Buffalora

I left Milan on Monday and headed to Trecate, where our office is located. The company decided it would be smarter for me to stay closer to the office and I stayed in the quaint town of Buffalora. This town is filled with little streets paved with bricks, small alleys, a town square and a canal, designed by Leonardo da Vinci runs under the bridges. One of my colleagues was very informative and always gave me the history of where we went. She told me that the Navigli was created to transport materials to Milan for the Duomo. Fascinating!!

My accomadations were amazing as well. I stayed in Suite Manzonni in adorable room; it was like a home away from home. I must say, this has been one of my favorite places to stay. There is a fantastic bakery right around the corner where I ate some of the most amazing foccocia and pasteries...thank goodness they aren't near my home!! I would recommend staying here to anyone travelling in Italy. However, make sure you have transportation because there isn't much around.

Milano

After my Duomo adventure, I walked around the city for hours. Milan is famous for fashion and shopping and I guess this is Mecca for those who adore them. I enjoyed people watching here. It was interesting to see so many different people and hear so many different languages in such a small area.

Then, I stumbled upon Leonardo da Vinci. This statue portrays all aspects of his genius.

 This was my favorite street.The lanterns above gradually changed colors. To my surprise, the Sforza Castle was at the end of the road. The history nerd in me was jumping for joy. In fact, once I was in front of it, I started taking pictures like crazy and a little Italian man offered to take my picture in front. Then, he offered a tour of "his " city. We spent an hour walking around as he pointed things out. The language barrier didn't seem to matter. A lot of hand motions and repeating ourselves. I really don't think Italy could be more charming.

My day ended with Mushroom Risotto, Pizza with artichoke, mushroom and prociutto, and vino!

Duomo

I spent a magical day in the city of Milano, Sunday. The weather was dreary, but my spirits were soaring when I emerged from the Metro to find the Duomo right in front of me. I immediatly headed over to see how I could get to the top. Of course, the inside is magnificent and somber. The stained glass was very intricate and the the entire place was ornate. I spent time walking around and standing in architectural awe!

 I found my way to the top and was greeted by "slipperies" as the sign stated and gargoyles. If it wasn't so cold, I probably could have spent a few hours exploring the roof. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

I loved the gothic architechture.

2010 Reflections

                      I began my year amongst Redwoods and vines...

2010 was a year that I will never forget. So many transitions took place. With each transition, a valuable lesson was learned. I feel wiser, stronger but still recognize my shortcomings and weaknesses. I think the latter is what made me feel truly blessed.

The highlights of my year:

-My nephew Christopher was born
-San Francisco Giants win the World Series
-Visits with my sisters
-Watching my little brother and nephew graduate from 8th grade together
-Moving back to the beach
-Turning 30

...and ended it at the edge of the world, near the sea I love so much.

Day Trippin'

Tomales Bay is a wonderful culinary day trip. There are a few ways to arrive, I suggest heading West on Highway 12 and then South on Highway 1. The views are breathtaking and the destination will satisfy your appetite.

The Tomales Deli and Cafe should be your first stop. They make amazing sandwiches. My personal favorite is the Artichoke Pesto Chicken Sandwich...DELICIOUS! They also serve breakfast. Tomales is a small town with 1 block of businesses so make sure you keep you eyes peeled for this treasure!

  

Across the street is the general store and post office. Stop in the general store for any road trip needs (maps, candy, water, wine...)

Take your time heading down the road. There are oysters being harvested, fishing boats, sea gulls, fresh air and the beautiful Tomales Bay.

 Since oysters are harvested daily, you can't leave without eating some! There are many places to stop and try oysters, my top pick is The Marshall Store. Now, getting here requires paying attention, because it is very easy to pass. Luckily, I have made the mistake and have a landmark to share...across the street is the Marshall Post Office! This tiny place has a deck where you can sit and enjoy the view. If you plan on enjoying beer or wine, there is a redwood burl set atop wine barrels on the side of the road. This isn't as dangerous as it sounds. It's quite nice and they even serve you. I suggest ordering a half dozen BBQ oysters and pairing them with a crisp Anchor Steam...pure seafood heaven!

If you plan on visiting this sweet spot, let me know...I may hitch a ride ;)

A Tale of Two Parks

This year I had the opprotunity to visit 2 ballparks. AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, is by far the best ballpark. The food and drink raise the bar ridiculously high for other parks. Where else can you get a Boudin Sourdough bread bowl filled with clam chowder or Gilroy garlic fries?? As for drink, they serve many premium beers and even sangria. If non-alcoholic beverages tickle your fancy, Coca-Cola is a major sponsor. Check out left field, there is a GIANT coke bottle with a built in slide! Like I said, this park rocks!

San Francisco also offers the timeless waterfront view. The home of the "splash hit" into "McCovey Cove" makes this park one of a kind. When a slugger hits a fair ball into deep right over the heads of spectators, the only place for the baseball to land is the water. This causes a fog horn to blare and water to spurt out of the brick walls in deep right field. Gotta love water features!!!

Even if you are not a Giants fan, you have to visit the park to see the pristine beauty. I remember my first time there, I thought it looked like it was built out of Legos. It is that AMAZING! (can you tell I love me some Giants?!)

After the games, when everyone is leaving, a recording of Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" croons over the entire park. How do you not fall in love with the experience?!

On to the second park I visited this year...

Ranger's Stadium in Arlington, TX, home of the Texas Rangers! This is the park to visit for warm, balmy summer nights. Texas' unforgiving humidity sets the stage for the famous baseball and beer duo. Upon entering this park, I searched for bottled water and ice cold beer. Found quickly, since Budweiser and filtered water flow equally in Texas, I made my purchase.

Since we were in the nose bleeds, we had to take an ginormous escalator up to our seats. I had just purchased my beverages and the nice escalator attendant informed me that I could not transfer my alcoholic beverage up a level. My only choice was to chug, even though it was against their "rules".  (note: upon entering the park, you are handed a list of rules, including no PDA or public drunkeness)

Rules aside, Texas can host like no other state! The fellow fans were hospitable and park attendants quite polite. In fact, in the 7th inning stretch, you can learn all verses to "Deep in the Heart of Texas" complete with words on the scoreboard. This is Texas hospitality at it's finest. When I told fellow fans I was a SF Giants fan they were polite and replied how wonderful it was to have a visitor.

Here's to a kind and hospitable World's Series. 

Let's go Giants! (or Rangers) 

And Yippee to visits to both parks...who woulda thunk! Good stuff! ;)