My Milan

I have been going to Milan - usually late summer - since the year 2000 when a friend invited me for a girls' shopping weekend. That first trip was so exciting and an eye opener. There were so many individual boutiques with names I'd never heard of and of course the major brands all enclosed in a relatively small area in the city with prices way cheaper than any in London. As you can imagine we went crazy buying our new winter wardrobe and I still have my ankle boots from Miu Miu plus a few other items from that time. Quality and design is timeless. As each year passed, my haul got smaller with Italian brands becoming more global and prices evening out. We still continued to go as an annual ritual becoming more discerning with our buying and instead enjoying each other's company with an espresso or prosecco and watching the world go by.

2018 was the first time we missed going and went to Berlin instead. This year we decided to reignite our affair with Milan and go back in late spring, this past weekend as it happens, for a completely different experience and it worked out very well.

Apart from the fact that it rained for most of the weekend we had a fab time. We stayed at the Park Hyatt Hotel right in the centre of Milan, a few steps from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. We got a great rate deal which enabled us to stay there and it was such a pleasure. Everything you would expect from a 5 star hotel, our bathroom was large enough to swing more than the proverbial cat.

Friday evening we had a cocktail and snacks at the Mio Lab bar in the hotel, and met up with my nephew who is in Milan for 3 months with a model agency. We had dinner at Ravello 18 a few minutes walk away which has a small menu of reasonably priced seasonal local dishes. 

Saturday was spent shopping in and out of the rain, mostly at our favourite brands for clothes, Marella, Max & Co and Penny Black and Sephora and Kiko Milano for make up. We had lunch at Granaio Caffe and Cucina, a delicious asparagus risotto with a glass of prosecco.


After more shopping we sauntered back to the hotel late afternoon to put our feet up for an hour before venturing down for pre dinner drinks at Mio Lab bar again with it's beautiful glass blown ceiling lights looking like space ships hovering overhead. We tried the Red Ginger martini. A mix of vodka, lime, ginger and raspberry it was sublime. Drinks are always accompanied with a small slate of pintxos, olives and nuts included in the price.

We had been recommended to go for dinner at Langosteria known for it's fabulous seafood dishes. I had Linguine con aragosta, pomodoro confit e basilico which is simply fresh ribbon pasta and lobster with a tomato sauce. Absolutely delicious! This restaurant is very popular so reserving a table is essential.


Strolling back to the hotel after dinner we went past the Duomo looking stunning in the evening light and the shop fronts with their beautiful windows more elegant and stylish than they appear in daylight.

Back at the hotel for the last night of our weekend, we watched the end of the Eurovision final in all it's camp glory place Great Britain undeservedly at the bottom of the pile. 

In our usual fashion, we spent Sunday morning at the Rinascente department store searching out last minute finds before our journey home. We had lunch with an obligatory glass of prosecco at God Save the Food Piano -1 (Lower Ground Floor) Design Supermarket.

Our love of Milano restored after more than a year away, I'm certain we'll be back again very soon.

Weekend break in Palma Mallorca

Weekend breaks away are definitely something I want to do more of. It's a great way to add a bit of variety to every day life where it's mostly occupied by work and time off is for catching up on chores, friends and relaxing. This year has already gone by so quickly and life is too short to let it just pass by.

I love island life and the ability to get to a beach that's never too far away is a huge plus. I imagine I could live in Palma. A former Moorish Casbah, it's an easy city to walk around. Meandering down narrow side streets you can find courtyards tucked behind a big wrought iron gate or come across a beautiful old church on a square.

We stayed in a lovely Airbnb apartment right next to the famous Catalan gothic style Cathedral, Basilica de Santa Maria de Mallorca also referred to as La Seu, which was built over a mosque which was built over an original Christian church. It is a surprisingly quiet location and a perfect base within easy walking distance from everywhere. Despite the maze like street layout, it didn't take long to get our bearings, but thank goodness for Google Maps!

For our Friday night we had booked a Tapas tour through Mallorcan Urban Adventures. At £58 per person it wasn't cheap but definitely worth it as it included everything. We met our guide at Plaza de Sant Francesc, a gothic style church right in the heart of the old town. We tried to have a look inside but the doors were blocked with construction materials which was a shame as I'm sure it would have been beautiful. 

Once everyone had arrived we headed off to our first stop Bar Espana. Fortunately we had a table reserved as there were lines out the door of people waiting to go in. We chose a couple of pintxos each and had a glass of wine before heading to our next venue La Tortilleria. Here we had tortillas and home made vermouth which was superb. Next stop Ca La Seu for more fab food and the tastiest sangria I've ever had. Our penultimate stop was at Molta Barra for yet more appetising pintxos. We opted for a dessert at our last bar Quina Creu, as we were more than satisfied with the amount of food we had already consumed. This is a really great way to sample the local cuisine and get some history thrown in.

Saturday started by having breakfast al fresco enjoying the spring sunshine in the old town followed by a visit to Mercado del Olivar. Here you will find food in abundance. Fresh vegetables and fruit, sobrasado, chorizo, cheese, ceramics - the list goes on. We spent some time here deciding what food we could take home. Wandering back to the centre we perused some fab little shops and our new favourite store find Realto Living. They have everything including fashion, interiors, gifts and art. Their current exhibition on the first floor is by Frank af Petersens a volunteer photographer documenting the poaching of elephants and rhinos. The proceeds from sales of the photographs finances his work in helping various conservation trusts.

We walked up towards Santa Catalina in the early evening and stopped at the Es Baluard Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. We went on to the roof and had great views towards the sea and the cathedral. There were throngs of people sitting out in the open air at the bar/restaurant below enjoying the gorgeous weather.

We headed back to our apartment as the light faded and had an hour's rest before venturing out again for dinner at Ca'n Toni. They serve traditional cuisine in a lively atmosphere. We sat outside although it was a little cold and they kindly offer blankets if you need them.

Sunday morning we went back to Santa Catalina for breakfast. Unfortunately most of the shops were closed but nearly everywhere offering food was open. We chose the popular Café Santina. I went there on my last visit and loved it so it was only right we go back again. I had my favourite poached eggs on avocado toast and my friend had a fruit platter. The coffee is very good too!

After breakfast we checked out of our apartment. We had another 5 hours to kill before going to the airport and were able to store our bags at Call and Ride. At €5 per day its a bargain if you need a safe place to leave your luggage either before or after check in. It left us hands free to do what we wanted.

We watched some traditional dancing in the square and decided to head down to the harbour to find somewhere to sit and relax in the warm sunshine. We found a bar/restaurant right on the marina and stayed there for a couple of hours reminiscing about our weekend.


Feeling peckish and wanting a bite to eat before our flight, we dined at El Pilon for a last tapas meal of fried baby crabs, padron peppers and meatballs in tomato sauce washed down with a glass of Estrella.

All that was left to do was collect our luggage and head to the airport and a smooth flight home. 

Thanks again Palma for a wonderful weekend!