Tuesday, July 25, 2006

A TRIBUTE TO THE ONES IN BED

They got here last night after a 7 hour bike ride from Este (324 km away) in time to try the “how many elephants fit in the phone box” exercise with plates and our small table. A fine reward for hiking half way up the hill! Now they are in bed and they don’t realise that I will attempt to get them alll the way up to Santa Margherita today ;-)

Si o No
Rocio and Piero doing the macarena dance.

Monday, July 24, 2006

ULTRASONIC ROBBIEEEEEE AND MUCH MORE

There were blokes, straight ones at that, proudly wearing t-shirts with “RW” printed on the front, back, arm, etc. I just sat there and gazed. Watching Robbie Williams from the top of San Siro was an out-of-this-world experience. The whole stadium was moving, not just the people, the actual concrete structure too – and all that for one little bloke! Wow.

Other endeavours during that time included bird-spotting and Mexican food on Corso Como (cranes and flamingos mostly – i.e. models) with Sabrina and Andrea who also put us up in their flat in San Donato after having taken us to the Navigli to check out huge plastic lemons. On Saturday we were moved from Hotel Ariston (the ecological one – “that means no toilet roll,” said Lynda) to Hotel Mentana (plenty of air con to contrast the 40 degree outside – I will plant a tree to compensate) in time for the arrival of Cynthia and Laurent who miraculously managed to get from the train station to the hotel in under two hours. From there we literally shopped until we dropped, saw the lady at the table behind us get her bag snatched, walked past a punch up in the Arab areas, then dashed to the concert.

Sunday involved surviving mayonnaise sandwiches – that was at 3am but Italians are experts in preservatives, so there were no real fears; watching Cristian and Cynthia fall asleep over a cocktail – that was 3.30am; making a racket at breakfast – 10.29am; out in the heat again and training home in time to find that the guard dog who was in heat had been let out and had spent the afternoon with the small black thing of the opposite sex. Anyone want a puppy?...

Duomo di Milano
The Duomo is being cleaned. By the time they have finished the second part, it will be time to redo the first bit...

Balbi e Balossi
Andrea and Sabrina at the Mexican restaurant on Corso Como.

Hen night
Whip me in front of the lemon.

Cinzia e Lorenzo
Cinzia e Lorenzo dealing with the heat.

San Siro
He was down there somewhere!

cocktails
It only took the pina colada to arrive for Cristian to wake up.

Monday, July 17, 2006

WHAT HOPS, WEARS LEATHER TROUSERS AND A TABLECLOTH ON ITS HEAD?

A folk dancer of course. And they drove me round the bend too with their incessant accordion music!! Things like that happen all the time in Cortona. One minute you think it is just going to be another one of those boring evenings out, the next they are setting up a stage and have got projectors all over the main square in preparation for the European Championship of Folk Dancing (who knew there was such a thing in the first place?).

Bar Signorelli barman
Indeed!

Naught so queer as folk...
The drummers were wearing no tights. A novelty. I tried to get a picture and check under the skirts, but they moved on...

Folk cover the piazza
He went blonde. Why?

Friday, July 14, 2006

HOLLAND VS ITALY

No, not another football match, just Noor and Gijs (Kreiss for those who would like to know that he is in fact not called “Gis”) who came to spend some time chilling out by the lake and walking down memory lane in Perugia. Noor went to l’Universita per Stranieri and lived with Cristian last century. It was in fact a good excuse to go shopping and have a nice couple of evenings out here and at Umbria Jazz.

Welcome back!
Noor, Cris and Gijs: the beginning of a nursery rhyme.

Was it Barry Manilow
Karaoke paradise at the Ciao Ciao, Tuoro sul Trasimeno.

Nappini
Luca e Barbara, Corso Vannucci, Perugia, relaxing between two shops.

Funk Off
Getting us grooving!

Paolo e Gabriella
Happiness is...

Sunday, July 09, 2006

DID ANYONE NOTICE THAT WE….

WON THE WORLD CUP????
Since it has just been one big party, from the pool to the piazza and back, several times. I pounced on the barman, kissed the wine seller and waltzed with the plumber. Cristian got the hangover of the century on just three pints (ohhh the Brits would not be proud) (but there were other things involved too) and the rest of Cortona was just as alive… but I notice that I have said all this already ;-)

Fedy & Fede - fans
Italian Fans.

Molesini Junior
The Molesini Empire uncorked a huge magnum of wine!! We need to win more often.

Cortona World Cup
What the square looked like.

Cortona World Cup
The street was teeming with naked men!!

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

MASS HYSTERIA

My eyes are still glued together, in fact, I think I will not leave the safety of my sunglasses today. Got home at 4 am after celebrating Italy’s victory against Germany. It was supposed to be a 4th of July party but it was dramatically gate crashed. Cortona went berserk, people running around everywhere with flags, singing, bouncing up and down, exploding the horns of their cars as they drove past rugapiana for the 20th time in a row. Even the landlord who had the bad idea of turning up at 7.30 this morning had no voice. Last night reminded me why I just love this place!!!