Author: Johanna Gallo

CandyLand in Milano

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Milan is definitely starting to feel festive around this time of the year and it’s great. We ventured out for a little walk around the center yesterday evening and saw this amazing candy cane tram for the first time … it reminded me of the CandyLand board game I used to play with my brothers and sisters as a child… anyone else remember that?? I imagine that anyone who wasn’t feeling the holiday cheer would have to smile at the sight of it. I’m loving the creativity of this city 🙂

Quanto Sei Bella Cernobbio | Lake Como

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One of our favorite days trips from Milan is to the quaint little city of Cernobbio, located on Lake Como. It’s probably about a mile long (or less), sits right on the lake, and is beautiful year-round, especially in the summer months when you can walk through the little city, sit outside in a restaurant with a refreshing glass of Prosecco and delicious cheese platter, or sip on a cappuccino in a cute cafe. I took the featured photo after a hike up the mountain that brought us to this gorgeous panoramic view of Lake Como.

Thailand Travel: Summer Tips, Maps & Photos

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I’ve jotted down some thoughts from previous trips of mine as I’ve been there on holiday at different times of the year (and also lived there for a short period of time years ago). I’ve included lots of photos and maps since I’m a really visual person – so hopefully that will help some of you as well 🙂 Feel free to comment and/or ask any questions that come up and I’ll try to give you any insight I have.

Le Macaron | Paris

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What is it about these little beauties that makes them so popular around the world? I first tried them back in 2004 when I lived in France for about four months, and while I wasn’t particularly wowed by the taste initially, I was instantly attracted to the tiny little delicate morsels, just sitting in the bakery windows all perfectly lined up, flashing their pretty colors at people as they walked by, hoping to be scooped up in little cellophane bags or small gift boxes.

The Power to Change Your World

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“Change Your Thoughts & You Change Your World.”  This afternoon I thought about the power of our thoughts, and the role our attitude and perspective plays in our day to day life. One of my clients had to reschedule a meeting last minute and I ended up with a couple of free hours … free hours that I wanted fill up by doing something ‘productive.’

Mozzarella di Bufala | Napoli

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If you ever head to southern Italy, do yourself a favor and make sure you try the mozzarella di bufala, a delicious specialty from the Campania region (Naples area). Honestly, it’s the best mozzarella I’ve ever had in my life. I guess you can say we have some pretty good imported mozzarella di bufala and burrata cheeses in San Francisco (we have a pretty big Italian population and “Little Italy”), but there’s just nothing quite like the real deal over here. It’s moist, dripping with buffalo milk, soft and the flavor is fantastic, especially when paired with prosciutto crudo: it’s a winning combination. If and when we move from Italy one day, this is one of the things that will top the charts in terms of things I miss.

Food Lovers, Pace Yourselves!

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Every meal is an important part of Italian life and culture – especially on Sunday when families gather together for a long lunch, one that usually last for a minimum of three hours. For Easter (Pasqua) this year we headed down to Gaeta, a beautiful city along the coast in southern Italy where some of my husband’s family lives. (It reminds me a lot of Sausalito, California if anyone is familiar with the Bay Area).