I had some free time off work, and I was really hesitating going anywhere since I couldn’t find anything that was “worth traveling for” at the moment, until I found really cheap Ryanair tickets to Milan! Looking at the Timeout list of things to do (I always love checking out Timeouts travel blogs) I immediately was like “YES!”, I didn’t realise 

 was in Milan, or that you could take the famous Bernina Express and visit the Swiss Alps from here too, OR that there was a cafe (Bar Luce) designed by my favourite director ever, Wes Anderson. I was sold! 😀

I spent a full week in Milan, but everyday there was something to do and I was rushing around completing my packed itinerary. If you didn’t already know, I LOVE solo traveling, I feel that its the ONLY way to properly explore a new place on your own terms. If you want to stay in the whole day, no one’s gonna complain, and if you want to rush around like a mad monkey (like I did), also no one’s there to complain! It’s like going shopping, some things, I much prefer to be able to do so alone, but well shopping with friends is nice sometimes, if you don’t mind being rushed or don’t exactly have anything in particular you want to buy…

I arrived in the evening and wanted to make the most out of the rest of the day. Mostly explored the area around my hotel, Città Studi, and checked out a second-hand vintage clothes shop, 

. I’ve been to second-hand clothes stores before, but this was MILAN, almost everything there were luxury branded items, with non-secondhand prices (EUR900 for a dress?), but they were gorgeous! That was fun just trying out some pieces, and not buying them…got no money for that…

Wanted to check out a restaurant the hotel lady recommended, “Portobello pizzeria ristorante” but it was closed (and even when I tried again at the end of my trip, the google status became “temporarily closed”, well the gods didn’t want me to try THIS amazing Italian place). Ended up at 

’s for their Carbonara and it was AMAZING. I’ve just made it a point to always eat Carbonara as my first meal whenever I go to Italy, always a great choice!

 for their Negroni’s, apparently this was the birth place of the Negroni and the place is always swarming with locals and tourists alike. It was pretty good, and strong. I’m not a Negroni connoisseur so I can’t tell you how it compared to other Negroni’s or whether it was the best Negroni EVER, but still, not bad!

Early in the morning, I climbed up the many stairs up to the 

 terraces, was definitely a good workout! The view was amazing, and it was so crazy how much effort was put in not to decorate the just the inside of the Duomo but the rooftop too, where most of it would not be appreciated by the common person back in the days (assuming they weren’t allowed access to the terraces as well). I normally bore of seeing cathedrals/churches, but the Duomo definitely impressed me. There was a very interesting statue in the Duomo, it looked like a very muscular man with a cloth draped over him, as I was admiring it, I overheard a guide saying that it was St. Bartholomew depicted after he was skinned alive, and his “drape” was actually his own skin. You could see the grotesque details of his fingernails, hair and head being draped over him. That definitely creeped me out for awhile, it’s so insane what people in the past did back then…Still some interesting and eye opening finds.

 for some window shopping and lunch. It was really glorious and you could people watch while you had lunch. It’s really interesting seeing all the real “Crazy Rich Asians”, definitely some Indonesians there, wearing luxury brands from head to toe, with an armful of new buys. I had the Milanese Saffron Risotto for lunch, it was pretty underwhelming since there were no ingredients, just rice and saffron, but ah well, got to try everything at least once!

 Tour after and it’s really awesome seeing the most famous painting in the world in person! Before the trip, I thought I wouldn’t be able to visit this masterpiece since tickets were sold out for the next three months, but then I realised that I could book guided tours for it, so that’s how I went. All these tour companies probably be booking out tickets in advance 😔. Went on to watch a full documentary about The Last Supper to appreciate Da Vinci’s work to its fullest, it’s pretty crazy how back in those days he managed to play with perspective to make it seem that the room was long and “going in”, all on just a 2D surface.

 spa. It was on the list of Timeouts things to do in Milan and it did not disappoint. Didn’t manage to take pictures over there since I was pretty conscious, even though there were TONS of influencers around, but it was a really cool experience. They had pools in archeological sites, and even an old school tram converted into a sauna room in the garden, most impressive was the “cinema room” where they played scenes of changing landscapes and weather, and during the “storm” there was “heavy rainfall”. Overall, just a really cool place, didn’t feel too much like a sauna but more of a wellness-art-installation thing.

Was reallyyy excited about today. I planned to check out the 

 cafe, and while researching I found out that there was the Asteroid City (Wes Anderson’s latest movie) exhibition at the 

! Was really cool to see all the original props, and I’ve got the song “Last Train to San Fernando” stuck in my head. I also didn’t realise that Bar Luce was in the grounds of Foundazione Prada!

Had some extra time so I used my ticket to checkout the 

, wasn’t expecting very much initially, but actually it was pretty cool to see all the statues and artwork from the Duomo there. Just SO MUCH DETAIL and work that people put in to carve these angels and saints! I walked behind the museum to the “

”, an area where you can window shop (or shop…whatever you fancy) at all the luxury stores. It was pretty interesting to see all the fancy is one place, and all the fancy cars along the street too.

. It was held in an Italian grandma’s house, and her grandson helped to host the class. Super warm and homey vibes, and they had a nice indoor garden-terrace where they held the class, and many cats around too! Really proud of myself for being able to make some fresh pasta and tiramisu. Mascarpone cheese will probably be the only cheese I enjoy, and only in tiramisu! :P

Was a super chill day today, I finally had the time to checkout the huge 

 shop near the Duomo. There was even a LINE to get in, but thankfully it went by pretty quickly. I tried their Olive Oil latte and of course, another tiramisu to go with it! Was such a cool place, it feels like what the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory would look like…if it was for coffee instead!

I spent the rest of the day checking out the 

, there was so much artwork in there. The highlights were the cartoon/sketch of Rafael’s “The School of Athens”, the fresco lies in Vatican City (and which I saw in person too), and Da Vinci’s codex, his notes on scientific stuffs. The crypt was a little scary, and I just rushed through it. I hate dark underground spaces.

The highlight of my trip, out of the many many other highlights!! I booked a full day tour that allows you to take a little boat trip around 

, all in one day! It felt so magical and unreal. I didn’t really enjoy the Lake Como part as much as I thought I would, it was mostly checking out rich people’s houses and having a really chill boat trip with some good views…of rich people’s houses. George Clooney’s house was there, and Richard Branson’s, and the Heinz family, and many more.

The bus ride to St. Moritz was so beautiful, just going through the alps, and all the winding roads, was just the most picturesque thing ever. It was so nice to see the landscape change, from Autumn coloured forests to the snowcapped mountains of the Alps. There were even people skiing and skating across frozen lakes, it just looks like something out of a picture book. St. Moritz itself was an alright place to tour, I guess it would have been more interesting when the skiing season opened and there were more people and if we spent more days there to try out skiing…maybe one day I’ll be back, once I’ve saved up enough money, because Switzerland is EXPENSIVE! There were lots of luxury stores up in St. Moritz and most of it was closed anyway since it was a Sunday.

Anyway, the real highlight, the Bernina Express! The red train was just so beautiful against the stark contrast of the white snow and mountains around it. It felt like I was riding the Hogwarts Express. We got tickets to the second class coach, but in hindsight, this was a WAY better deal than the first class coach with the panoramic carriage. I realised that since we could wind down our windows fully in second class, we could take beautiful pictures without having the glass reflection, and it was so much fun running back and forth between the different sides of the train to get the best view and to experience all that with my amazing seat mates! Took loadsss of pictures, and just ugh train rides…I love scenic train rides! <3 It was just like a dream, and the camera definitely doesn’t do the views any justice. You got to be there to truly experience it!

Was a super chill final last day of my trip, I was mostly pretty exhausted from the super packed days before, and from the long day trip to the Alps. Mostly just explored the Navigli district, an area with pretty canals with restaurants lining both sides, apparently built with some input by Da Vinci! He’s everywhere! I got to visit the Duomo and the shopping arcade one last time, and just soak in everything that I’ve experienced in that one week.

Overall, really glad that I took the chance to go to Milan, no regretti at all! It’s so funny how I totally skipped it out when I was planning my first trip to Italy, but there’s definitely a lot to do here and I’m so glad I got to experience it before going back to Asia again!

Milan

I’ve been putting off writing my travel blog for the longest time, but I really have to get on with it since my website feels half-complete without documenting all my crazy stories and the amazing one year I had living in Europe.

I guess the best article to start with is Berlin, the reason why I came at all. I still remember the day when I got the news that Collato offered me the job in Berlin. I was living that post coding bootcamp life, trying to pick up new computer languages and frameworks, and fervently applying for jobs on the side while visiting my ex in Switzerland and traveling to Turkey together. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect myself to end up living in Europe (even for a short while) one day, but thats what happened.

My first stop in Europe from Asia was actually Barcelona, since I was there to join my company Workation in Mallorca before heading to Berlin. With only a very full backpacking bag and small backpack, I started my Europe adventures. It was amazing to meet my new colleagues for the first time in person during the Workation. Everyone was surprised at how little I brought (and how tall I was), as I wanted to challenge myself with how little I can live with. Spoiler alert, I came with very little…but left Europe with nearly 4 luggages worth of items, definitely not a minimalist. But packing extremely light made me realise that there isn’t much I need materially to survive, and with what little I brought, I didn’t feel anything was lacking, but I definitely couldn’t resist buying pretty leopard coats and soft toys here…

After my Workation, I got picked up by Yi Tang, my coding bootcamp classmate. Yi Tang was always based in Berlin, but took the bootcamp in Bali, and it’s still so mind boggling to me how life worked out and I got my first programming job in Berlin too! We spent many weekends together during my time here in Berlin, going on little weekend trips to Prague or just chilling in Berlin on Sundays, she was basically my chosen family here.

One blog post can’t fully capture the amazing memories and all the weird and crazy that I’ve experienced here in Berlin, but I’ll try anyway. Almost every two weeks, I was off exploring Europe. At the beginning of my trip here, I created a list of places I’d love to check out and by the end of that one year, I almost completed it, and sometimes I wonder…what else, what now? Berlin itself was a whole bag of surprises. I went for a lot of tours here, from the abandoned Tempelhofer airport, concentration camps nearby the city, and underground bunkers and shelters. I felt like I’ve uncovered so much and listened to many interesting historical stories.

Berlin is known for its party scene and I can say that I’ve experienced it fully. Its still so crazy how people here can party for DAYS at a time, it just feels like you’re trapped in a time machine where everyone is forever in that stage of life where every day is a celebration and there’s a reason to go out. It’s really nice in some ways, but in the end thats not the lifestyle for me. Before even coming to Berlin, people told me to check out the infamous Kit Kat Club. I’ve had the good luck to meet the best crew to go to these kinds of parties with, with them I felt safe while exploring Berlin’s underground life and more. Sometimes when I’m in those parties, life feels so….unreal, like I’m on another planet, and I’ll fondly hold these memories with me for a long time.

I write out my blogs retrospectively. In a way its quite cathartic being able to relive all these amazing experiences in my mind again, and to look back at this very special time in my life. I’m sure I’ll always be traveling and exploring in the future, but my one year in Europe has definitely changed me and opened my eyes VERY BIG. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity I had, and I’m really proud of my little personal project, combining my love for travel and organising all my experiences in one place, and my coding skills.

Berlin

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Greece

Barcelona was my first stop, the beginning of my year long European adventures. I had a week here before meeting my new colleagues for a Workation in Mallorca. Spent the first half of the week with my old friend from Mexico and the next half in a hostel on my own. I did a lot of the touristy stuff, checked out all the Gaudi architecture, (so stunning!!!), and ate a lot of Paella and seafood.

On my first day, I hung out with this Peruvian guy I met on the bus from the airport to town, we checked out La Sagrada Familia together while I tried to practice my broken Spanish with him. La Sagrada Familia just looked out of this world, all the shapes and colours, somehow so alien and beautiful. Still so crazy how its a historical building thats yet to be complete! I visited Casa Batlló from the outside since the tickets seem pretty pricey for what its worth, but I took a tour of Casa Milà and really enjoyed the rooftop garden. Also pretty mind blowing how these used to be residential apartment blocks for the rich and famous here in Barcelona, can’t imagine how crazy it is to live in an art piece like that!

I checked out the Barceloneta beach with my friend but didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Compared to the beaches in Bali, it was so crowded with everyone lying on their beach towels, the sun just burning through on our skin, and hawkers trying to sell us beach towels and cocktails that they’ve been holding for the whole day. I guess I’m just too spoilt by Asian beaches.

In general, even though I enjoyed Barcelona for its food scene and the Gaudi architecture, I didn’t feel too safe. I guess this was compounded by the fact that all (the only 3 people that I knew here) my friends had some kind of “horror” story of being pick-pocketed or robbed. But anyways, glad to say that on my second trip here, I felt more secure. In the end, just got to be street smart, and just be aware of your surroundings, it could happen anywhere in the world really! I’ll be back for the amazing seafood and paella for sure! 🤤

Back to home.

Barcelona

More adventures

Milan
November 8, 2023

Berlin
July 31, 2023

Greece
June 15, 2023

Back to home.

Barcelona

More adventures

MilanNovember 8, 2023

BerlinJuly 31, 2023

GreeceJune 15, 2023

Milan
November 8, 2023

Berlin
July 31, 2023

Greece
June 15, 2023