared for the endurance.
The flight was bumpy, but we were able to get some sleep. Even though we arrived one hour and 30 minutes late, it was OK since we did not have to make any connection.
Rome Leonardo da Vinci airport (also called Fiumicino)is about 20 miles from the city. We enjoyed the just introduced immigration fast track for the citizens of USA and some other “Anglo-Saxon” countries – UK, Australia, and New Zealand.The border formalities took just minutes and very soon we were outside of the departure hall.Taxi fare is 48 Euros per car flat plus 1 Euro per each luggage piece. The alternative is a train shuttle to Termini station at 14 euro per person and the public transportation or a taxi to your destination. Rome Cavalieri is situated between the airport and the city, so a cab was a natural option. The ride was less than 30 minutes with no traffic. I notified the hotel about an early arrival which turned out to be not so early due to a flight delay and at an entry we were pleased to find out a room was ready. The hotel does not give free upgrades easily even for diamond members, but we got a superior room with Vatican City view.
We were offered to upgrade to the “Imperial” level at 120 Euros per night extra, it gives access to a private lounge and is located on a higher floor, but we decided to pass on it.
Day 1: Rome – Waldorf Cavalieri, Villa Borghese and Getting around.
The hotel is situated on a hilltop, down is an unremarkable residential area, from there the road to a hotel consists of gated villas with security cameras and high fences, so we figured it was an exclusive part of the city. Halfway up there is a scenic point with an incredible view on St. Peter Cathedral, don’t miss it if driving or you may walk there from the hotel on a narrow sidewalk. The hotel décor is over the top Waldorf style with precious marbles and candelabras and also with big size classical paintings filling every wall.
The hotel concept is the resort within the city. There are cypress trees and a big outdoor pool that obviously was closed for a season.
Inside the hotel, there is an excellent spa with a large indoor pool, a Jacuzzi, a Turkish bath and a sauna. The buffet breakfast was served in the main restaurant, the dining room was nicely decorated for the holidays, the food was plenty but standard.
As I mentioned the hotels’ unique concept is a resort in a city. I get it – after a long and intense sightseeing day in Rome guests have an opportunity to relax and unwind in the hotel’s excellent recreational facilities. I am not sure this is appealing to many. I imagine some kind of delicate Middle East negotiations could take place here as the location is entirely private and discrete. It may also make sense for families with children as youngsters can splash in the pool or play on the grounds after a long day of ruins and museums. It definitely is not recommended for the first time visitors as for those a central location is more important than a premium bed and spa offerings.
The major drawback is the location. It is outside the city center and any transportation hubs. Theoretically, you can walk about 2 miles to the Vatican City or around a mile to a bus stop, but I did not see anyone actually doing this. The hotel provides a free shuttle to the very central Piazza Barberini, but it runs only hourly from 9:30 am to 8:30 pm with a long mid-day siesta break, so it is only useful if you can align with its schedule otherwise you need a cab.
Rome is a complicated city to get around. Taxis are quite expensive (15 to 20 Euros for a short ride within the city), and traffic may be horrendous. Rome’s metro has two and a half lines (the third one does not go through the city center and therefore is useless for the most of the tourists) which is not near adequate for the huge and spread city. Uber has only a black car option and is more expensive than taxis. Few times we were able to hop on a shuttle; otherwise we Uber to/from the nearest Metro (10 Euros 5 Minutes).
It was not our first time in Italy and not the second. That provided a great opportunity just to absorb and enjoy its festive spirit. The only item on the agenda was a visit to Gallery Borghese.
We missed it on our previous visits. The entrance tickets must be booked in advance, we kept forgetting and when we remembered it was too late. This time I was lucky. Checking the website three weeks before the arrival I found availability and booked tickets at once. A ticket is good for an entry within a designated 2-hour slot. You cannot enter earlier or after but can at any time within the slot. The gallery is amazing but not very big so the time is adequate for a thorough full visit. Pope Borghese is the most (un)famous for that he persecuted Galileo Galilei.The villa was his official residence, and definitely built to impress.Today it features an excellent collection of Caravaggio, Veronese, Titian and dozens of other great masters. The exposition is not all a cold classic though. Among the Renaissance art, the curators placed the very modernist Picasso. It created a crazy, refreshing and actually delightful contrast.
After the museum, we walked through the park which comparing to the gallery we found to be mediocre. (maybe just because it was a late December).
The park corresponds to Via Veneto of La Dolce Vita fame. The time changed since 1960, The Cha-Cha-Cha Club is not here anymore, but Federico Fellini inspired“Good Life” ambiance still exists. We walked further to a hustling and bustling Piazza Barberini and had our first Roman dinner at a nice, clean, not touristy and unassuming Al Piacere restaurant on Via Crispi.
The seafood was simple but fresh and tasty, and the check was very reasonable.
We finished the dinner in time for a shuttle to the hotel which at first we a trouble to locate. Thanks to a security guard at US Embassy in Rome who pointed us in the right direction we made it by the skin of a tooth. The drive to the hotel took just 20 minutes,upon arrival we headed straight to our room, our initial day of a trip was finished.
Day 2: Rome – No agenda.
A jet lag kicked in, we slept in a bit, by the time we finished breakfast it was past 11 am, and we had to rush to catch the last shuttle to the city before a siesta break. The shuttle was already full though. To the hotel credit, a concierge arranged a private taxi for us and few fellow guests in the same situation at no charge and soon we were in the city.
The best place to start a no-agenda day in Rome is undoubtedly Spanish Steps. That was also what other people thought. The famous Roman hang out was packed with tourists, street food vendors, ad hoc entertainers, and people watchers.
We crossed the piazza to the fancy pedestrian Via Dei Condotti and diligently window shopped each and every boutique on the way.
At Via del Corso we glanced right to Piazza delPopolo obelisk but then turned left and continued on to Fontana di Trevi.
It worked (not always the case) but looked anything but romantic, intimate or meditative as hordes of tourists sieged this beautiful Roman landmark, and you needed to elbow your way in to get an unobscured view or throw a coin.
We retreated and continued to Piazza Venezia– tyrannically monumental but at least not so crowded.
After an espresso break at a café by picturesque Villa Aldobrandini, we walked around the Forum imperial ruins to the Colosseum.
The ancient arena was so grand that even non-ceding crowd could spoil its majestic view. Then we headed back, metro was conveniently right there.
We Uber from Cipro station to the hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon in the spa.
We had dinner at the hotel’s L’Uliveto restaurant. It was a hit and miss. While appetizers and desserts were tasty, the turbot for the main course was a disappointment. I have to mention the hotel has a good vine collection. We returned to our room and before calling it a day tried to watch some Italian TV. It looked fun and made me feel sorry I did not understand Italian.
Day 3: From Rome to Milan – Park Hyatt Milan and the New Year Eve in Milan.
Rome certainly has a lot of charming places to enjoy, but Termini train station is not one of them. Savvy travelers make calculations to minimize time spent there to bare necessity. Naturally, you don’t want to show up AFTER your train leaves but to come WELL BEFORE is also not desirable. Assuming you already have tickets be at a platform no longer than 15 minutes before a departure. The station has a club lounge for frequent travelers and those who hold the executive class ticket (too expensive, not worth it unless you really ARE an executive and want to use a conference room onboard). When booking a regular ticket you can buy a one time pass for 20 euros extra, so consider this option if for some reason you must spend a long time at the station. On the other hand, there are cafés with the same ambiance and relatively better food.
Frecciarossa express train that we booked originated in Naples and arrived at Rome almost on schedule. For passing trains, the specific platform is not announced until the train actually, so we watched the tableau inpassionately until a platform number showed up and rushed to get on-board. I booked business class tickets; unlike planes, train business costed just a few euros more than a standard, but definitely provided more comfort. The seats were wider with more legroom. An attendant offered complimentary newspapers (in Italian only so no use), then soft drinks and snacks and then espresso. The carriage was clean and less than 3-hour ride was smooth. In the window were plains and fields of Lazio that turned to hills of Tuscany followed by Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy industrial towns. From myriad churches in Rome to a bastion of banks in Milan we were still in the same country but knew our experience would change.
We arrived at the early afternoon on the New Year eve. Milan Centrale was even worse than Rome Termini – built during the fascist era it felt like a ghost of Mussolini still lurking from behind its massive and gloomy concrete columns. We located the metro sign and headed there quickly before the evil spirit of Duce could do us any harm.
In Milan, we stayed at Park Hyatt which was just a few metro stops from the station. There are many reviews of this landmark, most of them are glorious; in my opinion the property is high class but overpriced. Yes, I know the location is exclusive – practically in the Galleria and around the corner from Duomo, still for room rates starting at 600 Euros per night, there are plenty of other accommodation options to consider.
The lobby is almost non-existent, and the furniture shows some wear; other time we might choose a different place, but that was a special time – the New Year eve.We wanted to say in the middle of the festivities even if it was at a premium. The good news – Hyatt regularly offers promotions, and the hotel is available on points which could bring the cost of stay to a reasonable number. It also recognizes Hyatt elite members and compliments them with free or discount breakfast and other amenities.
I notified the hotel about our arrival time, but our room was not ready yet. No complaints – we left the luggage and went for a walk around the city center. At Duomo square, the preparations for the New Year night concert went full steam ahead. The scene was set right in the middle of the square that somewhat obscured the cathedral view. Of course, there were people, a lot of them.
We headed to the Galleria where the beautiful Swarovski decorated Christmas tree sparkled reflecting a million of lights from the ceiling illumination. We tried at no success to make good pictures above crowd heads. Luckily we got a good shot on the last morning at 7 am when the place was empty.
The 150-year-old belle époque masterpiece is probably the world’s first shopping mall. Just to be the highest class brand is not enough to have a store here. If you are “only” Dolce & Gabbana or “simple” Bottega Veneta your place is Via Della Spiga– the place for the “ordinary” fashion. You must be The Italian Institution to have the Galleria address – like Prada (has its own cultural foundation and donates millions to the art), or Tod’s (the quintessence of an Italian shoes style), or TIM (Italy’s largest mobile provider – you will survive without Prada, but you won’t survive without TIM).
We passed by La Scala Opera (closed for the holidays – divas and maestros have a life too) went on Via Brera to the Pinacoteca then turned right and cross the city center to Via Della Spiga to see “real” shops and “real” shoppers then returned to Duomo and to the hotel where our room was finally ready.
We unpacked and went out again. It was already dark, Duomo and Galleria were beautifully illuminated, and the mood on the square was all anticipation. The concert has not started yet, but carabinieri began to arrive and install barriers for crowd control. Duomo metro was closed, and we were directed to the next station which was just a short walk away. Unlike Rome, Milan has an excellent public transportation system called ATM. The quick and efficient metro gets you to almost any point of interest within minutes, it is well integrated with suburban trains and ground buses and trams. A single fare is 1.50 Euro or 4.50 for a 24-hour unlimited ticket. Metro machine validates a card at an entrance, but if you take a bus or a tram you need to stamp it on board manually, also keep a ticket during a ride – you will need to exit.
We were headed to Navigli (canal) district – Milan’s version of Greenwich Village. Back in time, Milan had canals like Venice but almost all disappeared since then.
The two that remains to form a lovely and vibrant area were hip young locals love to hang out. We came here around 7 pm on the New Year eve. The area was crowded, but the vibe was entirely different than at Duomo. It was “apperativo” hour, multiple bars along canals where packed, people actively socialized and it felt like all know each other.
Some inpatient party-goers started a firework already which caused a lot of excitement. We were in the mood for a good Italian dinner and were trying to find a place with a spare table. It turned out to be a challenge. All restaurants were fully booked for the New Year, but after a few inquiries we found a place that agreed to seat us if we were done in an hour. The offer suited us fine.
Luca e Andrea café had an authentic dining room, cozy atmosphere, and excellent food. We enjoyed a prosciutto appetizer, fantastic pasta, and oxtails for the main course. The dessert was a homemade tiramisu – frankly the third in two days but who could have enough of it?
The guests started to arrive; we finished our pre-New Year dinner and headed back to Duomo. By that time the concert began, the square was cordoned entirely off with few checkpoints and lines of people to be scanned and let in. We realized a problem as we needed to pass through to get to our hotel. A problem turned out to be no problem at all – I showed the hotel keys to the security guard, and we were waived in right away. We hang out at the square and watched the concert for a while, then went to our room. At half past eleven, we came down to the hotel bar only to find it was full. The bar was probably the only place open in the area, so there were a lot of people from outside.
The restaurant was also booked but the lovely hostess arranged a coach and a table on a side, we ordered Champagne and a dessert. The mini-band played Italian hits, the atmosphere was quite joyful. Soon the countdown started, we welcomed the New Year, made a wish, finished our Champagne and were about to leave when a chef presented a surprise. We were treated with a complimentary lentil with pork dish. Italians believe it will bring luck and prosperity in the New Year. Who can argue with that? We were not hungry but ate the whole plate. It was actually very delicious, so we decided to return here for dinner the next evening. We hang out a little longer but no more free treats were coming so we returned to our room and turned on the TV. The holiday show was on. Actually, there were three shows on each of three major Italian TV channels – all live performances from different cities with beautiful sights on backgrounds. The opera areas were followed by canzones, then by disco and even by rock-and-roll to satisfy all tastes, and all were performed by the Italian artists. Italy had and still enjoys an abundance of talent.
We retired at quarter past 2 AM looking forward to our last full day in Milan. It was the perfect New Year eve and night – precisely the way we wanted!
Day 4: Milan – Hidden pleasures and treasures.
On the New Year day, we woke up by the sounds of a marching band. It was a late morning – was the party still on? By the time we got outside the group was gone and the concert stage was almost dismantled, but the square was still full of wandering tourists. At this point it became clear – to see a real Milan you need to get out of the Duomo area.
We went to explore the Porta Nuova neighborhood – the fascinating, eclectic area between Centrale and Brera. Porta Nuova (The new door) was a city gate built in Napoleon times but you do not look for more classical landmarks here.
The most of the buildings are from end of 19thbeginning of 20th-century that are mixing with the modern constructions. From the gate, we had a short walk to Corso Como – the area’s main thoroughfare. The much-hyped Eataly mall was closed for the holiday, as well as other stores but the cafes began to open.
We stop at 10 Corso Como café (yes that’s the name and the address) – the unique and a bit kitschy place with an artistic ambiance and great food.
The location is often recommended by Milan tourists in the know and rightly so.
For our first brunch of the year, we had fantastic veal in tuna sauce, pasta marinara, and porcini risotto. Instead of sharing a dessert we indulged ourselves with each own mille-feuille and an apple tart.
We continued on Corso Como and reached UniCredit Tower plaza. UniCredit is Italy’s’ largest bank, and it’s headquarter is the focal point of the city business center.
This is pretty much what the real Milan is all about – the financial mecca that fuels Italy’s economic engine. The tower is 231 meters high and is the tallest building in Italy, was designed by architect Cesar Pelli and open in 2011.
The plaza and the nearby areas feature modern amusements like Bosco Verticale (vertical forest) and Pipe Creation (not sure if this is an official name).
Piazza cafes, shops, markets, and even a skating rink attract guests and locals, but do not look for a rooftop restaurant or an observation desk – the tower itself is strictly business and closed to outside visitors.
We returned back to Repubblica piazza. By then Milan formed its image for us. Yes, it has the impressive cathedral, but it does not compare to St. Peter in the Vatican. The Brera gallery is beautiful, but this is Italy and Uffizi or Vatican Pinacoteca easily dwarfs it. Milan has a medieval castle, but it is not that impressive as Renaissance jewels of Florence or Sienna. What makes the city special, besides its cuisine and the financial cluster is the design fame. The most of Italian fashion originates, been produced or thrives in Milan. To experience that we headed to La Triennale di Milano – the museum of Italian design.
The museum is located in Parco Sempione at the back of Castello Sforzesco just a short walk from Cadorna metro. It is structured as the main exposition and some exhibitions featuring different aspects of a creative process and describing the lives and achievements of Italian style icons. The visit was quite enlightening and even eye-opening.
We learned the roots of Italian cutting edge design originated in the fascist era as a subtle protest to the totalitarian rule, for example, one architect planned a fascist party headquarter in the form of a cheese head.
The museum is also a lot of fun, especially the display of old Fiat cars, 50th and 60th furniture, and pioneer Olivetti computers. Well, if you must do one museum visit in this city, make it the Triennale.
We returned to the park and walked toward the castle. The walls and the tower were nicely illuminated, and we stopped to take pictures. From there it would be a short walk to Santa Maria Delle Grazie to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper but we did not have tickets , and the church museum was closed for the holidays anyway.
We returned to the hotel and came down to La Cupola restaurant for the last dinner of the trip. The complimentary lentil previous night was superb, and we assumed the other menu offerings would be as good.
We were not disappointed and especially enjoyed Milanese style risotto and Ragu sauce pasta. The bill was significant but it worth every euro. After the dinner, we contemplated a farewell walk to Duomo but reconsidered as we had an early flight next morning and retired to our room.
Day 5: Arrividerci Italy.
Delta flight from Milan departed at 9:45 am that meant we had to leave the hotel no later than 7 am. The hotel check- out was quick, we passed through Galleria (empty at last) to the metro station.
Milan Malpensa airport is about 40 miles from the city, a taxi ride can take about an hour and cost around 100 euros. As an alternative the fast and efficient Malpensa Express trains link the airport and two city stations – Centrale (don’t use unless you are connecting to another train or have an accommodation in the area) and Cadorna (use since the station is much less hectic than Centrale, more centrally located and a ride is 20 minutes shorter). The ticket costs 13 euros on both lines.
We took a metro to Cadorna and boarded an express that brought us to the terminal at around 8 am. It turned out the time was pressing. I checked in online, but the hotel did not have a business center so I had to print the boarding passes at the airport. Even though we had a priority, the walks from the entrance to Delta counter then to the security and the gates were long, we did not have time for the last espresso in the lounge before the boarding started.
The flight back was smooth and felt much better. It was an Airbus 330 and not Boeing, and an extra inch of legroom made a lot of difference. We arrived ahead of schedule and whisked by a huge Immigration queue to the Global Entry kiosk. Terminal 4 arrival hall at JFK greeted us with its usual attitude, but we were home after a fantastic trip so nothing could spoil our joy. It was our second destination New Year that meant a tradition got started. Where do we go for the next year? Barcelona anyone?
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