My Expo passport

During our stay at Expo 2015, we collected stamps for a souvenir passport. It is an activity probably intended for children, but we wanted to get in on the fun, too.

For a list of the countries, see the Expo website. If you can't see the slideshow below, click through.

I was a guest

The Alitalia and Etihad Expo pavilion hosts a cooking show, The Imagination Lounge, three times a day, demonstrating the cuisine available on the business class flights.

We missed it the first time we stopped, but they were filming when we returned for my companions to try the Boeing 737 flight simulator over Naples. But that is another story.

The video is a mixture of Italian and English. It is obvious that the hosts, Francesca and Enrico, are having fun. Pietro(?), the chocolate chef from Modica, Sicily, is trying hard to get his creation demonstrated. Marco comes in and out later. From what I understood, their boss was viewing the taping and "Tomorrow fired!".

I have noted noted some interesting points:
3:05 My husband tries to cross under the camera.
13:00 I am called up and appear with the toque which is put on various heads through the episode.
13:34 "I love chocolate!"
15:14 Francesca and I are tasting from the bowl.
17:55 "Our guest want to beat our seeds."
19:05 "First of all...", when I use the wrong end of the pestle.
20:30 "Thank you, madam."
24:10 A description of what makes Modica chocolate special.
28:30 "Amazing plate for our amazing guest"
29:25 "Back for the best!"

There is an addictive streaming channel, if you want more.

My room has the scent of Salvatore Ferragamo

We are home and now reliving the memories as we unpack. My wardrobe did well. I didn't have to worry. I knew it would be hot and it was. We made it through with easy laundry options along the way. The Singapore Airbnb apartment had a machine and drying rack on the balcony. The B&B hostess in Italy offered to launder piecework. We took her up by the load - wash, dry and folded for 8 €, almost $9. It was worth it not to give up an afternoon to haul it to a laundromat. We did four loads during our twelve day stay, counting down the days in clean pairs of underwear. 

Everything in my suitcase was not just dirty but also sweaty from the record heatwave in Italy. I guess there was a clean long sleeve T-shirt that I didn't need to wear on the plane. But it was easy to unpack and dump it all down the clothes shoot.

We picked up things along the way, including some airline swag. My son was passionate to book our reward flights in first class - three one-way trips around the world. The last leg was changed days while we were in Italy, as flights opened up.  We flew Asiana, Thai and Lufthansa first class, trans-oceanic flights.

The swag is over the top. It's not just a small pouch with eye shades, ear plugs and socks. I unpacked three designer sets of pajamas to add to the laundry. Then I tackled the zip-lock bag of liquids, now brimming with lotions, shampoos, cremes collected from our travels. I was careful pulling it out because sometimes leaks occur. I didn't notice anything damp, but the smell was delightful. As I came to the bottom, I found the perfume bottle had popped it's lid and the Salvatore Ferragamo had pored out and evaporated over the contents of the bag.

My room now has the scent of Salvatore Ferragamo.