Hello Italia

How are we in May already? At least we have had another bank holiday, so a short week for most of us!

I am back and settled into routine after being away in Italy to celebrate my birthday. I travelled to Turin and Milan. 

I went a week before the restrictions changed, but to be honest, most of it felt relatively normal anyway. The restrictions were that masks had to be worn in doors and they needed a green pass to sit inside restaurants/ bars. We got lucky with the weather so sat outside anyway. 

If you don’t know, I love Italy. It is one of my favourite countries in Europe. I would move there in a flash. 

In Turin, we had a day, so the main points of interest and sights that we saw were, the Allianz stadium where Juventus play, the Piazza Castello which is the most central square in Turin. It was formed in the middle of 14th Century and it is lined with museums, theatres and cafes. We also saw the Giardino Nicola Grosa which is a park in Turin and has an elevation of 248 metres. 

The Piazza Castello

For the foodies, one of my favourite food I had in Turin was the Focaccia pizza. I tried a Margherita one and one with olives. I would highly recommend it. Focaccia has a lighter, fluffier texture than a traditional pizza. 

Focaccia Pizza

We travelled to Milan on Tuesday 26th April. It was just over an hour by train from Turin to Milan. A few days before, the weather was rainy. When we arrived it was hot. After checking into our hotel, we rested before taking a walk around the area and finding dinner. We opted for non Italian at this point, simply had a burger and chips from a steak and wine restaurant. 

In Milan, it is good to stay near the red metro line as that is the fastest. We walked most of the places though, so we could visit the good sights. If you are in Milan, my top sights were; The San Siro stadium and museum tour, also the Navigli district which is surrounded by canals. It reminded me a bit of Amsterdam. When in Navigli, you must have aperitivo con tagliere. It was meats and cheese. We had ours from La Prosciutteria Milano Navigli. They were not stingy on the portion sizes either. 

The San Siro

Navigli district

aperitivo con tagliere

My birthday was on the 28th April. We did more sightseeing. In Milan, you can’t forget to visit the famous cathedral on Piazza del Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It is Italy’s oldest active shopping centre.

Duomo

My trip to Milan wasn’t complete without seeing my friends. We had a lovely birthday meal  at Ristorate La Cuccuma. They are famous for their Neapolitan mussels, pasta and pizza. Obviously, me being a fish lover I had the spaghetti with seafood. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and the food was flavoursome. 

I had such a great trip and I would highly recommend visiting both Turin and Milan for the architecture, food and culture. A presto Italia. 

Lots of Love,

Live Like KK x

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What to Do in Lisbon

From my 4 nights in Lisbon, it is fair to say, I wasn’t disappointed. 

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and is the only one that is located on the Atlantic Coast. 

It is praised for its nightlife. I was worried that going in November there may not have been much of a nightlife but that wasn’t an issue. I went to Barrio Alto where there were bar, after bar, after bar. The nightlife started around 11pm and the streets were full of people outside drinking. It did help that the weather was still relatively mild!

On top of the nightlife, Lisbon is a city full of culture. Not just in terms off food- most notably their pastésis de nata.

I saw sights such as Belém Tower. The tower is an embarkation and disembarkation for those that explore Portugal. 

There is also Praça do Comércio. This is the main square and it faces a harbour. It has architecture that dates back from the 18th century which was rebuilt after the earthquake in 1755.

You cannot forget the tram 28 that takes you from Martim Moniz and ends at Campo Ourique. You get to see a variety of fame sights along the way. 

If you are up for a bit of travelling it is also worth visiting Docas. I had fresh fish sitting by the docks. 

There is so much to do in Lisbon, but these are some of my top sights. 

Enjoy The Flight

My first experience at the airport since the Pandemic was flying to Lisbon from Gatwick on 15/11/2021. 

It is fair to say after not flying for over a year, there were bound to be nerves. 

Most of my nerves came from whether or not I had everything I needed, passport, cards, euros, and the most recent addition, my COVID pass. 

The two hour window was still the same however I opted for 3 hours in case of any delays.

I arrived at Gatwick airport North Terminal not long after 7am.

The process through security was the same and I was past security in around 5 /10 mins max. 

After security came, the duty free shopping. They now have a Harry Potter shop at Gatwick which of course was the first place I entered. 

There are some circumstances where it was acceptable to drink during the early hours and the airport is one of them. 

The queue for Wetherspoons was rather long, so I opted for a bar. I sat at the stools by the bar. It only felt fitting to order a glass of champagne pre-flight, oh and maybe a beer too. A great way to begin the holiday. 

Come 9am, the gate info came. I was expecting lots of COVID checks but to my delight there wasn’t any except at the gate when boarding.

We had to scan our own boarding pass then show our passport and remove the masks so the staff could see our faces. 

It was all straightforward and stress free, not to mention all rather speedy too. I didn’t feel unsafe at any point.

Being back at the airport for me is like a kid at Christmas. I have been waiting for this moment and I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience back at the airport. Now for Lisbon!