Milan Travel Tips & Shopping Itinerary under 48 hours + My Personal Updates for 2nd half of 2017

It has been too long since I wrote anything personal...and I kind of miss connecting with my readers like this, so here comes a post to tell you what I had been and will be up to, for the second half of 2017!

3Day Milan Trip

I followed my partner on his flight to Milan last month (For those who are new here, my hubby is an airline pilot.). We had 3 free days in Milan; as it was a last minute decision for me to join him, I actually didn't prepare a proper travel itinerary. Honestly, even if I do have time to plan a scheduled trip in advance, I wouldn't do it. I am all about #YOLO, you know. Haha! Readers who read my previous trips' notes will know I am quite spontaneous, and well... probably a bit messy.

Shopping in Milan

If you're short of time and have only 48 hours or so, I suggest you banish the thought of sightseeing or taking day trips at all. 

JUST . FOCUS . ON. SHOPPING .

Milan is THE capital of fashion & shopping. Sure... New York, London, Paris, Tokyo have been nominated as fashion capitals as well; but in my humble opinion, MILAN IS KING (Of Fashion) and everyone else is at most, just a Queen. Okay, maybe Paris is on par.

Shops are all over the city and walking streets are longer, busier and more colourful than other cities. This can be a bane if you are short of time coz you will get distracted = waste precious hours.

So, where do you go shopping if you only have 48 hours or less?

1. Piazza Del Duomo

This world-renowned shopping gallery/tourist attraction needs no further introduction. One can't be at Milan and not visit this.

2. La Rinascente

Target market here: Fans of luxury labels and who prefer a one-stop shop.

You can find most of the major international brands in this eight-storey mall where it offers newer collections. Nothing is cheap here obviously. For beauty junkies, there are a few permium brands/lines not accessible in Singapore. However, to my dismay, Gucci makeup is not available here. (Why!!!) 

Shopping Tip: Sign up for your tourist shopping card online before your trip to enjoy some discounts.

3. Excelsior Milano

I have visited countless malls in my entire life, and this is an exceptional one I still reminisce, weeks after I returned home. To me, it's almost like an art gallery showcasing all the luxury designer brands and their limited collections of exclusive collaborations with celebrities. No shopping budget? Well, me neither. But who says we can't just be there to admire the impressive designs?

4. Via Della Spiga

This world-famous fashion district comprises of shopping streets intersecting one another, forming a cluster of glitz & glamour. Window shopping feels like a piece of heaven here. As you can see, it is also a perfect spot for OOTD captures. With all the major brands - both designer & contemporary, you can buy the classics as well as the latest season's designs here as many boutiques are in fact, flagship stores in Italy.

For a comprehensive list of luxury brands and their exact locations, refer to http://www.wheremilan.com/discover-milan/shopping/top-luxury-brands-milan/

5. Mass market fashion stores

On a budget and want to snag some good bargains? You either have to hit the back alleys where the smaller local merchants are (they are all over the city so it's hard to pin down on one location); or you may happily settle for popular European mass market labels such as Zara, Mango, Desigual, etc.

Decked out in apparel from Bershka, bag from Furla, shades from Valentino.

Shopping Tip: Stradivarius, Bershka and Pull & Bear are Spanish clothing brands that are significantly lower-priced here in Milan than in Singapore. They possess a wider array of designs too. Prices at Zara and Mango are more controlled, and not necessarily cheaper than in Singapore; but they do have designs you don't find back home.

6. Outlet Shopping

There are plenty of designer outlet shopping in and around Milan City. I would recommend Serravalle and Foxtown, for its variety, location and prices. 

 I'd pick Serravelle Outlet anytime, because can you see how Instagram-worthy this spot is?!

Shopping Tip: Obtain travel brochures at Milan Visitor Centre on the first day of your trip to plan your shopping tours more effectively, and also have a feel of which outlet mall suits your needs better. 

If you are planning to shop at Serravalle, visit the Information Counter first and get your "Fashion Passport" - a tourist shopping 10% discount card. Tell them you are a guest of a hotel at Milan downtown.

IMPORTANT to use this card if you are buying truckloads at Serravalle!

Shopping Tip: Bring along a trolley or a huge shopping bag to carry all your loots. Paper bags are too chunky to lug around for 5 hours, seriously. Remember your passport too! You'll need it for tax refunds.

Shopping Tip: Please do your tax refund! VAT is approximately 20%, but you get back about 14% refund after admin charges, etc. You need to cater 1.5 hours to do your tax refund either at the airport or the outlet's Tax Refund Office. Lines get really long, especially during Summer season.

In case you're wondering how to claim tax refunds, read left side of envelope.

For more locations to shop for luxury products that are tax-refundable, read: http://www.globalblue.com/destinations/italy/milan/top-five-shopping-streets-in-milan

Italian homegrown brands that are cheaper in Milan

Luxury :  Bottega Venetta, Dolce & Gabana, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino, Versace, Miu Miu, Marni, Moncler, Moschino.

Contemporary:  Furla, Pinko, Salar. 

I personally find the three contemporary brands mentioned above have the most feminine, quirky, stylish and whimsical bags.

Other Notes: Moschino bags are ridiculously cheap at Serravalle Outlet, so keep a look out for them. Michael Kors are also highly affordable and much cheaper than in Singapore; you will see many MK bags gracing the streets of Milan.

Beauty Shopping

With the convenience of online shopping merchants such as Beautylish, Netaporter, and personal overseas shopper app Airfrov, beauty junkies could literally get their fix anywhere! Many international beauty brands are readily accessible in Singapore, and we have our lucky stars to thank for!

In Milan, do what the Milanos do.

KIKO Milano is a home brand that the Italians are extremely proud of - your gorgeous Milan baes own at least one makeup item from this brand. This popular beauty brand falls somewhere between mid-range and drugstore prices...I should say, mid-range quality makeup at drugstore prices, fitted with a boutique shopping experience! Fantastico!

Armani Beauty isn't much cheaper in Milan than at Shilla Duty Free Singapore , so I suggest making your purchases from Changi Airport departure hall before you fly out, if you can find the shades you want. Otherwise, better luck in Milan!

Food

I don't think I can contribute a lot in this section. I had little time in Milan to hunt for food, so whatever convenient for us worked. Italians are great connoisseurs and chefs, so don't worry about having to eat poor-tasting food. I have never had a single substandard meal for all my trips to different parts of Italy.

Even the seemingly "tourist traps" are not bad at all! I enjoyed the food there, but of course the prices are on the higher side, since it is at the heart of the city.

This is an awesome lobster pasta meal I had at a "crew joint", La Locanda (they offer discounts and freebies to Singapore Airlines crew). It has a cute story behind it - SQ crew refer the name of this sauce as "Hello Kitty" sauce. 

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My Personal Updates

le happy Faithy adopted a pet bunny! More on the upcoming next post.

Fresh coat of Caramel Ash ombre hair color for Fall '17.

Welcoming yet another stylist to the Hair Flamingo Studio family, Ryota!

Ryota-san, or we can just simply addess him as Ryo, is no newbie when it comes to providing excellent hair services. He has many years of experience and he was previously with a famous Japanese salon in Singapore, CLEO HAIR & MAKE. I was ecstatic to be able to get my hair done by him because I know how good he is. Prior to this new haircut & colour, my hair was in an awful shape with black roots regrowth and a pletora of insane colours splashed at my hair ends.

PROMO!! Hurry and book Ryo for your hair appointment! He's always booked so reservations are a must! Quote my name for 20% discount on set menu services! (I have said this million times but you really gotta try their hair treatment which is part of a set menu.)

Website: https://www.hairstudioflamingo.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hairstudioflamingo/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hairstudioflamingo/?hl=en

Nails done by Ye Ni from Etude House Singapore, Vivo City. 

Lash Extensions by La Reine de beaute.

(Quote my names at these places for discounts!)

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Thank you for reading this lengthy blog post, my lovelies! You guys have been so supportive throughout my blogging journey. Can't wait to squeeze out more time to share more about my life, travelogues, good deals, beauty reviews, etc. Sometimes I do get 'writer's block'. Maybe let me hear more from you on what you'd like to read next?

FYI, I am travelling to Perth, WA. in mid September for a week. Leave a comment down below if have any good recommendations to make my stay less boring!

Ready for summer holiday with Gaston Luga Backpack

Sponsored

Being a serial wanderluster, a functional yet stylish backpack is a godsend. However, practicality and style hardly goes together...at least not for backpacks. Right? That's what most people would think.

Not after I met Gaston Luga.

Gaston Luga is a Swedish label which showcases an array of Scandinavian minimalist backpacks made for the trendy traveller who doesn't wish to lose that touch of elegance.

http://gastonluga.com/sg/

Gaston Luga is not the actual name of the designer - Carl Sundqvist is. The story behind the very first Gaston Luga backpack is really interesting - you'd never expect it was remade from a Louis Vuitton! Read more HERE.

My Style Pick: GASTON LUGA Pråper Pink

Comes with a dustbag

Created from leather and high quality cotton, Gaston Luga backpacks come in different styles, sizes and colours. Functional features such as a pocket specially designed for things needed to be easily accessible yet kept safe (i.e. passport, cash) are also details that make the backpacks extremely practical. In addition, leather address tags for the backpacks are also available in 10 different colours, so you can mix & match to complete your unique backpack.

Here are some closeup details of my Pråper Pink..

 This is where you can secretly stash some cash, hidden from the public eye while travelling. Safety uncompromised!

There are two compartments inside - one for laptop, another one to fit 

a passport, air tickets, keys or other small important items.

 Very tough and high quality parts of the bag.

 Adore the gold details coupled with the pink colour! Flawless combi.

  

I couldn't wait for my next overseas trip to use it, so I took my Gaston Luga out to a date by the jetty! Perfect place to chill & do some work.

 The pantone sunset almost matches my backpack! Haha!

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FAITHY's READER DISCOUNT CODE: <fvtable15>

Prices you see on http://gastonluga.com is NOT final. If you're a Singapore shopper, you can enjoy:

• FREE DHL SHIPPING TO SINGAPORE (Reached me within 2 days!)
• 20% off as tax rebate (from non-EU country) 
• 15% off with my unique code "fvtable15"

My Pråper Pink reflects as SGD319 on the site; but in reality, it only costs SGD216.92!

(A whooping $102.08 deduction if you're shipping your backpack to Singapore and if you USE MY CODE!)

Happy Shopping, lovelies! Travel the world, looking happy & pretty! 

New York Travelogue and Travel Tips, From a Singaporean Perspective

Spring 2017 has arrived.

But the beautiful snowy Winter scenery of New York City has yet to fade in my memory....

Just want to share some tips on travelling in New York before I totally lose the momentum of blogging about this trip. Sorry folks for the delayed post - it is already Spring season now; hopefully when you get to travel to New York next Fall, this can come in handy. In fact, what I share will probably be universally useful, no matter which season you decide to visit the Big Apple. Also, I can't seem to find much informative, comprehensive, right-from-the-heart personal sort of travel blog posts about New York, especially by Singaporeans!

Please click HERE for printable full copy of my personal travel notes for NYC.  Do keep in mind it is far from a professional itinerary - just some very real, raw (read: messy) notes that I refer to while in NYC.

MY TRAVEL NOTES

I spent about 6 nights in New York, and 2 days of being 36000 feet up in the air.

Flights from Singapore to New York are horrendously long, especially when there is a transit stop, like my flight (Total flight time inclusive of transit = 24 hours. Zomg). My flight was as usual, by Singapore Airlines (SQ26), with a stopover at Frankfurt. You can choose to stay overnight at Frankfurt hotels before embarking on your NYC adventure... unlike us; but too bad we did not have the luxury of extended annual leave.

Anyways, whilst in NYC, most of the time I stuck around Manhattan and the furthest I went was Brooklyn and Bronx. No time to explore out of NYC definitely; not even a day to visit Long Island.

Accommodation: Times Square, Hilton Hotel

As you probably know me by now,  the words I'd normally use to describe my preferred mode of travel are "safe", "comfortable", "travel-in-style" and "touristy"...perhaps sometimes borderline "luxury". I don't do backpacking; nor am I super adventurous. So yep, I stayed at a boring Hilton chain hotel...which is NOT AT ALL boring to me. In fact, calling the heart of the forever-vibrant Times Square your home for 6 nights is nowhere near boring.

 

Check out my view from the hotel room! 

I was put up at a room on level 36, I think. New York City is the King of Urban Jungles worldwide - no other city does skyscrapers like NYC! Hence, whichever hotel you stay, I bet you get a view not too far from mine.

Some traveller once commented on a TripAdvisor: "Don't go to New York for Applebee's, unless your home doesn't have one." Well, embarrassed to say this...but yeah, Applebee's has yet to grace the sunny shores of Singapore, so Applebee's I shall devour!! Can't help when my choice of residence is just right next to the said restaurant!

Weather: -10 degree celcius to 5 degree celcius. Rain, Snow, Wind all present.

Attire: FULL WINTER GEAR with inner wear designed for subzero degree weather!

Cutest photobomb ever!
 

We met with a snow storm which killed several people in a night! It was on the news. We didn't even know it was that dire, and just continued with our travel plans. How adventurous (when I was just saying how safety-conscious we were! LOL)!!

SAFETY TIP: Please check the weather forecast EVERY MORNING before you head out during deep winter in January! Stay indoors during the storm!

FOOD : CHEAP EATS

My travel partner is not into fine dining, so we mostly ate meals that cost below SGD40 for each person.

Five Guys

Highly rated on Trip Advisor, and conveniently located at Times Square - we couldn't resist. The shakes are the best I have tasted! Can't say the same for the fries & burger though. You probably knew - as Singaporeans/Asians, I highly suggest you buy a set meal to share with another travel buddy. Maybe add another side dish such as a salad, if you still feel hungry after sharing. Portions are HUGE. #dontsayIneverwarnyou

Applebee's

I have no idea why the angmohs seem to think lightly of this eating place; my partner & I see it as an excellent representation of a good ol' American diner - and I don't say this in jest. Personally, I feel it is a local eating experience I won't skip out. Maybe the locals gotten a bit sick of it already, but to the rest of us who don't get the luxury of Applebee's back at home- their local breakfast tasted delish!

Random food court next to a bus stop

Apologies I can't recall its name! It is located along Times Square as well, where the tour buses stop at. These are quick bites and they taste mediocre, so I won't recommend unless you are in a rush & wanna speedily fight off hunger pangs. Mac & Cheese is a typically safe pick though.

Ho Yip Chinese Restaurant

We love Chinese Food!! Only when we are in western countries. LOL. During overseas trips, we always miss our daily white rice intake, like many typical Chinese Singaporeans. For you who also share the same sentiment, do head over to Ho Yip if you're near FiDi (NYC Financial District). It is just across the 9/11 Tribute Center, and it serves a mean stir-fry dish! With white rice...of course!

Mandoo Bar (NOT RECOMMENDED!)

We initially wanted to dine at BCD Tofu House. However, we deviated and settled at Mandoo Bar due to the long waiting line at BCD. Mistake of our lives!Mandoo Bar, despite being manned by Koreans, taste nowhere near authentic. Their banchan were some weird fusion of western salad with dunno-what-Asian-tastesauce. Their mandoo are the main selling point which I did not order, so I could have missed out the good dish? But honestly... I'd say: Just hop to another Korean food joint along that street (KoreaTown) - you shouldn't meet any joint which has worse Korean food than this. 

   

White Oak Tavern

This is by far my most local dining/bar experience in my most favourite part of Manhattan - Greenwich Village! As told by a travel guide, Greenwich Village showcases the best residential area of NYC (In his exact words: ... represents New York at its best). Perhaps resembling Bukit Timah or Tanglin area of Singapore?

This tavern really feels like an upclass, old-fashion cosy American bar where many chic Manhattanites spent their weekend evenings at. Lovely ambience + great food & wine! This was my safe haven for hours during the snow storm that fateful night!

 

Red Lobster

While some may view this restaurant as another tourist trap, I personally adored the seafood here. Fish & prawns were fresh and portion were just nice. Complimentary (free-flow of) tasty biscuits! Didn't try the lobsters but they looked palatable from what I saw at other tables. 

Union Square Green Market
Opens only on: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, & Saturdays, 8am-6pm

Unfortunately, due to bad weather, when I arrived on a Saturday noon, many stalls were either not opened or about to close. But I think this farmers' market will be an interesting spot for some local grocery shopping!

Since we have not had breakfast, we hurriedly adjourned to a nearby supermarket. To my surprise, the food variants were fresh, warm and very tasty! It's pay-by-weight basis so you pay according to how much you picked up. This was the cheapest meal we've had in NYC - less than USD10 for an enormous heap of buffet-style food!

Eataly

We incidentally chanced upon Eataly while shopping at Westfield World Trade Center, and recalled one of our tour guides casually mentioned this is the hot spot for authentic Italian pasta. We have already had dinner so we only went in to do some grocery shopping. A wide array of Italian raw foods, fresh pastries & imported dry stock are also available, apart from its dine-in F&B selections.

 

 Gorgeous, vibrant, colourful blooms at a reasonable price!

 Not to mention some queer yet beautiful raw veggies.

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Brooklyn Pizza : Which to go for?

Everyone will tell you - you can't leave Brooklyn without tasting a slice of pizza! It is the best in the world!

Grimaldi's Pizzeria and Juliana's Pizza have been at odds for the longest time. And it has also caused quite the confusion for first-time visitors to Brooklyn. The world renowned pizza was originally made famous by Grimaldi, but from what I know, the management with the original recipes have moved to Juliana's, so the original-tasting pizza right now is at Juliana's.

Harsh weather conditions led us to opt for the one with a shorter queue - which in this case, obviously it was Grimaldi. Had my huge serving of pizza as shown below (that's their smallest size, mind you!) with my selected ingredients. Yes, you get to pick your favourite toppings and they will bake fresh from the oven for every customer. Therefore, be prepared to wait - even in the less popular joint, Grimaldi.

Honestly, I think Grimaldi's piaza tastes superb! I don't quite believe Juliana's standards will be any much higher...or should I say, worth my battling the freezing (-10 deg) winter weather for 30 minutes. Nah, next please.

Attractions To Visit

This segment is highly debatable. What attracts you may not attract me, and vice versa. If you are already researching this far into your New York trip, I believe you roughly have an idea which attractions are a "must-go" for you. On the other hand, in the event where you totally have no clue...you can reference the places I went to (besides Times Square which is also a MUST-VISIT):

1. Empire State Building

I paid & went up to the conservatory deck. I wouldn't list this as a must-do; but I think you should at least go up to one of the decks (either Empire State Building or Rockefeller Centre) to have a bird's eye view of this amazing urban jungle. You won't regret it, because there is NO other city in the world that looks the same as New York City.

View from the top

2. Grand Central Station (FREE)

Countless movies have filmed Grand Central Station as part of their background narrative - and I could totally see the charm after an actual visit to the station! Perfect OOTD spot. And recharge your Apple devices FOC at the huge Apple store there!

3. Rockerfeller Center (FREE)

Only recommend to visit during Christmas season. With a plethora of events lined up every other day during the festive season, you can't miss out the fun (and of course the huge Christmas tree and skating rink)!

Photo credit: timeout.com

4. Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park (FREE)

This is not a typical tourist attraction, but if you want to see & have a feel of the real New Yorkers' lifestyle, it is awesome to include this spot into your itinerary. White Oak Tavern is near, so remember to pop by.

5. Central Park + Metropolitan Museum of Art (PAY-ANY-AMOUNT-YOU-WISH)

Central Park is a gigantic, endless stretch you CANNOT hope to cover every bit of the "park" in one day - possibly not even in one week!  

TIP: Research on their official website prior to heading to Central Park! Pick a few sections where you're really keen to explore. If you're near The MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art), GET INSIDE!

I also  visited Gilded New York | Museum of the City of New York because my sightseeing tour package includes a free entry. I don't recommend it unless you're the unconventional artsy & cultural type who enjoys history + unusual & quirky exhibits. OR if you are a fan of Tiffany & Co (Tiffany & Co. Foundation Gallery can be found here).   

Tip on Etiquette:  R-rated gay exhibits may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you do drop by, kindly respect the guests and The Museum by being sensitive with your verbal comments.

I felt that I learnt more about New York & its history here than other museums/attractions I been to! If you've been to the UK, then you may think that this Glided New York is something very different from Brit Museums.

 6. Statue of Liberty + Battery Park

Statue of Liberty is a symbolic monument of the city, and a must-visit for many first-timers to NYC, but not so for me. I personally feel statues/monuments can be a hype. Although I must say Lady Liberty looks truly grandiose and is located in this unique vicinity named "Staten Island" - a little island by itself where a number of New Yorkers reside at; and do their daily commute to the main island (Manhattan) by ferry. Staten Island has got quite a rich history as well.

Due to time constraints, I chose to forgo the ferry ride and only view it from afar - at Battery Park, the nearest place to view the Lady without hopping onto a ferry.

TIP: FREE ferry rides by Staten Island Ferry. There are many tour operators which throw in ferry rides to/around Staten Island; but they are not entirely free as they comes in a paid sightseeing package. Staten Island Ferry is the only 100% free service in NYC. Do make use of this service!

OTHER USEFUL NEW YORK TRAVEL TIPS:

• Buy a 7-Day MetroCard (USD31). NYC subway operates 24 hours every day and it's the cheapest & the fastest way to get around everywhere, in four of the five boroughs of New York City.
• Airport transfer by taxi costs about SGD70-80 one way (tax-inclusive). Try to bargain but be ready to face some unhappiness with the drivers. Remember to obtain your queue tickets from the airport staff before joining the line.
• WIFI: Free wifi are readily available at cafes, malls & hotel lobbies. To own a prepaid SIM card, go downtown (not at the airport please!) and visit T-Mobile - the staff are young, professional & rather honest fellas who can recommend you the best plan suited to your needs. Purchased my one month's worth of unlimited mobile data at only USD30.00.
• Ask for FREE tap water when dining in cafes, instead of ordering mineral water.
• Catch a broadway show if you have time. Discounted tickets can be purchased through this website: https://theskint.com/half-price-tickets
• Plan ahead - check out Groupon NY site and sign up for discounted activities, events and enjoy like a local!
• Tourist bus tours are quite unnecessary, unless you really enjoy riding on tour buses (which I secretly do, actually). And if you must join a tour, you may refer to the one I signed up for at City Sights NY.
• SAFETY: Manhattan is relatively safe even at crowded tourists spots, but try to avoid North Harlem & North Eastern Harlem. Costco is located in North Eastern Harlem - this may be a pull factor for cheap shopping finds, but I'd say - AVOID if you're a solo traveller or if you look foreign to the mostly black locals (Meaning: if you're an Asian, a wealthy-looking white, etc., AVOID HARLEM) Refer to Manhattan safety map by Google HERE.
• Email me to see the rest of my travel notes, which include malls for cheap bargains, luxury goods, makeup and so on! If many of you email me, I will then create a download link for public use.

 Didn't get to enter The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum - will do so next time!

9/11 Memorial. 

A must-visit for me on a personal note... this tragic incident was the turning point of my life & my religious faith (points to the history of how I got my name "Faith"), but that's a story for another time.

 Little Italy 

No time to explore this little town on my trip! But it looks intriguing to me and I'd love to see how similar or different it is to the real Italy that I had been to.

Good bye Brooklyn & NYC! Till we meet again!

If you've enjoyed this post, hop over & read my London Travelogue, Brugges Travelogue , Faithy's Travel Lookbook and my review on one of San Francisco's best seaside diners!

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Thank you lovelies for reading! Let me know if you'll like to see more of such travel posts? I know my London post garnered quite a bit of attention. Leave me a comment below or email me if you want more information on any destination you know I've been to. I'd be glad to oblige! Till then, safe travels & happy days!