krug

I am not sure I ever said Michelin three starred restaurants have an exclusive on good food; it was merely an example given in response to others' rather ill-informed perception that London and England suffers a Soviet-style diet.

Well, this shouldn’t turn into a London vs. Milan antipathy thread; they are both great cities in their own way. And Italy did win the World Cup.

As has been said, Milan might be the place for you if you are linguistically able (though not a prerequisite) and like the idea of a challenge working abroad.

London if you prefer a more familiar (to a San Fransiscan, at least) way of life.

I think the specific question about actually working aboard is important to focus on. Living away from home can be tough at the best of times, add into the mix what will probably be a challenging assignment (work wouldn’t have sent you overseas if they didn’t really need you there), and quite a bit of adjustment.

Add to this the fact that London is one of the most expensive places in the world to live, and work is picking up the bill for this, I think you really should take advantage of this opportunity. You can still travel to Milan, no doubt on business, and as it has been noted it can be quite quiet at the weekends there. You can take a week's vacation near Lake garda and really relax and sample the food and wine properly.

My London weekend was pretty good; went out for a picnic after work to see Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutti on Friday at the outdoors www.hollandparkopera.com (just £36/ticket) under a perfect summers evening, walked home.

Saturday Sainsbury's elivered my shopping, plenty of Orgainic stuff from the SO range.

Jumped on bus from outside my house using an oyster card (cashless system, capped cost) and dropped outside Harrods and then onwards to Selfridges for the July Sales – got some great bargains, saving nearly 45%. Then to Soho and a bargain store where I picked up a steak knife set for a fiver, and bought some fresh fruit in a market stall.

Back via HMV Records (more bargains!), poped into the www.royalacademy.org.uk for the Modigliani exhibition and a bus ride past the Ritz, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner. Champagne Afternoon Tea at Carlton Tower with friends and then to a movie in Leicester Square and a late trip to Chinatown and Wong Kei’s for cheap eats - £12 each.

Sunday saw a trip to Brighton on the south coast, just an hour by train from London and fish and chips on the beach, surprisingly sunny and warm, read the paper on a deck chair, walked up the pier and played on the amusements, great restaurant called Havana for supper and back home in time for sundown.