Air Travel

Here's my ideal air travel outfit, the secret is to be comfortable but also fashionable!
And don't forget to drink liters and liters of water and use loads of moisturizer!
Enjoy the flight!

Early bird

As any respectable traveler (I consider myself one), I have already booked, last month, my holidays for the summer. I believe in the "early bird catches the worm" saying, I prefer to book my travels well in advance in order to have more time to do research and prepare every aspect of my trip.
Want to know where I'm going? Here's a hint:

Milan's Design Week report

So, finally the sun came back to Milan last weekend, and the timing couldn't have been better, the weekend of the Fuorisalone (that's Milan Design Week in case you missed my last post)!
Anyhow, after a looong walk from downtown we got to Tortona area at lunch time, what better way to start our tour than a good tuna salad bagel from California Bakery's new location in Via Tortona 28. A street cart was giving away RedBulls so we had one which "gave us wings" to start :)

New Nespresso machines

First stop, Nespresso space, there was a light instalment on walls made of Nespresso capsules which was nothing special, then coffee tasting (more caffeine for our bodies! we might have gone a bit Cornholio!) and presentation of the new coffee machines which looked fantastic (retro design).

Milan Fuorisalone 2012

I love this time of the year in Milan (although the weather has been shitty lately), when the FuoriSalone comes and we all wander in the streets of the city looking for a special piece of design or, if we want to be totally honest, a free drink :)
The atmosphere in Milan these days (from April 17 to April 22) is great: people everywhere, design, parties, international mood, etc. The FuoriSalone is an event that takes place every year together with the Salone del Mobile (Milan's furniture fair - Design fair), as its name says FuoriSalone means 'out of the fair', so all over the city, the exhibition halls, art galleries and shops put out their best pieces (or borrow from others) so that people can have a look at the newest trends in interior and exterior design. The main areas/quarters of the Fuorisalone are: Tortona, Brera, Downtown, Porta Romana, Isola and Lambrate.
On the past editions I've been to gardens, shops, rooftops, old factories and lots of strange places and found really special pieces (which I could only look at, prices are so high), but still, it's nice to walk around the city inmersed in the cool atmosphere. This year I'll try to fight the horrible rain and cold and try to take some pictures, wish me luck! In the meantime, here are some photos from past editions, don't forget to check the official website of the Fuorisalone (www.fuorisalone.it) to find out about all the cool events!

Fuorisalone.it website

Kaneka light installment - 2011

Absolut mural - 2010

Kartell's garden furniture - 2010

Oh, I almost forgot! COS is finally opening a store in Milan, so what better occasion to open than the Fuorisalone?

from COS' Facebook page

App watch: Foodspotting

Any respectable foodie must have this app, especially a traveling foodie.

Foodspotting is social networking applied to food, its motto is "Food is meant to be shared" and so, instead of recommending restaurants to your contacts, why not share and recommend also the dishes you tasted?
When I'm looking for a new restaurant, I want to know how the dishes look, how big (or ridiculously small) the portions are, especially while traveling to new places where you don't know how the local specialties look like.


Foodspotting was a great discovery and it's so simple to use: you just have to take a photo of your dish, upload it to foodspotting and share it (including hashtags to make it easier to find, like #pasta or #gelato). It is also integrated with Instagram.

So, if you are in a new place or feel like trying a new restaurant, log in to your mobile app (both Android and Apple) and browse the dishes of the restaurants near you, you'll surely find something delicious!
You can follow my findings on Foodspotting at: http://www.foodspotting.com/tfoodie

Pentolaccia time!

If you ever happen to be in Le Marche (maybe shopping around the outlets and shoe factories), you must stop by Civitanova Marche, a town in the Adriatic, famous also for its shoe market which takes place on Saturdays in the main square and neighboring streets. The shoes you find there are very good quality because some of them come directly from the factories in the area and the prices are also good!

But the main purpose to come to Civitanova Marche is to have a pentolaccia. What? Pentolaccia is a delicious seafood dish that consists in mixing different kinds of shellfish (mussels, clams, oysters), shrimps, squids, crabs, etc. with handmade pasta and a delicate tomato sauce (optional).
The best place I have eaten it at is called L'Oasi and it is located in the southern promenade of the town (lungomare sud), it's right by the sea, they also have sunbeds and umbrellas in the beach during the summer. The atmosphere of the place is relaxed, it has windows overlooking the beach, air conditioning and friendly service.

Circolo dei lettori - Turin

For my birthday (which we celebrated in Turin) I decided I wanted a nice candlelit dinner. After some research I chose the 'Circolo dei Lettori' restaurant, located inside the Reader's Club (Circolo dei Lettori) in the Palazzo Graneri della Roccia, a beautiful building from the late 1700's in the centre of the city (near the Egyptian museum). The club was the first public space dedicated to Italian readers. A place to read and listen to others read. It hosts many cultural events, courses and an e-library, among other things.

Reds: Pinot Noir (Südtirol)

"I'm not drinking any f %*#ing Merlot!!!" - Sideways (2004)


What an amazing quote! I should get a t-shirt with it! For all of you who saw this great movie (and who have read the follow-up novel, Vertical), there's no need to explain Miles' hate for Merlot and adoration for Pinot Noir, but for the rest of you, I'll try to explain:


Pinot Noir is also called "the king of wines", why? because it is sooo good (that's my explanation, but you might want to look for other, more scientific ones). Anyhow, this grape grows all over the world but it is very difficult to find the right place with the right temperature, and when you find it, and when the wine is well produced, you'll understand why it's called the king of wines.
Some of the difficulties when producing Pinot Noir are: the vines are unstable so they can produce a fruit with a completely different aroma and flavor than the one of the parent vine; it is also very sensitive of the spring frosts (even if it resists cold climates quite well); bugs that can destroy the whole vine; its leaves are not enough to protect the fruit from the birds which can damage them; the presence of a high number of aminoacids make it especially difficult to ferment in a smooth way (this process is very violent in a Pinot Noir); difficult color retention; etc.
Some places where you can find Pinot Noir include:
- Burgundy region, France (but also in the Champagne area, Sancerre and Alsace)
- Australia and New Zealand
- Austria and Germany (where it's called Blauburgunder or Spätburgunder) 
- Canada and USA (California and Oregon)
- Italy, obviously (mainly in the South Tyrol in Trentino and in the Oltrepò Pavese region, south of Milan)
The one I'll be writing about is the one from the Südtirol, which is one of my favorite wines.

Eataly: Paradise

A couple of years ago, on a cold winter evening in Turin we discovered paradise, well, foodies' paradise. 

It's called Eataly and you have probably heard from its branches in New York, Japan and several locations around Italy.

Eataly is a supermarket for quality foods, wine and beer. It brings together farmers, fishermen, butchers, bakers, beermakers, winemakers and cheesemakers who produce quality products.

Eataly Lingotto

Principi di Piemonte - Turin

To celebrate my birthday we chose to spend a weekend in Turin, a city we like a lot, because it's just an hour train ride from Milan (AV train, the fast one) but also because of its delicious food.

We booked a room at the 5-star hotel Principi di Piemonte, which seems to be the best hotel in the centre of Turin... Well, it is in the center, just off Via Roma, where all the nice shops are and a 5-minute walk from Porta Nuova train station, but I wouldn't give it 5 stars.