Ca' Grande, Milan

Advantages: Vibrant, cosmopolitan city and stunningly beautiful lakes
Disadvantages: Pricey, dirty and plagued by annoying gypsies

...toilets in Italian cities are virtually non-existent. The Galleria houses a series of bookshops and also various smart cafes and restaurants, the one exception being a branch of Macdonald’s. I would avoid the smart restaurants but I did sitting outside a café with a cappuccino and an ice cream just relaxing and watching the world go by. The other main shopping areas are Via Torino and Via Dante, which come off the main city square. The shops here are generally more ‘normal’ than the ones on the smart streets near the cathedral. The best priced clothes shop is ‘Standa’, which is the equivalent of our own M&S, but is probably more closely related in style to the now defunct C&A. It isn’t easy to find restaurants in central Milan. The few that are there are either very posh or very ordinary ‘self service’ types. The latter... Read review

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Advantages: plenty to do and see
Disadvantages: crowded polluted noisy dirty

...In 1984 I decided to see a bit of italy and get a job nannying out there. I ended up working for a lovely milanese family with 4 children,ranging from 4 mths,to 9yrs. who lived in a street called Via Lazorrotti.By summer we visited the mother of my boss-the countess of naples,no less, for the obligatory 6 week summer holidays!(That was fascinating,and would take another op just to describe her extensive villa,dungeon jewels/artefacts and her lovely ordinary friendly nature.) If you have ever been to Milan,then you would know how busy,lively,crowded and noisy it is.I find it similar to London,smog-wise,and in summer the temperatures soar into the hundreds,and it is very,very humid.(not my favourite summer time place!) I used to soak myself in the little half tubs they use out there at least three times a day because of perspiration... Read review

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Advantages: Romantic Destination for City break
Disadvantages: Can be Cold in Winter, as surrounded by water, Can be Smelly in summer.

...The Hotel Ca' Amadi was the perfect choice to take my girlfriend to propose to her. As she was already expecting me to do it, i thought that I would do the romantic thing and take her somewhere special I decided on Italy & Venice. Finding cheap filghts wasnt a problem, I booked flights from East midlands airport for £24 return flights each, bargain, I then set about finding the ideal hotel in my budget. I found that all of the well known venice hotels were expensive, for ultimately an impersonal standand room that could be in any city in the world. Using a website Veniceby.com I found a hotel that I thought would be way off my budget, the Hotel Ca' Amadi. I knew I had made the right decision when my now fiancee burst out crying in amazement as we entered the suite I had been upgraded to. The hotel Ca' Amadi offered... Read review

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