Vivaio Riva

I would be fine even with a piece of small land, discreet and quiet, but also with a plant that can courageously live in my un-prodigious hands!

I cannot afford to have that wonderful tree with the mirrors, the azalea pink like a Big Babol, or that table in the shade of the pergola, with a bottle of wine waiting to be sipped in the company.

Everything is fine for me, as long as it is a piece of that paradise hidden in the Vivaio Riva! 

Lupo Bistronomia

A place nice like this cannot fail to catch the attention of the people walking in Via Gian Giacomo Mora. Just a glimpse of a white wall with red stripes to attract the eyes and just a couple of steps to find out that this is a place nice and new. His name starts with Lupo (that in italian means wolf and it is the last name of Mark, the owner) and is completed with Bistronomia, the new format of haute cuisine prêt-à-porter who brings along palates and portfolios of gourmets. 

Thinking about the weekend: David Lachapelle and Via delle Arti

And if it will be sunny on Saturday?! "Sperem" a typical Milanese would say! 

Light and warm weather already make me want to plan for the weekend, my mind escapes from the office and I already put in the bag the camera to capture a corner of the sky and a light cloth to steal a corner of the grass.
Finally I would complete the en plein air kit with few good venues in Milan.
Here are a few that came to my mind between evasions and digressions of mid-week!
Two ideas to feed your eyes with colors of the arts and the with an excellent breakfast. It is too late: my countdown has already begun!

Restaurant EFF - Cucina e Stagioni

I knew I was already in love with EFF Cucina e Stagioni even before spending an evening in this great place. 
The beautiful pictures seen on internet, the look of an elegant loft and the lights of Manhattan just few steps from the crowded disco Goganda, the colors and fantasy of the food, the various reviews on the web, the idea of listening live jazz on Thursdays evening. They were all appealing strokes of an attractive and colorful paintings that could not be imprisoned for too long time between the white of the web pages and the gray of my notes. 

Restaurant Al'Less

The poor food is getting very fashionable in the last period in Italy, but the boiled meat (in italian: the "bollito") remains one of the traditional italian plate that I really don't appreciate! I haven't been eating it since the years at the high school and the bollito has remained in the obscurity of my adolescence together with the acne and interrogation of maths.

After about ten years I wanted to try again the bollito at the restaurant Al'Less, the most famous restaurant in Milan on boiled meat. And in fact here the Gran Bollito reigns supreme in the menu and is in good company with other traditional Italian dishes: tripe, braised colt, boar Maremma, soups, ravioli in broth, testaroli. But since this dinner was meant to be a reunion with an old acquaintance (the bollito of course), I could not do the honors to the protagonist of the restaurant and taste the various cuts of meat boiled and the various accompanying sauces.  

Saturday loves: breakfast at Marchesi and the design at Studio Achille Castiglioni

A good dose of optimism for the upcoming spring and a quick polish to the bike and the sunglasses before cycling to a Saturday morning in the Magenta and Castello area. The streets of Milan flow with the rhythm of life in the heart (as Lucio Battisti used to sing) and I keep a safe distance from the noisy traffic of Milan: on Saturday mornings all I need is the peace of mind. Better if it is accompanied by two good excuses to pamper myself: a delicious breakfast at Pasticceria Marchesi and a visit to the Studio Museum Achille Castiglioni. 

This is really happiness prêt-à-porter!

A brief of spring at Villa Necchi Campiglio

Here are my pics snapped today in the beautiful garden of the Villa Necchi Campiglio during the trade show sponsored by the FAI (Italian Environment Fund).

The exhibition will take place also tomorrow, Sunday March 4 from 10 to 18 (full price 5 €).
It's a great opportunity to buy some flowers and plants, visit the beautiful Villa, take a break in the Caffeteria and enjoy the first moments of spring.