milano matsuri ;)

This morning Momochan and I awakened and after a little cleaning, breakfast, shower and dressing, we went out to reach daddy at Milano Matsuri Festival at the Finger's Garden Restaurant ;)

As daddy took the car Momochan ad i had to take the bus and underground, 30 minutes by bus and 17 stops with underground network.

In Italy means of transport doesn't work so good and are always late, we were in a hurry because we wanted to see the first event: bento making with Higuma San, we were lucky, we arrived pretty soon and as we got out of the underground station, just in 5 minutes we were at the festival and Higuma san was just starting to explain bento making ;)

Daddy was there, he was working hard making sushi while Momochan ad I were looking around and tasting foods: first wee had takoyaki, I thought I do not like but instead they were pretty good, I do not know if they were original recipe made or not but anyway .. "oishii" and second we had teriyaki and karaage, Momichan said they were YUMMY ;)

One of the show was how to cut correctly a big tuna, the cooks brought on a big table, a giant tuna fish of 170 kilos and a Sensei showed how to cut ;)

We also saw the ceremony of tea, how to make the correct rice to make mochi, sake history and how to wear correctly the japanese kimono ;)

Between all the show were organized kids games and Momochan also amused and run here and there for a japanese relay race.

At 19.00 PM it was still hot, Momochan was still playing and amusing but she was really tired and me too.

Daddy finished cooking and went to change and wash a little so we finally could take the car and go home. Momochan has amused so much, tasted new foods and played with kids, she is curious and lovely and has behaved really well, as soon as we entered in the car she fall asleep and when we reached home, we all made shower, I put on Momochan a fresh pijama and put her to bed, gave her a bottle milk and she was already in the land of dreams ;)

Milano Matsuri ;)

Il 26 maggio di questo mese, a Milano, si farà una festa giapponese per favorire la cultura gastronomica giapponese.

Il Matsuri la tradizionale festa giapponese che tra cibo, natura e divertimento celebra e rigenera l'armonia tra uomo, natura e tradizione e attira in Giappone centinaia di persone in ogni parte del paese, in ogni stagione, nell'arco di tutto l'anno, cose che non mancano mai durante queste feste sono le bancarelel di cibo, souvenir e giochi per bambini ;)

DOVE:
A Milano in via Keplero 2 (zona Garibaldi dove c'è il Finger's Garden) sarà possibile degustare i cibi tradizionali dal mattino fino a sera, dalle 12.00 AM alle 20.00 PM
COSTI:
Il biglietto comprende una consumazione e costa 10,00 euro per gli adulti, bimbi fino a 5 anni GRATIS e bimbi dai 6 ai 12 anni 5,00 euro
Con il biglietto d’ingresso si avrà diritto alla degustazione gratuita di 5 piatti quali:
- 1 porzione di Takoyaki
- 1 porzione di Udon
- 1 porzione di Karaage
- 1 porzione di Yakitori
- 1 porzione di Gyoza
Essendo degustazioni gratuite comprese nel biglietto d’ingresso non si potrà fare il bis.
Ci sarà inoltre la possibilità invece di acquistare yakisoba, sushi, onigiri e wagashi (dolcetti giapponesi).

PROGRAMMA DEL GIORNO
ore 11.00
SHOW COOKING BABY BENTO
la signora Higuma e i bambini prepareranno bento sotto la sua supervisione
ore 12.00
YOYO TSURI - pesca del palloncino
WORKSHOP DI ORIGAMI 12.30/13.30/15.00
ore 12.30
cerimonia di apertura della giornata
ore 13.00
UNDOUKAI (giochi e animazione per bambini
ore 13.00
STORIA DEL SAKE'
ore 13.30

SHOW COOKING - armonia e bellezza delal cucina giapponese (chef Ikeda)

ore 14.10

TAIKO
concerto di tamburi giapponesi

ore 15.00
MOCHITSUKI - cerimonia della preparazione dei mochi

ore 15.45

CERIMONIA DEL THE

ore 16.30
SHOW COOKING a cura di chef Okabe e chef Sadler

ore 17.00

SHOW COOKING taglio del tonno a cura di chef Okabe e chef Hirazawa

ore 17.45

VESTIZIONE DI KIMONO

sfilata e spiegazione di come si indossa un kimono con possibilità di indossarlo
ore 18.30

SHOW COOKING - il gusto Umami - come si prepara il brodo dashi
ore 19.00

CONCERTO a cura della signora Shinobu

ore 20.00

cerimonia di chiusura

mexican dinner ;)

After having taken Momochan from kindergarden we have gone at the Carrefour Mall in the nearest town, while we where there we became hungry so we maed a stop for a snack at the Cantina Mariachi, a mexican restaurant ;)

We choosed two dishes: one was chicken tenders and the other a mix of french fries and piadina with ham and cheese, so YUMMY ;)

Momochan loves chicken tenders and has eaten many pieces but then we realized we were really hungry so we decided to go home to take shopping and go to another tex mex restaurant in Milan ;)

welcome little cousin ;)

CLINICA MAGIAGALLI, MILANO

Today Momochan, Sampei and I went to the Clinica Mangiagalli Hospital to meet my cousins who had had a daughter last night.

The baby is a girl, they do not have choosen her name yet, maybe Rebecca or Camilla, when we arrived, on the paper plate on the crib instead of her name was written "Girl" and her surname, her mum and dad have to choose her name we will know.

Momochan was really happy to know she had a cousin because her two first cousins live in Japan (Ryuki 4 year old and Riko 3 years old) so now even if Momochan is nearly 5 and the little cousin is baby.

WELCOME LITTLE CAMILLA ;) 
Born: 00:35 AM (this morning)
Where: Clinica Mangiagalli, Milano
Weight: 3547 gr
High: 51 cm
Looks like: blond and curled, seem the small copy of my aunt HAHA (her granny)

NEWS:
My cousin have choosed the final name of the little baby, funny is the result: the name is Camilla, Momochan's second name is Camilla and both babies are born the 19th ;)

Viridea: a day with butterflies ;)

Una giornata dedicata al magico mondo delle farfalle in collaborazione con Complice del Vento: un momento di incontro durante il quale grandi e bambini potranno avvicinarsi a queste meravigliose creature.
I partecipanti avranno modo di seguire un Laboratorio Didattico per apprendere il ciclo di vita delle farfalle e il loro valore ambientale in modo interattivo, attraverso materiale illustrativo, domande e risposte con il supporto di una voliera con bruchi, crisalidi e farfalle.
Una bellissima idea sarà inoltre illustrare come attirare le farfalle nel proprio giardino o balcone, attraverso la coltivazione di alcune specie di piante con un profumo particolarmente gradito a queste creature.
Nel Laboratorio Creativo, invece, i bambini di tutte le età potranno esprimere la propria creatività attraverso i tanti materiali messi a disposizione, lasciandosi ispirare dai meravigliosi colori delle farfalle.
Alle 17.00 i partecipanti ai laboratori avranno l’opportunità di assistere a uno spettacolare volo di farfalle liberando 50 esemplari di specie autoctone.
Al termine sarà consegnato ad ognuno il certificato per aver contribuito al progetto "Adotta una Farfalla" e una bustina di semi per coltivare una delle piante che attraggono le farfalle (fino a esaurimento scorte). Gli incontri, si terranno dalle 15.00 alle 17.30.

AGGIORNAMENTO ORE 22:00 PM
Purtroppo ci tenevo tantissimo e anche Momochan ma non abbiamo potuto andarci, siamo invece andati a trovare mia cugina in ospedale per la nascita di sua figlia :)
I wanted so much to take Momochan there and she also was curios but we couldn't go because we went instead to the hospital to meet my cusin who had had a daughter last night ;) Read more about the post ;)

a boat trip ;)

After living Villa Taranto we directed to the pier to take a special boat to visit the Isola dei Pescatori.

Momochan was very happy to go on the boat and see around from the middle of the lake, she continuosly shouted happily indicating here or there ;)

Today is really sunny, is a really fantastic day, warm, no clouds, the ideal day to go on the lake with the family.

As soon as we arrive Momochan jumps down the ferry boat and asks which part do wee go.

We visit the interrior part of the small isle, the characteristic shops selling soaps, bags, post cards, foods ;)
In the finishing part of the isle at one side, there is a part just with trees and sand, one with theese trees had a big rope and Momochan climber it and hanged down, she was amusing so much ;)
Walking from one side ofthe isle to the other is short, on the isle there are shops, travel agencies, restaurants, small food stores, coffee shop and houses, it is the only isle of the lake always inhabited all the year long ;)
The ferry boat we had asked, arrived every 30 minutes and last trip to come back was at 19.30 but anyway before 19.00 PM we already were on the boat to come back, it was starting to become evening and we didn't want to arrive too late home for dinner because Momochan tomorrow has to go kindergarden and has to sleep, also we have to take granny home. Momochan is really tired so as soon as we arrive at the pier and we enter the car she is already sleeping. We wake her up reaching granny's house, she said goodbye and kissed then we went away and before arriving home Momochan was sleeping again and we had to hug her to take her up ;)

Villa Taranto

After reaching granny and take her up, we reached a McDonalds near Lago Maggiore around 12.30 PM.
I thought it would have been a good idea to stop there for lunch because we all love McD's, granny can eat something she likes too, Sampei pays less than taking us all to a restaurant, Momochan loves chicken nuggets and I can take two Happy Meals and have the special Shaun bento box (now we have four so we are ok).
This way we are all happy and as we discover shortly after lunch, Villa Taranto is really near.

We arrive in a few minutes, we park inside the free parking lot and Momochan starts to jump around and look flowers.
The botanic garden is a enormous place with bridges, hills and paths, sun is shining and the air is scented, flowers, warm stones, pine bark, bees and the tweet of birds transform the surroundings in a quiet relaxing dream ;) Here the world seems to have stoppedd for a while. Sampei had free day today, we had organized this trip since a couple of months as I wanted to take Momochan to the Lago Maggiore to see a special place since last year: Villa Taranto, a big botanic garden full of plants, trees and flowers coming from every part of the world.

We walk up and down under bridges and up the hills, pines, azalee, giant orange and yellow poppies, magnolie and other plants are everywhere, some gardner men are cutting the grass and cleaning the earth, some other are planting new flowers, everywhere bees are flying happily and Momochan laughs enchanted.

After having walked here and there for the entire park and stoppedd for a coffee at the big pool, we decide for Momochan could be nice also, to go on the lake with a boat so we direct to the main gate where we discover, there is a small corner which sells plants and flowers.



Sampei wants to buy a small tree, a kind which has normally greenish leaves that changes to dark red in september ;)

We put the plant inside the car and we drowe away, the pier was nearby, we just had to park in fornt of the pier entrance and buy the tickets, boat was already arriving and Momochan was jumping happily, the trip is at the Isola dei Pescatori ;)

ramen dinner

We arrived home and I started to organize shopping and put away then I asked Sampei to prepare ramen.
Momochan was still wearing her special make up since afternoon, she never wants to wash away but she knows I will have to clean her before going bed ;)
Anyway in short time daddy prepared food and called us to sit at the table.
Momochan is always terribly slow when she eat but she managed to finish nearly half of her big bowl.
As soon as she has finished I put order on the table and set out some clean dishes for the special heart shaped cake ;)
YUM YUM cake was really nice, we have bought a small one since we are just two people and normally Momochan just tastes a small bite of sweet though wee left a big piece also because tomorrow we will have a special trip to the lago Maggiore with granny and I want to give her a slice of the cake for breakfast ;)

shopping in Chinatown

Once arrived in Chinatown it was really late and we hadd to run to make shopping.

We found a couple of stores still opened and we got inside.

I needed edamame but I alway buy the ones without shell because in the same packet there are more, Sampei wanted some kimchi, we also took apacket of frozen vegetables gyoza, a packet of maccha tea cookies and I also found some bottles of black tea and milk, almost same as I was drinking in Japan every day in 2008.

We also wanted some noodles because we have decided, I have decided since today is Mum's Day, I want to eat ramen so instead of buying single packets of noodles and pay 1.50 euro each, we found a big box containing 30 packets costing only 9,50 euro ;)
Now we have half of a wall cabinet full of meat noodles packets, we eat often so it has been a good idea.
Momochan also made shopping: she found some fruit jellies, tastin peach, same as the ones we bought in Japan and we were crazy about, I also bought some mandarine taste each of which contains a slice of the fruit ;)
After shopping we went straight home to cook dinner, our special mum's day cake is waiting for us ;)