acquarium and ... musubi ;)

Today is sooo sunny and Momochan is on Carnival holiday so we have thought to do something togather and as she loves fishes we go to the Civic Aquarium.
It is nice to look at the fishes, some are new, there is a big octopus, new fishes, many new shells and also jellu fishes ;)
Momochan jumps here and there from a pond to another looking at the see fishes from Egyptian barrier, jumping from the lake or mountains ones.
At the end of the visit we get outside, the idea is to find an ice cream shop and have three big cones, walking along in the middle of the shops is nice today as it is warm, Momo is soo happy ;)
Walking along the shops she also helps me to find a new bag, I was searching ìfor a new comfortable bag because I have broken the one I have, Momo choose a black one with a big glittering butterfly and the price is so low that we buy.
Daddy has an idea, as he is late to go home, prepare lunch and go work, he takes us to a new place, a new japanese mini restaurant called MUSUBI.
Getting inside it makes me remember the ramen shop wee have visited in Japan, the new shop is light brown and clean, with three long small tables where to eat but without seat.
Sampei takes a makunouchi bento, (the makunouchi bento, comes from the Edo period, 1603, this tipical bento was served in the middle of theater performances).
Momo want to eat gyoza and I take rice and fried chicken (a little pepper inside but not bad).
The shop sells food to eat inside or to take away and is the only take-away who sells onigiri in Milan ;) it is nice to stay there, we have for a while the impression to be in Japan, the only bad thing is that to eat there we have to reach the center of Milan and we live outside :( but anyway wee will try to eat there when we come back to center again ;)
After meal daddy has not time to take us the car so we accompany him to work. As he starts to prepare before the arrive of the collegues, Momochan looks at him as he clean and cut fishes and clams, she amuses so much but she asks if she can be a cook, but not one for fish, she wants to cut the veggies because fish stinks too much ! HAHAHA
It is already late and collegues are arriving so we say goodbye and we walk away, this evening wee will ahev to go and take daddy home, he will arrive with a bus at the limits of the city and we will reach him with the car so this time Momochan will go bed veeery late ;)

civic acquarium

As Sampei is free two days, sunday and monday, we have decided Momichan will have vacation day on monday and we will do something togather the two days.

This afternoon we are going museums, first to the Civic Acquarium because Momichan loves fishes and after at Aegyptyan and Prehistoric museum in the nearby Castello Sforzesco.

Momichan is happy to have some time with us togather and also she loves to see fishes, everytime we go there is something different or new animals.

The pool she loves most is the Red Sea one because is coloured and with many sea flowers and "Nemo and his friends" fishes. Another lovely pool is the big one shaped arch under wich you can walk and see big Carangidae, sharks and small manta rays swimming around.

The rocks and corals of the sea pools are very enchanting, big sturgeons (90 cm long) swim in another pool where kids look enchanted their strange bony backs.

This afternoon there are a lot of kids and people running from a pool to another, there is a big chaos and in a second I loose Momichan running quicky in the middle of people a woman bumps into her with a big bag, I just can hear Momichan weep high coming towards me hugging her dad ! I give her a lot of kisses but anyway she already has a violet and blue livid on her left cheek, poor baby ! I take her in my arms and we go outside in the fresh sunny air directed to the Castello Sforzesco to see aegyptian mummies.

With a lot of kisses and a fresh yogurt Momichan is calm again ready to see something else new but she is a little tired so I continue to keep her in my arms while she looks around the castle gardens and towers hearing a thousand of happy birds singing of joy for the sunny day.

We find the ticket office and we buy a couple of tickets (Momi enters free), mummies and prehistoric vases, goblets, cups, tools and weapons are waiting for us in the lower floor in the basement of the castle.

Inside there are two mummies, one is still bandaged but the second is clearly visible with her bony skull, legs, arms and body entirely black ! four colorful sarcophagus are in the nearby, one of them contains writings in the interior side of the upper cover, maybe a prayer for the dead to be better received in the other world.

The other side of the little museum contains prehistoric items, goblets, necklaces, weapons, vases and tools made in iron, wood, stones, some images shows how cups and goblets weere made and also how to have a tool transforming a branch into an axe adding a stone.

At the museum shop Momichan wants to buy a souvenir and she cooses a heart shaped hook she can use to keep her things togather and hang to everything she wants.

Is already late, we get out and we give a look at the nearby shops, they are open because there are a lot of tourist around so we enter some of them. In a few minutes we are already taking the tube to go to the parking where we have left the car and we direct home.

Genova Aquarium

Momichan loves dolphins so I decided to take her for a day at Genova Aquarium. We have already visited it many times but we never have had the occasion to see dolphins so I hope this time to be lucky ^^

Before leaving this morning I have filled Momichan's bag with some of her things: two complete change for dresses, nappies, her favourite cat plush, a blanket if she wants to take a nap, her milk bottle. I have also taken our car fridge with some ice inside and: ham, strawberry, water, one hard boiled egg, raspberries for Momichan, pears, two sandwiches, a small coca cola bottle for me.

The first thing we visit is the biosfera, a giant transparent bubble with plants and birds inside. There are some tropical plants, some beautiful birds and turtles. Momichan is impressed by the banana flower and by some red birds. Inside the bubble is very humid but anyway is fresh while outside is about 38 degress !

After the biosfera we are happy to get into the acquarium to start to see the fishes: inside is so icy and we are really pleased ! The first thing we see are sharks and dolphins ... YEEEEEEEEE ! there are two females jumping and swimming inside the pool, Momichan is enthusiastic and she wants to make fotos, this one has been made by Momichan herself not by me ! ^___^

The little Magellano Penguins are all on the rocks, no one swimms but since the 23 june there is a new baby one: a little penguin has been given birth !

After sharks, dolphins, lamatini, seals, penguins and variuos tropical fishes (between them also the ones of the film Nemo), is time to take a break at the coffe shop and have a look at the souvenir shop. (virtual tour of the Acquarium) Momichan falls in love with a plush shaped Nemo and another one shaped dolphin ... Oh poor me she wants both of them !!! After shopping we go on, there is a big pool with tropical fishes, a giant turtle and giant Napoleon fish, lobsters, manta rays (you can touch them and often they produce in a funny show for the tourists swimming with their nose out of water, today also) colibri forest, jelly fish and much more.

Is nearly seven and Momichan starts to be tired, she has not slept during the short trip to Genova (140 km frm Milan) and is time to go home. A short break near the car to eat some fruits and water, temperature is still high and we are completely sweaten, luckily inside the car we have air conditioned ! Momichan sits behind in her car seat and starts playing with her Nemo and looking outside while I start to driving home.

At 21.00 we are home at last, a shower, a quick dinner for Momi and she is ready to go bed with her milk bottle. Have nice dreams Momichan, hope you have amused today ^___^

Goodnight ...

Genova Aquarium

Easter day, in Milan is raining hard.

As we have to visit mum for Easter lunch tomorrow (today is my sister turn) and we do not want to stay all day long at home because of the weather, we thought to take Momichan today to Genova Aquarium, anyway inside the building is not raining.

We arrive at the Aquarium at four o'clock, is still raining hard but despite rain, thousands of people are making long queue to enter and see the fishes. Finally we are also inside and the visit can start.
Momichan is excited, the first thing we see is the basin of Husar and Pepe two manatees (Trichecus Manatus), this is a recent novelty, they come from the Norimberga zoo, Husar is 11 year old, Pepe is only five. Their particularity is the tail similar to the one we imagine for mermaids.

There are many people, too many so we have to keep Momichan on our shoulders all the time to let her see the manatees and also because she could get easily lost.

After this the second basin and biggest one is the one containing sharks, bull shark, black fin, grey shark, saw shark and here also we find million people.
Momichan is so happy, she looks at the sharks enchanted (she has a big pelouche 120 cm from Ikea at home of a white shark with wich she always plays but she has never seen one alive up till now).
In the nearby there are other basins with coloured tropical fishes (Napoleon) and a big big turtle, Momi looks at the fishes tip tapping on the glass window indicating this and that fish shouting and smiling ^^

In another basin we can see little penguins, some of them are swimming, other stay on the rocks. We even see the Nile Crocodile ... you remember the song "how does the crocodile sound ?" and no one knows how does a crocodile sounds ? hehe Momichan asks theese crocodiles about, but they do not answer :) they go on sleeping or what ever they are doing.

This kind of croc can reach 7 meter length and 1 ton weight, fortunately theese are quite little, less than one meter long.

After long walking we need a rest, so many people make me nervous, I continuously have to search for my hubby and care about Momichan not escape too far, also look at the stroller containg all my belongings and Momichan items, after one hour I am completely stressed. With so many people is easy to loose a child or get stealed.
We decided to visit the souvenir shop, we let Momichan walk a little, she gets completely mad for some pelouches shaped animals, embraces a little soft grey penguin and we decide to buy her in remembering of this day. Here she is, embracing her new friend at the coffee shop we went afterward for a rest.

A particularity of Genova Aquarium is a special basin in which there are rays and trigonis and everyone can touch them, the animals are curious and if you are delicate you can easily touch them on the nose or parts of the body. Momichan get one of her sleeves completely wet and also tries to drink the salted water of the basin despite all my attempts to keep her dry. She has still short little arms so she is not able to reach the rays but she can see one passing by, very near.

A fish we are not able to see this time is the Moon Fish or Mola Mola, is a kind of disk with eyes and little fins that can reach 2 tons weight. In our visit in 2007 my hubby and I saw in the same basin of the sharks but this time, maybe because of the crowd, we did not found nowere.

(this Mola Mola has been photographed at the Aquarium on july 19, 2007 on our previous visit, Momichan at that time was neither in our dreams).

At the end of the visit is alredy 7.30 PM, we have to go back home, the Aquarium is starting to close. Luckily rain has stopped for a little while so we can go out breathing the fresh air of the evening.

Near the Aquarium there is a giostra and Momi wants to get inside, we buy her three tickets and she starts to shout happily seated on a little plane.

We have to find something to eat for Momi because we will be home not before eleven and she cannot wait for dinner. Near the giostra, some "bancarelle di mercato" (something like this), are selling regional foods and sandwiches, we buy some roasted meat for Momi and a big hot dog for us and we go back to the car. As soon as we are inside starts raining again ! UFF !!!

Anyway we are hot enough, we are seated and we have some food, Momichan eats all and drinks her fruit tea from her bottle, we start the engine of the car and we go, after a while Momichan is already fallen asleep. Is 9.20 PM.

We arrive home around eleven, Momichan awakes totally for a while, just the time to make shower, change diaper, wear a soft pijama and go bed with a big milk bottle. Meanwhile little penguin pelouche is also taking a bath inside the washmashine but in short time he is clean and dry enough to jump inside bed with Momichan who embraces it touching his fur happily and embracing the penguin Momichan fall asleep.

Dream little Momi, dream about this special day we had and all the new animals, things and emotions we had.

first time in a museum

We came back from the mountains on monday and after an entire week with fresh air and super nap time we have been submerged by a terrible monstruous hot, nearly 38 degrees !!!
Poor Momichan suffers hot a lot so we thought that as we are quite never alltogather (because daddy works all week long) it could have been a nice idea to visit the City Civic Acquarium and so we went. I have taken the light strolley and a rucksack with everything I could need for Momichan (bottle, dummy, a change of dresses, nappies) and we are already on the way.

It has been a cute idea to show Momichan many different fishes from sweet and salted waters and also to stay in a fresh place (as inside the acquarium there is air conditioned), though Momichan is so small, she is astonished and curious about all the tipes of fishes and animals and shout happily amused pointing at all the fishes swimming inside the pools.

Momichan like so much the tropical pool with so many colooured fishes, star fishes, sea weeds, corals and strange animals but also she is fascinated by the jelly fish :)

After the Civic Aquarium we thought as we were in the nearby, to visit also the Natural History Museum but we were late so the lady at the door said we could do just a short tour, we could visit only the downstairs with prehistoric animals, insects, and stones but we will come back another day to show Momichan all the animals inside at the second floor. The foto on the right shows two giant crabs from the Japan sea, the male is the biggest one and seeing it inside the museum crab is really enormous
We also made a foto with a small triceratops and Momichan looked at him with sourprise.
After the museum we went along for the center of Milan, Duomo Plaza and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, we entered some shops and also the Disney Store to show Momichan some items, we would like to make her a cute present for her 1st year the 19 november so we will come back.
Poor baby was tired, we bought some fresh water and went along around for the shops as normal tourists for a time, once home I made Momi a fresh shower, dressed and gave her dinner, she fell asleep in short time ^^