Eataly Rome

Last week while reading one of my favorite blogs I thought I had a vision, I read that a new Eataly branch was gonna open in Rome... As you have read in a previous post, I'm an Eataly lover.
So I double-checked and yes, it was true, on June 21 (just a day before my visit, if that's not destiny, then I don't know what is) Eataly opened its doors in the huge Air Terminal Ostiense, a horrible (not so much anymore) building left unfinished, like many Italian constructions, since the World Cup in 1990. So it was our first stop, we managed to get a cheap room in a hotel in the area - more on that on another post - and we were there in no time.

Eataly Rome

Saturday lunch

I love Saturdays! Every Saturday I wake up with a big smile on my face (when I'm not hungover - those mornings I wake up with a pout) because I know the weekend is starting. Sometimes, as you know, we go to the fish and fruit market in Piazzale Lagosta (Isola) to get our goodies, from that moment on, our tiny kitchen becomes an atelier, while G cooks the fish and tastes drinks the wine, I start setting the table, preparing salads, dressings, sauces, etc. to make our dish special.
You have already seen my tuna recipe, but this time we made some slight variations (like the black sesame seeds we got in Dubai) and we took better photos, so here it is for you:

All roads lead to Rome

Hey there!
While you read this I'll probably be on my way to Rome, where we'll be spending this super-hot summer weekend, playing with our new camera, enjoying the views and surely eating some delicious food :)
Here's the look I'll be wearing on my Roman Saturday:



Promise I'll bring back lots of photos!
xoxo
M.

California Bakery - Milan

Blueberry cheesecake

A few years ago, when I had just moved to Milan, wandering through its then unknown streets, I found America, I mean, the US in Milan. I entered California Bakery's (first) Viale Premuda branch, a small place with some baskets hanging from the roof, wooden floors and a familiar atmosphere: american.

Not First, not Economy: Premium Economy

**UPDATE: Think twice before you book through Air France's call center, especially the Italian one, they still have trouble understanding what is Premium Voyageur...

Since first class plane tickets are super expensive, I always fly economy. I have a discrete experience in choosing the best airline (according to my needs and preferences) for the trip I'm taking: best entertainment on board, best food, comfortable seats, etc.

On my last long-haul flight, I experienced AirFrance's Premium Voyageur class, a service available on long-haul flights which offers additional leg room (+20%), more comfortable seats, individual screens and the possibility to board the plane right after those lucky bastards of the first class. 

I had never paid much attention to all these things but now that I've tried Premium Voyageur I never want to go back to economy!

The extra fee for a single route -on Air France-, per person, is between 50 and 80 euro (to be added to your economy fare). This class is available on most Boeing 777s, 747s and will be gradually extended to other long-haul flights.

location of Premium Voyageur seats on a B 747 (upper deck) *

Seats *

Other companies are also getting this lass on their long-haul flights, like Delta's Economy Comfort, British Airways' World Traveller Plus, Virgin Atlantic's Premium Economy and many more.

On this website (http://www.seatguru.com/charts/premium_economy.php) you can find a comparison chart on the services each airline offers for this class).

* All images are taken from Airfrance's website.

100

We are celebrating the 100th post!

Thanks again for joining, reading and sticking with me!

“The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes, in seeing the universe with the eyes of another, of hundreds of others, in seeing the hundreds of universes that each of them sees.” -M.Proust

Happy expats

Have you ever wondered if you are a happy expat, if you are, which strategies did you use to become one, if not, what do you think is preventing you from becoming one? This 7 habits come from the Global Coach Center, a website for expatriate and cross-cultural crossing, after having followed many clients they came out with a list of seven habits that affect the happiness levels of expats:

Emilia Romagna

As you may know, the past weeks have been terrible for the population in Emilia Romagna, a region in Central Italy struggling with endless earthquakes since May 20. There have been a couple of those that were above 5 degrees Richter and caused lots of damage and unfortunately, victims (26). 
I come from a place (Mexico City) in which you learn to live with earthquakes (and pretty strong ones) and fortunately, after the davastating earthquake in 1985 which destroyed the city and caused thousands of victims, it seems that we have learnt to build our houses and monuments the right way so even strong earthquakes over 6 degrees Richter leave us only with minor (if none) damage.
In Italy all this is hard to do, we are talking about monuments that are hundreds of years old and they are the first to suffer damages. But what makes us really angry right now is that other very recent buildings (including factories) were damaged because apparently they were built with no respect of the rules regarding earthquakes... There are investigations undergoing and we really hope they find the guilty ones and they can move on.
I read the following editorial from an Italian newspaper called "Il Resto del Carlino" and found it beautiful, here's the original plus my free translation:

The quest for the perfect swimsuit

Summer is already here and I don't know about you but I'm really looking forward to spending some time at the beach (or even by the pool!) so let the quest for the perfect swimsuit begin!
When I was younger, I never had any issues when looking for a swimsuit but now that the signs of too much eating and no exercise start to show, I think I'll let my bikinis in the drawer and settle for a more covering model...
Since I know I'm not the only one having some issues with swimwear, here's a guide I made:

A) Pear shape: avoid skirted bottoms, they'll make your lower part look bigger. Go for fold-over bottoms to slim your bottom and full coverage tops to compensate the upper part.
B) Flat chest: Avoid bandeau tops, they flatten your chest even more. If you want bandeau you might want to try a ruffled one to add volume. Pair it with a bottom with strings on the sides to improve your hips.
C) Large chest: Avoid triangle bikinis which would only make your chest look bigger. Try instead an underwired halter top with fuller coverage.
D) Tummy: Avoid bulky swimsuits, they'll maker your body look big and shapeless. Go for ruches in the sides to slim your shape, and try a nice plungy neckline to take away attention from your tummy.

And the golden rule: choose a swimsuit in which you feel comfortable!

Enjoy your summer and wear sunscreen!

The brain of a Blogger

Hi there!
I just had to share with you this great Infograph (you know how much I like these things) from Infolinks about the brain of a blogger. Do you recognize yourself in it? I do! Creating and keeping a blog (especially trying to keep it cool and interesting) is really hard, also when, as in my case, you don't have a lot of knowledge about blogger, html codes, widgets, etc. but it's a great hobby, so, here's an infograph of what's going on in my head:

Here are the enlargements that you can use as a step by step guide to blogging:

Asparagus

The weather in Milan has had us thinking that it's already summer but let's not forget we are still in spring. And what better way to remember than eating season's veggies!
Take asparagus, they are poor in calories and loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of folic acid, vitamin A, B vitamins and vitamin C.They are also a fair source of calcium and fiber. They are also used in natural medicine to control some stomach affections, clean the liver, lungs and intestines of toxins. Apart from their depurative effects, they also have a protecting action of the arteries. Consumed regularly, they prevent the development of arteriosclerosis and clean the blood. 


So here are 3 easy recipes with asparagus as the main ingredient:

Mexico lindo y querido

He upon whose heart the dust of Mexico has lain will find no peace in any other land.
—Malcolm Lowry in Under the Volcano

A year ago I started this blog (time flies!), and since then I've been trying to write a post about my country, the thing is, nothing feels satisfying when I'm trying to describe it. I left Mexico almost 12 years ago and although I've kept visiting at least once every two years it has changed so much that I'm begining to wonder if I've lost the words in the change. I was very happy growing up in Mexico City, but when I discovered Italy and fell in love with it I moved here without even really thinking about it. But everytime I go back I enjoy it, the food, the people, the weather, the culture and of course the family and friends, everything keeps welcoming me in the warmest of ways.
Now that I come to think of it, I don't have any pictures of Mexico City but here are some of one of the most beautiful places on earth: the Mayan Riviera.

Tulum