I always celebrate my birthday with a very small group of people, who I love most and celebrate for few days in different places with them, because my family and friends don’t all live in the same town. 

On my birthday this year I was somewhere in Italy close to Milan, but I didn't know where I was exactly. I still don't know where I was, because it was a surprise gift. All I know is that it was a very big Italian manor house hotel close to a river with a beautiful landscape. Next morning I woke up with sunshine after a week of bad weather in Milan and I felt so happy. We went to the stables to spend time with their horses and dogs and talking with an old lady and her grandson. It was the perfect morning to start a day after my birthday - just perfect! 

Apart from this peaceful morning and romantic dinner, my birthday week in Italy was quite hectic with an active social life. This included a meeting with a very talented artist Marco Minotti and jewelry designer Eflem, famous stylist Clara Chito for a fitting and going to an art exposition to meet more interesting people  - thanks to Christiana for her kind invitation. Having coffee break at my favorite pastry shop Martesana, where the charming Valeria is sweeter than the pastries they make and going to a  "Golden Party" for another Birthday girl Elisabetta and meeting her adorable sisters and friends. 

In Italy we always eat well and always find something new and good. This time I discovered "Gnocco Fritto" I don't know who picked that restaurant, but there were about 15 of us. This was the first time that I felt like an oriental doll but ate like a little bird as European people describe oriental women! The other guests were all from Milan and they were all tall and strong. We spent our time eating and talking and then more food arrived! By the end of the dinner I was not a little bird from orient anymore. I was officially a cow.

You have no idea how happy I was when I climbed into my bed to sleep that night. It was different from my romantic candle light birthday dinner but Italian food always makes us happy. Even in the tent of an Art Fair they offered me 6 different flavours of cream for my coffee and we listened to a pianist playing an open grand Piano while were eating and drinking. That's Italy!

Thank you very much for my dream Birthday,

Saeko Hamada