Pumpkin risotto

You know how much I love risotto, so when this season comes, I can't avoid getting some pumpkin chunks and making a nice risotto.

Lady Dior as seen by

One of the most famous handbags ever, the Lady Dior was created in 1995. Princess Diana got it as a gift from the French first lady while she was visiting Paris. It became Diana's favorite and, therefore, women in the world's favorite. It has become an iconic accessory and a symbol of timeless style and class. So of course it had to inspire the greatest artists of our times: David Lynch, John Cameron Mitchell, Patrick Demarchelier, Arne Quinze, Wen Fang, Maarten Baas, Olympia Scarry, Recycle Group, Luca Trevisani, Vedovamazzei, and Alessandro Carano and Davide Stucchi. At the Triennale there are more than 70 art pieces on display, each of which honours in its own way this iconic bag.

And while I'm saving to buy my own Lady Dior (it might take me a couple of years), I just had to visit the exhibition!

Sunday in Hangar Bicocca

So, it's Sunday again in Milan and you don't have any plans?
Get up and take the train or the tram (the new Metro line 5 will be opening soon) and visit Bicocca, the quarter in northern Milan that used to be the old Pirelli factory area.
To get there: Get on the train to Chiasso (Switzerland) from Porta Garibaldi station and get off after just 5 minutes in Greco Pirelli station. Or take the subway (red line to Precotto or yellow line to Zara) and then tram number 7.
A short walk up north through the quarter's modern buildings (the University, Arcimboldi theater, Deutsche Bank and Siemens headquarters, etc.) will bring you to the Hangar Bicocca.

Snapshots of Düsseldorf

if you remember my last year's trip to Cologne then you remember my discovery of Kölsch bier, the fresh and drinkable beer typical from Cologne. Well, there's a bit of rivalry between Cologne and Düsseldorf to see who has the best beer and, please D'dorfers, don't be mad at me, but as a girl, not-beer drinker, I prefer Cologne's kölsch... Altbier, the beer from Düsseldorf is a bit too strong for my uneducated beer taste (hey, I warned you, you know I love the girly Belgian cherry beer), but that didn't stop me from tasting the Frankenheimer Alt, which is sold at the characteristic Zum Schiffchen brewery and the Schlussen Alt, served at Zum Schlussen brewery, both in the Altstadt.

As you may have read, Düsseldorf is also called the largest bar in the world because of its hundreds of bars. Well, I might be getting old but it's such a mess! I wasn't expecting this mass of beer drinkers all over the old town! I didn't enjoy the over-crowded breweries, but I did enjoy the hearty, big portions of the food (German breweries are the only places that succeed in making me leave something on my plate) and the market we found on the Rhein promenade.

Anyhow, here are some pictures of Dusseldorf, its Media harbor new buildings (some by Frank Gehry, my architect crush), monuments and the beautiful views we enjoyed. Can't wait to go back!

Gehry buidings in Media Harbor (Rhein tower in the back)

Media Harbor

My favorite

Love the forms

Traditional buildings facing the Rhein

Rhein promenade

in case the dogs get thirsty :)

Seems like a Pöggeler statue, right?

lovely to find Leopardi's quotes here

D'dorf's town hall

Cartwheelers' Fountain

The river Düssel, which gave the city its name

City Monument

Königsallee or "Kö", the shopping street

Düsseldorf skyline

More statues... now in Milan

Talking about statues by contemporary artists... Guess what I found this afternoon while walking around Milan's downtown? More statues!