Happy Hour Milano Style - Pasticceria Clivati

One of my favorite places for Happy Hour in Milan is definitely Pasticceria Clivati on Via Coni Zugna, 57. This quaint and delightful mom and pop pastry stop is a must on the walk along the tramway towards the Zona Navigli area of Milan.

Happy Hours in Milan are varied and popular but this one takes the 'cake'!

I was able to share my favorite pre dinner drink, the Spritz, with 6 of my fellow ( or women ) crewmembers and an large assortment of nibbly treats! Since the owners recognize me there I always ask them to bring out something special! We were sampling peperoncino savory shortbread ( click link for recipe! ), marcona almonds, tuna cream toasts and fresh foccacias and puff pastries filled with olives and ham. Many other appetizers adorned the bar such as nuts, chips and olives and the price is definitely right: 5 € for each drink with the yummies included! Not to be missed!

Snow in Rome!

For the first time in 25 years, snow fell on Rome. I only captured this image on the way to the city center from the airport. I had hoped to capture images of snow on the palm trees but we arrived once this fleeting experience was melting away...I can't help but turn this into an instant metaphor of how I need to remind myself to enjoy the 'now'.

I have a small child and she changes so very quickly that sometimes I can't keep up with the progress! Since I travel out of the country every week, I miss her day to day developments as I'm sure many parents also do by working a day job. Kids change so rapidly, as does life itself. One moment can make a difference and change a life for better or for worse.

I sometimes have to remind myself to remain present in the moment since my life is always moving, literally.

I'm on a perpetual ''round-trip". Yet every time I return, something has changed, if ever so slightly. I embrace change yet I cherish something constant and solid. That is why I enjoy cuddling up with my favorite cushion and blanket on the couch and sitting in the same comfortable spot after lighting a favorite candle in order to signal the end of a very long day.

I realize it is ok to order the same carbonara 50 times in a row at the same restaurant and request the same table because that may be the only thing that stays the constant in my ever changing life.

Sometimes the predictablity is the comfort itself while I appreciate the differences I experience every day!

Beer Fix in Roma

Another weekend with beer on the brain and surprisingly this time, I was in Rome! Open Balandin is a new bar/restaurant featuring 38! micro brews on tap and 100+ in bottles! The beers definitely rival those of microbreweries that I frequented in my college days. I tried a great Pale Ale and was very pleased. I literally ran into this place while galavanting around the Campo di Fiori area. I'd been wanting to check it out and was glad that I did. The people that work there are lovely, the ambiance is fun and modern and for a kitschy feel go upstairs to the rooms decorated like the homes of Romanian gypsies, interesting fun and so euro-rustique ( new word? ). Yes I did continue the evening with a lovely glass of red wine in a small quaint bar before my habit of thin pizza consumption, yet it is fun to think outside the box now and again and try something new. I think the Italians know what quality means when it comes to literally everything and now I can add beer to that list. Stop by on your next trip to Rome and coming soon to 57th street in the N.Y.C. in June 2010.

(Recently visited in November of 2010 and the "birrificio" is on Via degli Specchi, although the website will guide you to Piazza Luglio which is frequently missed on a map...)

Hurricanes and Beer

Speaking of Hurricanes...I was lucky to spend a layover New Orleans, right on Bourbon Street, this past Saturday night. The pre Saints' football game mayhem was well underway hours before I struggled through the drunken crowds to any place serving food within the hour that I sat down. My intention was to try the local seafood at ACME Oyster House or Deanies but a two hour wait after working all day was not on my agenda.

I enjoyed some tasty fried crawfish tails along with one of my favorite beers: Abita RESTORATION Pale Ale.

This is a lovely smooth pale ale with a slightly sweet finish. A perfect way to wind down and "debrief" as we call it in the airline business.

After I started, and only finished, a third of a Big Gulp sized Icee-style Hurricane slushy drink that quickly went to my head; I caught a myriad of beads and boas that were thrown at me as I walked by.

This hyper-touristy part of the French Quarter makes you feel like you were invited to one BIG EASY party even if you find yourself solo. Albeit, tacky and not even remotely French, it's fun to enjoy a little traditional Americana stateside once in a while and say that you can knock it off your 1000's things to do before you die list. So there you have it!

I will be supporting the relief efforts in Haiti by donating some of my photographs to the

Hearts for Haiti Etsy shop that recently opened.

This shop will send the proceeds from all sales directly to DoctorsWithoutBorders.

This is a group volunteer effort, from individual Etsy shops such as mine, that I am proud to be a part of. Please visit this site for a variety of items to purchase from jewelry to clothing and of course, photography.

I have purchased a few items myself.

100% of the sales of our donated artwork, excluding etsy and paypal fees, will be offered to this very important cause. We are also donating our shipping fees so shipping is free!

Thank you for your support. This is truly shopping for a cause and not just 'because'!

Freni e Frizioni - Roma ( Trastevere )

I spent a beautiful 'happy hour' at Freni e Frizioni ( Brakes and Clutches ) in Trastevere this past Saturday night. I love this out of the way, non touristy spot with a elegant allure and industrial twist. Right next to the Piazza Trilussa near the banks of the Tevere River. We relaxed to ultra modern tunes (they have a live DJ) while sampling the very tasty and healthy happy hour buffet that is offered along with your 6 euro ticket for any type of drink you desire. The crowd is young and hip and the ambiance is fresh and funky. This is a great stepping off point before a scrumptuous dinner at one of the many pizzerias or trattorias in the area. I would suggest Dar Poeta which I will feature in an upcoming blog. Arrive around 7pm to beat the ultra trendy crowd that goes from 10 to 100s in seconds flat. This location is perfect in the warmer months as there is a very large terrace and staircase attached to the bar that fills up with cocktail goers and lends to many hours of watching the gorgeous hipsters of Rome.

Gadgets/Trucs/Accessori

I'm obssessed with kitchen gadgets! Should I color coordinate them or go with the flow? Should they be all the same brand or are different brands good for different purposes?

Since I love to eat it's no surprise that I also love to cook!

I'm currently in the market for the perfect lime green lime juice squeezer. I've seen them in the Mexican markets. I just bought a mandoline today for the perfect grilling slice or shredded veggie.

My mother gifted me a meat tenderizer as a gift after the birth of my daughter ( very strange! )

I have an olive wood and a bamboo cutting board which I both use.

My knives must be sharp at all times! My quiche pans are from France and my pistal and mortar set is from Mexico....I've got a pan for every occasion! So on my next trip to Rome, wish me luck while visiting the C.U.C.I.N.A. store which sells an item I'm convinced that I truly need (as pictured above).

The name for it in Italian sums up how I feel right now at the start of the New Year:

"Con Beccuccio Salvagoccia" which translates as "a spout that saves every drop"......

I feel both overflowing with abundance but yet needing to savor what I have and use it all before I deserve to acquire more.

So I think I'll buy myself one of the beautiful glass olive oil dispensers and savor every drop of the fabulous Italian olive oil that I put in it! Just as I now savor the time I have with my gorgeous daughter, the lovely hand cream from a hotel I'll never get to visit again, the beautiful scent of the Diptyque Thé candle that my dear friend gifted to me for my birthday and so on.