Saturday at Marineland

Another weekend has come and gone, and again, it was gorgeous and sun-filled!!

Saturday we went to Marineland in Antibes to celebrate our dear friends son's 3rd birthday. It was our first visit to Marineland, and it was a hot one.  Five hours, wandering around seeing the animals coupled with my recent surgery, took it all out of me. First we watched the dolphin spectacular....which was actually, very good!  Then we tried to watch the sealion show, but it was too crowded. So we went into the aquarium area instead.  Saw some pretty fish, and lots of sharks which was pretty cool because you walk through a tunnel and they are all around you.  There was a dinosaur area, with mechanical dinosaurs which we explored after.  Still not sure how the dino's have anything to do with Marineland. Then we stopped for lunch, and waited in line for bugers and pizzas for over an hour.  The food area just didn't seem to be run very efficiently...surprise, surprise!
After lunch we saw the killer whale show, which again was pretty impressive. Then turtles, followed by penguins and sting rays. Only a couple of tantrums from the kids, but mostly they were well behaved (other than difficulty paying attention and staying focused). All and all, a pretty fun day.
I should note, that the two 3-year-olds who we went with had more interest in the playground and the dirt than the animals or the shows.  Once we were home, I asked David to remind me when we have children to take them to the park with friends to celebrate birthdays and not expensive amusement parks (we dropped around 100€ at Marineland, and we didn't even pay for lunch!!) until they are old enough to fully enjoy it...maybe say around 7-8 years old!

The birthday boy with his friend!

David and his friend Valentin!

Saturday night and Sunday we took it easy.  Sometimes its nice to relax and just do nothing! Although in hindsight we should have taken advantage of the sun on Sunday and went to the beach or something.

Here's to a great week everyone!!

Medieval Festival in Eze Village!

This Sunday I wanted to get out of Monaco, and forget about the baby that I lost, and the surgery and all of the other things...and just escape to a different time and place.  So what did I do?  Went to the Eze Village Medieval Festival (called Fête médiévale in French)!!

It was great, we left around 2:30pm and jumped on the motorcycle on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.  The sun was out and it was HOT! It's a beautiful short drive from Monaco to Eze, just 10 minutes.  Not to mention the breathtaking views from the drive. Funny enough it was the first time I had been to Eze to explore the village (the only other time I just came for dinner at the famed "Chevre d'Or" restaurant when mom & dad were paying!). I can't believe that I waited over a year & a half to make it to Eze!

Entering the festival you feel like you're going back in time.  From vendors selling costumes, to cheese, to swords & shields for kids. There were tents set up, and even a tavern to partake in some roasted pig and a beer! We had an excellent time exploring the village, and enjoying the medieval music and actors, and sights.

Here are some pics from our adventure!

Falconry

Guys in a tent...putting on their armor.

Strange bat-like costumed men

Stunning views!

Practice sword fighting!

At the entrance to the festival!

Surgery to Remove Ectopic Pregnancy

Finally home from surgery to remove my ectopic pregnancy.
Everything went very smoothly. Here's a run down:

11:30am: check in & realize that we have to leave a check because our insurance is through Monaco and the clinic is in Nice, France.  It's just a "caution" check, which they will rip up once we come to pay our final bill. Only problem being, that we don't have a checking account in France.  OOOPS....we proceed to frantically call friends who live nearby.  My dear, sweet friend Marion agrees!  Phew....

12:30: All settled into my room with the awesome blue robe they give you.  They ask me to take 2 pills which apparently will make me sleepy. The sweetest nurse named Aida puts in my IV, and has a quick chat with me.  She's lebanese and speaks pretty good english.  I'm trying to practice my french...which is going pretty well.

1:30: Don't feel sleepy at all

2pm: Man comes to wheel me down to surgery. He proceeds to leave me and 2 other women lined up against the wall near the sink where the surgeons wash up before surgery.  I'm shaking because it's freezing and I'm nervous. Some woman comes over and asks me a few questions, all of which is in my chart in front of her.

2:10: They wheel me into the operating room and I climb onto the operating table. They proceed to put my legs into some strange stirrup thing and velcro them in and put a blanket over me filled with hot air.  I finally start to feel warm.

2:15: Anesthesiologist(super friendly, handsome guy who speaks amazing english) puts the oxygen mask over my nose & mouth and he must have also injected something into my IV because I don't remember anything after that.

???: Wake up in recovery room. This room is full of about 8 other women. I feel pretty lucid, and start to get annoyed that they aren't taking me upstairs back into my room.

4:45pm: Back upstairs in my room, where David & Marion are waiting for me.  I'm so happy to see them, although I'm in a bit of pain around my shoulder.  Apparently the shoulder pain is from the procedure and is completely normal.

5:30: Everyone leaves and I fall asleep (and am in & out of sleep all night until 6:30am)

Me being wheeled back into my room after surgery (smiling at Marion & David)

In the morning I was keen to get out quickly....but it seemed to drag on.  I was able to have a chat (in French) with the woman I was sharing the room with. She was going through the exact same thing!  However she was 39 and a smoker (both risk factors of ectopic).  She went on to tell me, that ectopic pregnancies occur more often in summer months.  Which was an interesting piece of information.
Finally, I buzzed the nurse, asking why I was still waiting...apparently we were waiting for my doctor to call.  Dr. Delorme calls around 12:15 (I was expecting to leave around 11am).  Says that I'm free to go home, and asks that I get another HCG test on Friday & give him a call.

We leave the clinic and take the bus...which was a hot, smelly uncomfortable mess. We stop for a quick bite at one of my fave lunch restaurants on Nice, Bagel History.  I'm devastated when I'm told they are out of hot dogs.  It was the ONE THING I wanted :( Oh well, the central park bagel sandwich was still pretty good! Then we walk from the middle of Jean Medcin to the train station....which is maybe 3-4 blocks.  But when you just had surgery, it's not a fun walk!  My pain started to really kick in just as I was getting off the train in Monaco.  It was all I could do to walk up the stairs at my apartment building.

The Procedure:
Basically the doctor made 3 incisions: one in my belly button (which is now properly massacred), one just below my belly button, and a third above my pelvic bone. Then injected air into my stomach cavity so that they could get the camera in to have a look.  Basically the doctor could not find the embryo, so he flushed my fallopian tubes.

The Outcome:
The doctor came by around 5pm to talk to me about the surgery.  He explained how he was unable to find the baby, but assumed it was expelled when he cleared the fallopian tubes.  He was happy to report that both my fallopian tubes are now nice & clear...which should prevent another ectopic. I got the HCG blood work back just before I left the hospital today and it was half what it was on Monday.  Which is great news, meaning it was successful!

How I'm feeling Post-Op:
LIKE SHIT!  Just kidding....I like to think of myself as a tough girl.  But basically I can't stand up straight.  Walking around Nice for a few blocks was probably a bad idea. But I'm home now with my legs up and just popped a few Advil.  I'll prob take a nap in a few!
Mentally, I'm feeling pretty ok with the entire situation.  I think it's because I'm trying to be positive and have a good outlook for the next pregnancy!  I'm just praying that we won't have to wait too too long, since patience isn't really my forte!

Drum Roll Please......

Wondering why I've been so quiet???  It's because WE'RE PREGNANT! We are so so excited...especially since it took Clomid, Estradoil, Progesterone, Acupuncture and yoga to make it work for us!

Here's a run down of everything:

12, June: First day of my period (we were in Venice!!)

30, June: According to my BBT(basal body temperature)...I ovulated

9, July (9 DPO): Hubby makes yummy steak with blue cheese and fig jelly for dinner and I just couldn't stomach it.  I ate 1/2 and pushed the plate to him to finish.  Hummm...that's weird, I love steak with blue cheese and fig jelly.  Maybe something is up.

10, July (10 DPO): 6AM take a home pregnancy test, fall back asleep 45 min later wake up and FAINTLY see two lines...."Holy Shit, David....we're pregnant" I say as he's fast asleep.  It takes him a minute to wake up and I show him the test.  He confirms seeing a second line.
BUT WAIT, It was after the 10 minutes, the results are invalid according to the directions. Merde...I start freaking out!
Immediately I google the test brand and get tons of bad comments about evaporation lines, and how they don't work properly.  So I'm excited, but not getting my hopes up too much since everyone seems to think they suck!
Have pretty bad cramps, feeling sick before dinner, tender nipples and constipation.

11, July (11 DPO): 6AM take another home pregnancy test, wait patiently and after 3 minutes I can clearly see a line.  OK ok, again don't want to get too excited about this since the reviewers said that that this test brand wasn't accurate.
Have the same symptoms as yesterday and throw in a little fatigue. Before lunch (at 11am) I go running for the bathroom thinking I'm going to be sick. Get all flushed, nearly vomit, then get red all over and a little itchy.  Strange?!?!

12, July (12 DPO): 7am take another home pregnancy test (PS. I got a pack of 20 of these on Amazon for like $10). It immediately shows a 2nd line again, and this time it's darker.  Ok, that's a good sign. Seems like the HCG in my body is increasing.
Decide that I need a second opinion, I must go buy another brand to test with for tomorrow.  Run to the pharmacy and purchase "une test de grossess".
Symptoms today include: cramps, nipple tenderness and constipation.

13, July (13 DPO): 7am, take the new brand of home pregnancy test(the pink test in the pic)....double line in 5 min. Ok...Now I'm pregnant!  Now we can celebrate!!
9am go for a 2 hour hike above Eze Village, and I can barely make it.  I'm huffing and puffing....what the f??  I normally run 2 times a week. Not that I run far, but I'm running and in decent shape.  We went hiking with a 65 year-old man, who was leaving me in the dust and I can normally keep up with him.  WOW!!

14, July (14 DPO): Time to break out the digital test!!  Within 6 minutes it confirmed that I am indeed "Enciente", approximately 2-3 weeks after conception! Yay! It's finally starting to settle in, we're PREGNANT!!
Again same symptoms cramping (mild today), exhausted and nipple tenderness.

15, July (TODAY): I had originally had a HSG scheduled for today, and on Thursday I went ahead and changed the appointment to my first pre-natal appointment!  Went in to see the doc, who immediately made me undress for an ultrasound.
He starts poking around and doesn't seem to see anything :( Oh no...I'm freaking out.  "When did you have your blood test to confirm your pregnancy?" he asked me.  Oh no, I haven't had one yet.  Sorry!
He proceeds to write me a prescription for the blood draw and makes me reschedule for 10 days later.
Ugh, MORE WAITING!!
Been doing some Google research and it seems quite normal to find nothing at 4 1/2 weeks. Trying to make myself feel better, trying to make myself not freak out!

So tomorrow, I'm off to the hospital for the first of my 2 beta HCG blood draws.  Basically, they measure my levels tomorrow and then again on Friday to see if they are properly increasing, which would indicate a healthy pregnancy.

Here's a pic of me from today....4 weeks, 5 days pregnant and no bump yet!

We're cautiously optimistic, and smiling from ear to ear...trying to not tell everyone since we know at this point there's around a 10% chance of miscarriage. Mom & Dad know, and a couple of other people....will tell more after our next doc visit!

Will keep you posted on my weekly progress, but I promise not to turn this into a pregnancy blog....I will do my best to keep up with our goings on in and around the Principality of Monaco!

We're BAAACK!

We're back in the South of France after an amazing vacation to Venice and Croatia.  I'm compiling all the trip details, and will start with a run down of Venice tomorrow.

But in the meantime I'd like to take a second to vent about a client...who will remain "unnamed".

There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING more frustrating than non payment from a client. It's always an uncomfortable situation when you appear at their office and basically BEG to be paid.  Only to be answered with, "Oh, I ran out of checks."

Um seriously, this is 2013 and you couldn't pay me because you were out of checks?!?  I call bullshit on that one.  So I answer with, oh well you can always send us a wire transfer.  The response, oh yeah....can you send me your bank details.  I provided them on the spot, only to CONTINUE to wait to be paid.  This is now 2.5 weeks later and we haven't been paid.

This is not to mention the 5-10 emails which I have received requesting work be done in one form or another.  Let me get this straight....you're demanding work and yet you are slacking on payment.  Well, darling I'm going to just "ignore" your emails until payment is resolved.

Slow-to-pay clients always and I mean ALWAYS go to the bottom of the workload list.  So just a pointer to those of you out there who have hired an agency to take care of your website or advertising needs and expect them to pay attention to you and get your work done, then please be sure to pay on time.  Otherwise, I can guaran-fucking-tee that your work will not be completed on time!!

Anywhooo...enough venting.  Is it Friday yet????? Ugh, it's not....ok, enjoy this adorable fox in the meantime!!

Hormones on Holiday!!

Just picked up these pretty little things....

We start Clomid while on holiday!  We're off on Monday to Venice, Italy and then Vis, Croatia on Friday.  Can not wait to conceive our first child on such an amazing trip! And the best part...if we succeed, baby will be due on our 5 year wedding anniversary.  Here's to hoping (and praying)!!

Trying to Concieve - May Update

Just got back from the doctor regarding our trying to concieve efforts.

But first let me back up and give a bit of background.....I initially went to the gynecologist because I was having extremely painful menstruation. The first month it was horrible, I thought I was having a miscarriage it was so bad. And then when it happened the second time, I was concerned and made the doctors appointment.  Of course, I did a bit of my own research before going to the doctors and apparently Endometriosis causes horribly painful menstruation...so I was prepared for news that he suspected I had Endo.

At the doctors, first I explained the situation and he did a trans-vaginal ultra sound only to find that there were no mature follicles (and I was near the time of ovulation, so there should have been at least 3). There was NOTHING.  One teeny, tiny 7mm follicle on my right side and NOTHING on my left.  He also noted at this appointment that I have an inverted uterus. Which isn't life shattering, just another obstacle for the little swimmers.  He was clearly concerned about the follicle situation, but wanted to explore further and ordered a blood test for myself and a semen analysis for my husband.

Fast forward one month later, to our appointment today.  He reviewed the semen analysis:
80 million little swimmers
45% motility
52% morphology
and no infection...good news!

For me all my hormone levels looked ok according to the doctors.  However I did a bit of my own Google research and figured that my FSH level of 10.02 was a bit high for my age.  He didn't seem concerned at all.

He did another trans-vaginal ultrasound and again there were only small follicles, which should have been twice the size at this point in my cycle. So it seems that the issue is with my ovulation.  Our prescription is for me to start Clomid next cycle to help mature my follicles, as well as a dye test to check my fallopian tubes to be sure there are no blockages. So for now...we wait another month! He mentioned it was normal for women to have troubles with their follicle size, and that it's common to treat them with Clomid.  So it seems I'm in good company!

In the meantime, its great to have a game plan and to have more understanding of what's going on with us as a couple. It's frustrating to have to keep waiting, but hopefully it will just be another month of so until we conceive. So for now...I just have to look forward to our little holiday in Venice & Croatia.  That should keep me going until then!

 Here's a little video about conception, in case your interested.  It's definitely more complicated than you think :)
 

2013 Monaco GP

Tomorrow marks the start of the 2013 Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco.

It's a weekend that I've only witnessed once before. And last year it was super crazy, sometimes annoying, and mostly just good fun. For the 2012 GP I had 2 visitors, who I'd like to think I showed a good time to...while trying to manage an event with 25 staff and over 500 visitors over 4 days.  It was exhausting, but at the end of the week it was all worth it.

This year will be a bit different...I don't have any visitors, and I don't have a 4 day huge event to manage. I am however helping a friend with a scaled down version (just 86 visitors for Sunday). But it still requires putting in a few hours, and going in blindly praying it's successful.

There are so many events happening, none of which I'm too keen to check out. Everything is too "party party" for me.  Honestly, if there was a chic, loungy beach environment for me to go and sip on a normal priced bottle of Rose I would so be there. But there doesn't seem to be anything that matches the venue, nor the prices that I am looking for.

Either way...it's shaping up to be a stressful, crazy, memorable, and hopefully fun 3-4 days. Cheers to the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix!!!

What I Wore in Milan

How do you pack for your vacations? For me, I wait until a day or two before...check the weather...check the itinerary and plan.  Sometimes it's easy, and sometimes it's more difficult. Summer trips, or warm weather I always find easier to pack for since I come from Miami and am more used to dressing for warm weather.

So then, for this amazing trip to Milan where everyone dresses fashionably...what did I wear?? It was tough planning, and somethings I wore from my purchases while there.

Thursday day: Itinerary...train from Monaco to Milan & shopping. It was necessary to be comfortable, yet chic. I chose a nice paisley swing dress, with flats.

Paisley swing dress from http://www.esther.com.au/, vintage LV cross body bag, Ferragamo ballerinas.

Thursday dinner: nice, romantic dinner with the husband (I wanted to look sexy).

Zara sheer jewel collared shirt, white jeans & Jimmy Choo clutch

My new Trussardi shoes that I just had to wear!

Friday day: Lots of shopping and walking, again comfort was a necessity. It was a bit cool with the rain...so it was good to have layers.

Zara tan and white stripped blazer, blue Zara high-low dress, converse sneakers and Stella MeCartney fold-over deerskin bag.

Friday dinner: Excited to rock one of my favorite purchases of the trip.

Purple eyelet dress from XXX, Leather Jacket (old), Jimmy Choo clutch, Mui Mui patent leather pumps.

Saturday: Again shopping, walking and comfort was key.

Pineapple print dress from http://www.esther.com.au/, chambray shirt,  Hermes bracelet, vintage sunnies & Stella fold-over bag.

Pineapple print dress from http://www.esther.com.au/, chambray shirt,  Hermes bracelet, converse sneakers & Stella fold-over bag.

Sunday: Wanted to look chic and elegant for brunch.

Sandro sheer shirt, H&M grey leggings, Greymer pumps, Prada Sunnies, Stella bag

Here you can see my accessories: Chanel earrings, Hermes bracelet.

 I think I managed to look stylish while being comfortable.  Of course normally I wear heels during the day when I'm at work, so it was weird to rock the Converse sneakers during the day.

Shopping in Milan

I'm still coming down from my shopping high from Milan (and it's already been 4 days since I left).  To me, Milan is just the perfect shopping destination.  Everything is within a 5 square mile radius, which makes is very accessible. So I'll start from the beginning.

Thursday we arrived late afternoon, and checked into our flat....I had already drooled over the nearby shops on Via Manzoni as the taxi took us to our flat. We left our things and originally had planned for a museum visit for the afternoon, but scraped that idea since the weather was so amazing (it was criminal to be inside on this day with such perfect weather).

We walked towards the duomo, and down the pedestrian street of Vittorio Emanuele II stopped for a vini and a bite to eat, then we walked back and into the Galleria of Vittorio Emanuele II where we popped into Prada and Gucci.  Just getting the lay of the land basically.  After our vini I think we were a bit tipsy and made a few purchases at the Trussardi (where I could have spent my entire budget, everything was gorgeous).  We walked away with these amazing shoes, and a rain jacket for the hubs.

New Trussardi shoes...aren't they gorg?

Friday, things got more serious.  I wanted to get started at the outlets and then work our way back into the city center.  So we walked the 2 or so miles to Il Salvagente. We actually nearly walked past it, but there were some touristy looking folks ducking into this random looking building.  And it WAS random. You walk down and into what looks like a parking lot and then you see a building with racks and racks of clothes. We knew we were in the right place.  At the beginning are the womens designer racks which are a bit random.  They are organized by designer, and it's honestly a hot mess. Plus you add greedy women trying to claw their way through it.  Honestly I did one quick lap and decided it was all ugly and not my size, so I kept going.  Next are the other clothes that are decent manufacturers organized by size.  My size: 38 was one pathetic looking rack with gross t-shirts.  Again I just kept going.  SHOES: HEAVEN!!! Shoes are again organized by size, and it's a free-for-all with women standing in front of each other grabbing for the same shoes.  A little bit stressful...but I was able to successfully find some Greymer shoes marked down from 370€ for 150€.  Then we walked up to the mens section, again organized by size.  Hubs found a nice Hackett shirt and we were done.

you can kinda see the shoes here...they're amazing!

We came back to Via Manzoni for lunch, so we started that way after lunch. Our next designer outlet store we stumbled upon was D Magazine (on Via Manzoni). Don't be fooled by the picture on the website, it's another hot ass mess with shit everywhere and people reaching over each other to grab at clothes. Here nothing is organized...you have to go through EVERY SINGLE item of clothing. At this point my patience was running thin. I said screw the clothes and went to the shoe section.  Which for me was quite small, but just the right size to find the Charlotte Olympia shoes I had been ogling for quite some time.  They were a steep €350 (down from a ridic price of €650)....so I guess they were a steal.  I tried them on and looked like a tranny, they were just too high for me.  So I passed up these bad-boys and continued the shopping excursion.

Next we ventured down Via Mantepolone and strolled into Dolce & Gabanna, Moschino, Mui Mui, Roberto Cavalli, Sergio Rossi and others, it was funny after shopping here for 3-4 hours everything started to look the same.  Each store with their own bizarre twist on women's fashion...none of which was wearable OR affordable. Bleh, I had lost complete interest until we went into the Prada accessories store where I found a nice handbag & sunnies.  Then we went into Fendi. I loved EVERYTHING.  Unfortunately it was all out of my price range save for the wallet that I bought.  After that we called it a day, and headed back to get ready for dinner. On the way, we passed a store XXX with the most amazing sweet little dress in the window and I had to go in!  I picked out some dresses thanks to the lovely sales woman & even found some cute options for the gala that we're going to in October.  So I went into the dressing room to try everything on.  Mid-clothing change the sales lady knocked on the door to the fitting room asking if I was going to buy the dress from the window. It had been the first thing I tried on, and I liked it and was planning to buy it...but now that someone else wanted it "OF COURSE I WAS BUYING IT" hahaha. Apparently there was a lady who tried the dress the day before, and had come back to purchase (too late, my friend). I not only bought the dress from the window but a gorgeous lace gown in dusty rose for the gala.  I was thrilled....the lady was even nice enough to arrange for alterations (to be picked up the next day).  Here in France and Monaco overnight alterations absolutely does not happen. Oh how I love Italians!!!

New Prada sunglasses

The dress from the window!!

Saturday was another big shopping day that we kicked off at La Rinascente just 10 steps from the door to our building where we were renting the flat.  This department store is amazing, and is something straight out of New York. With a juice bar, like 3 restaurants an amazing clothing selection and really helpful staff! Again, the day started off slowly, until I got to the Sandro section where I bought 2 tops and some pants.  Next I ventured into the Missoni section where I quickly picked out a handbag.  Honestly, I could have spent the whole day in this store...but I forced us to keep moving and we went to the Burberry section of the men's department.  David picked out some things that he was needing and then we decided it was time to move on for lunch and other stores...so off we went.

David in his new Burberry shirt & me rocking my new Sandro top!
I know, it will look better with a sun tan.

We ended up near the San Marco church for lunch, so our post lunch shopping started from there. We ended up back on Mantepolone and Via della Spiga and found the most amazing store I have ever been in: No 30 Milano.  It had interesting clothing, with normal prices and a sales woman (Lucretzia) who is absolutely amazing! It's set back from the main street of Via della Spiga in a small courtyard.  There was a necklace in the window that caught my eye, so in we went.  I tried on the necklace and loved it...picked out 5-6 other pieces to try and into the fitting room I went.  Everything fit perfectly, almost like the items were made just for me.  At the end, I decided on 2 gorgeous dresses and the necklace.  I know that I will never see anyone wearing these dresses, so I feel so special and beautiful in these items.  I can not wait to find an amazing event or dinner to wear them to!

Sunday we had just enough time for brunch and then caught our train back to Monaco.  I'm sure we will be back to Milano for more shopping sometime soon, and I will look forward to it until then!

Restaurant Reviews from Our Trip to Milan

Back from our amazing weekend in Milan, Italy to celebrate my 30th birthday.  It was so nice to get away from Monaco!  We did SO much, but overall we ate, drank and shopped!  I think I'll do a separate shopping post, but for this one I'll focus on the restaurants! Ok here we go:

THURSDAY
We arrived just after lunch and by the time we had gotten the keys to our flat and unpacked we were ready for a nice glass of wine in the sunshine!  We stayed literally 1/2 a block from the Duomo, so we didn't want to venture too far for some vini. We ended up at Charleston just 1 block off of the pedestrian street Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. We shared a pizza and nice bottle of Nebbiolo.  It was glorious to sit in the sun and just relax after our travels.  I would say the food isn't very fancy, but the service was decent and it wasn't too expensive (12€ for a pizza). Not sure if I would go back, since there are TONs of other restaurants around, but it was definitely better than those gross cafes on Vittorio Emanuele (ew, those are only ok for a coffee).

Charleston Restaurant

Next was dinner!  We ventured just outside the city center to a small restaurant called Ristorante Guerrini. We had to cab it there(10€ cab ride), it was worth it to get a bit out of the touristy area, bless our foodie hearts.  Everyone spoke Italian, luckily the hubs can mostly understand.  There was one waitress who spoke a bit of English, but mostly would fall back into Italian.  Which is fine with us.  When we travel we like to blend in, and really experience the culture...not try to be idiot Americans being loud and obnoxious and complaing about everything.  But back to the food.  We shared the Zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese, and then shared the Steak special for 2.  Let me tell you, the food was an 11 out of 10.  Just simply amazing! Fresh ingredients, and nice flavors.  Nothing too strong. And everything matched perfectly with the Brunello wine we ordered (YUMMMM)!  It was only surpassed by the service.  The chef came out of the kitchen several times to check that his patrons were happy. We wouldn't have changed a thing about this dining experience.  We stayed for 3 lovely hours (and spent under 200€ including wine), and were nice and full and happy when we left!

Amazing Brunello Wine!!

Gorgeous Zucchini Flowers

Sorry I look creepy here, but the point was to show the food....YUM!

Happy Birthday to me!

Me w/ the chef!

FRIDAY
We woke up and popped to the bakery just down the street from us (Luini) and had an amazing sugary breakfast. Something that resembled a doughnut with pudding filling. We wanted to come here since we noticed the queue that was nearly a block long when we arrived on Thursday. It did not disappoint and for a mere 6€ breakfast is was within budget :)

When it came time to decide what we wanted to do for lunch, we were a bit of a mess.  It was raining fairly hard and were were just out of the city center to check out the outlet Il Savengente (more about that in my shopping post).  I was hoping for Nobu, but it was nearly 1pm and we were no where near the location.  Finally after walking 3 blocks in the horrible rain, I threw a small fit and we decided to jump in a taxi and go where we originally wanted.  Never been so happy with a decision!  Nobu Armani did not disappoint. We each ordered the Nobu In/Out box and indulged in some sake.  I will make one quick comment about the deco.  I was expecting something luxurious and stunning, but it was really pretty minimalist and you can tell that the restaurant has been open for a while since it looked like it had taken a beating.  Never-the-less- everything was amazing food and drink and service-wise so in my opinion well worth the 140€ price tag (we opted for dessert as well).

Me w/ the Nobu Boxes

The hubbys dessert - crunchy bananas with a pistachio creme and ginger lolly pop!!

My dessert - lemon ice cream, coconut tart think, in a puree of melon!  It was delish.

Next was dinner at Don Carlos which was was absolutely unforgettable, and world class for certain. This is a place for a nice romantic meal, which is precisely what we were looking for.  With gorgeous silver table settings, and classic decor yet comfortable ambiance. We started with a glass of Spumante, and then took the delicious scallops as well as some Foie Gras.  Next, we tried the Home made Pizzoccheri which was very traditional, and quite delicious.  Then I opted for the rabbit wrapped in crunchy philo for my main course and David went for the Milanese style Tuna (Tuna was the best choice - absolutely fantastic).  Overall, I would rate the food an 8.5...but the service makes up for the food which I would rate at an 11 out of 10.  Everyone was so gracious, and happy and helpful.  Even speaking Italian to help us learn :) We even got a tour of the cellar with the stunning old Roman wall, which is a great memory that we will cherish. Of course this dinner was not cheap at just under 300€, but for us, it was worth every penny!

David's Foie Gras starter

My scallops starter (the better choice of the 2...but both VERY good)!

Home made Pizzoccheri, probably wouldn't order again...but it was great to try it!

My Rabbit Entree

David's Tuna Entree....AMAZING!!

Me in the cellar next to the old Roman Wall!

SATURDAY
This was our big shopping day, so we focused mainly on that...but we took our breakfast at the juice bar at La Rincesente (just across the street from our flat). We had a yummy salmon bagel with some juice elixir and Acai and of course a coffee.

For lunch I had read about La Latteria (next to the San Marco church) from the New York Times...so we jumped in a cab and headed there only to find it CLOSED :(  But happily the taxi driver recommended another restaurant just 1 block away called Stendhal with a lovely patio area, which was full of happy people enjoying their lunch.  We joined them and had another amazing meal!  I took the pasta with truffles and slow cooked beef (like Bacon, but better).  David took the lobster linguini...both were fabulous along with our Barbaresco wine, it was delightful!

A nice light wine, perfect for afternoon drinking.

David's octopus started - I did not care for this AT ALL!

My appetizer - ham, burrata and zucchini flowers

My entree

David's lobster linguini

After eating for 3 days like pigs, we decided to skip dinner on Saturday night and enjoyed a nice bottle of wine on our terrace and a gelato.

SUNDAY
On a previous trip to Milan we ventured into the Bulgari Hotel from a recommendation from a friend. Our goal this trip was to try their famous brunch.  I had emailed to make a reservation, and took at 10:30am spot.  I was unaware that the brunch didn't start until 12:30pm. O well, we ate a small breakfast and then took a bottle of champagne and sat in the sun and waited for the brunch to start.  It was a huge spread with all kinds of salad, charcuterie, meat, sushi, and dessert!  It was amazing, and a great price at just 72€ per person. We ate and ate, and probably would have eaten more but unfortunately we had to catch the train at 3pm.  We had amazing service from a gentleman named Stephano (the hostess was a bit rude with the reservation mix up), but luckily Stephano made the experience much better and I hope to see him again the next time we go back.

Stephano brought me a birthday tart...so sweet!

champagne at 11am...why not?

Lovely outside space!

And THAT'S how we ate our way through Milan.  Would I go back to all of these restaurants?  Maybe not, because I'm an adventurer and like to try new things.  But never say never!  I would without a doubt recommend each and every restaurant we went to, there is something unique about each!