Al Galileo was the cheapest pizza restaurant that we encountered during our stay in Milan. It was also the best, one of the friendliest and also very fast — albeit being fast might be explained with the fact that we were the first (and by then only) customers in the restaurant. It had just opened it doors for dining that night.

The place is a bit worn, but quite cozy. The service is friendly, and the pizzas were just melting into our mouth. Can’t say much about the rest of the food, but pastas and other portions seem to follow the suite.

Al Galileo, Via Galilei Galileo 14, Milan, Italy, +39 02 3656 1000

I’ve recently received a huge amount of various spam messages that have been addressed to Gunnar Selheden @ various domains of mine.

In the past, the spam has arrived with various addresses that are just random. This behaviour has changed a bit for now, and maybe in the future there will be more poor Gunnars as recipients.

I’m curious to know where the name has been picked up. Probably I’ll never know (but you never know).

Bar Erri is a traditional Italian bar/café that is a good alternative for the McDonald’s just opposite for having a quick feast and a cup of coffee.

There is a food counter at the end of the bar, stocked full of different kinds of filled breads. Everything is relatively inexpensive and tastes really delicious. The ladies serving you won’t speak much English, but with gestures, smiles and some common words you can go lengths. They have also a lot of different coffees, soft drinks and juices.

Remember that you pay at the counter next to the exit. If you can’t say what did you have, the staff will inquire themselves until everything is settled. And unlike in some tourist destinations, they don’t fool you while doing it.

Bar Erri, 28, Via Durini, Milan, Italy, +39 02 7600 0979

Most of the shops in Hua Hin tourist area are located in a shacklike premises. The new and modernly designed Sailom Pavilion is thus a fresh change for shopping. Elegantly made of wood, steel and glass, the minimall has charm to lure people inside to the shops.

The storerooms are not big, as there are more than a dozen of them in two floors. There are several Western-style eateries and cafés, and excellent ice cream parlour and a few stores selling books, bags and sporting equipment.

The inner patio is a good place to unwind a bit without buying something to eat or drink.

Sailam Pavilion, Damnern Kasem Road, Hua Hin, Thailand

We are keen sauna-goers in Finland. One of the traditions is to have a company summer day with all kind of games, tasks or other similar ways to improve the group spirit and have some fun — and then to have a sauna.

We had ours in Scandic Marski, a centrally located hotel in Helsinki downtown. This is a bit unusual in Finland, as there were no sea or lake to dip into while having sauna. For some odd reason, the most facilities outside hotels are designed for bigger groups — and the price tag is set accordingly.

The event itself was good, we had good time and also talked about the business for a while, to improve it further.

The hotel was not up to the par. First, they had forgotten to provide the projector we asked. There was a flat LCD TV that could have been used, but the cable was missing. It was delivered after a short phone call.

Then we ran out of lemonade. Usually beer is flowing in these events, but somehow our company has only moderate intake. There were at least three or four times more alcoholic drinks than non-alcoholic. When we asked for more lemonade, they brought only some — habits are hard to break. Fortunately, it was just enough.

The food was also wrong. Had asked for chicken, got pork. The hotel delivered a special portion after yet another phone call.

The real crux was, however, that the sauna was not turned on. It was mild 40C and slowly rose to 65C, after a phone call (of course). We had to enjoy a Swedish style sauna — and no, it didn’t include “massage” or any other Swedish specialties so famous from the flicks.

The hotel was kind enough to slash the price into half without asking. I’d be more than happy to pay the full price for a full experience. Now I paid half the price for half-assed experience. Next time, we’ll go somewhere else.

The centrally located Hua Hin Shopping Mall looks good on the map, but the feeling evaporates as you step inside. The whole place is filled with small stalls that sell all kinds of rags and other junk. Everything is catered; babies, toddlers, teens, males, females and so forth. Without any specific order.

The clerks (or shop owners, I don’t know) don’t speak that much of English, so be prepared to wave hands, show stuff and use calculator. The stuff is relatively cheap, but the experience is horrible.

There is a bigger grocery store at the other end of the complex, and it would be worth visiting — but Tesco Lotus a couple of kilometers south is much better alternative.

Hua Hin Shopping Mall, Phetchakasem Road, Hua Hin, Thailand

Buying all food and drinks from hotel pool bar or restaurants is easy and conveniently, but unfortunately quite expensive — especially on longer trips. Hua Hin is fortunately packed with small grocery stores, Mediterranean style supermarkets.

The FamilyMart chain has several outlets in the Hua Hin tourist area, one being very conveniently located just outside Hilton Hua Hin. The selection is extensive, including a wide variety of drinks (including, but not limited to alcohol), snacks of all kinds, ice creams, dairy products and so forth. The prices are okay, a bit depending on the product. The happy logo itself is a good reason to select FamilyMart instead of 7-Eleven.

www.familymart.co.th, Naretdamri Road (opposite of Hilton Hua Hin), Hua Hin, Thailand