...anche al lago, siamo coperti da uno strato di bianco.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thursday, October 08, 2009
A BIRDSEYE VIEW OF THE BURGLARS
And this is what we saw as two burglars took their time destroying the shop-front of our local jewelers... Nice to know the Polizia put the phone down on us, telling us we had to call the Carabinieri. Meanwhile the burglars were shouting back in Napoletano, telling us to mind our own business.
And this is what we saw as two burglars took their time destroying the shop-front of our local jewelers... Nice to know the Polizia put the phone down on us, telling us we had to call the Carabinieri. Meanwhile the burglars were shouting back in Napoletano, telling us to mind our own business.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A MARMOT WEEKEND
After spending the entire morning asleep - it takes that much these days to recover from a night at the Pellicano (surrounded by teenagers, eating hamburgers and chips whilst downing pints - for some) with Luca, Barbara and co - we eventually emerged to find the lake turning brown... At least there seems to be a bit of water in there too at the moment!
Lago Trasimeno, with mud spill?
After spending the entire morning asleep - it takes that much these days to recover from a night at the Pellicano (surrounded by teenagers, eating hamburgers and chips whilst downing pints - for some) with Luca, Barbara and co - we eventually emerged to find the lake turning brown... At least there seems to be a bit of water in there too at the moment!
Lago Trasimeno, with mud spill?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
CHRISTMAS DAY
How many antipasti, primi and secondi is it fit to indulge in on Christmas Day?! The sky seemed to be the limit as we settled in the sala di Casa Giardini. Halfway through, we had to have a present break to digest. Nonno Pasquale was thrilled by the calendar that Gioia got him (half clad women on boats - something related to charity) and managed to avoid a heart attack as he flicked through the months. Our chocolate-filled sock was immediately banished by Nonna Giovanna. In the meantime, Nonna Bianca told us all about her recipes and about evicting her neighbours. A fun day.
A new scarf to impress the girls.
Gioia, Cataldo, Pasquale, Giovanna, Bianca.
How many antipasti, primi and secondi is it fit to indulge in on Christmas Day?! The sky seemed to be the limit as we settled in the sala di Casa Giardini. Halfway through, we had to have a present break to digest. Nonno Pasquale was thrilled by the calendar that Gioia got him (half clad women on boats - something related to charity) and managed to avoid a heart attack as he flicked through the months. Our chocolate-filled sock was immediately banished by Nonna Giovanna. In the meantime, Nonna Bianca told us all about her recipes and about evicting her neighbours. A fun day.
A new scarf to impress the girls.
Gioia, Cataldo, Pasquale, Giovanna, Bianca.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
COMPLEANNI E PANCIONI
We screwed up everyone's card-playing plans - that is what we do at Christmas over here, you get out the briscola set and any board game you have and then invite people over for a night of gambling. We had them over for a last minute fondue chinoise instead to celebrate Valentina's birthday.
Brave Federica and Giandomenico drank the broth and actually enjoyed the noodles - we cannot say as much for the others... but Flavio did impress the crowds by cooking ten slices of beef at once.
The birthday girl's bump is one month behind ours!
We screwed up everyone's card-playing plans - that is what we do at Christmas over here, you get out the briscola set and any board game you have and then invite people over for a night of gambling. We had them over for a last minute fondue chinoise instead to celebrate Valentina's birthday.
Brave Federica and Giandomenico drank the broth and actually enjoyed the noodles - we cannot say as much for the others... but Flavio did impress the crowds by cooking ten slices of beef at once.
The birthday girl's bump is one month behind ours!
Friday, December 19, 2008
WHAT IS PINK, RUNS AROUND SMILING AND HAS A BROWN MIDDLE?
Loulou of course! And she did not arrive alone. By mid December, mate had acquired Flybaboo shares and got herself, Laurine and the wheels down to Florence. And so it was that we drove off into the night with a family size pack of M&Ms and lots of chit chatting. By the following day, having slipped down the lop-sided bed during the night, the girls were ready for a full round of baking (more mince pies!!), shopping (no woolly jumper...), visiting (here and there and Perugia), drawing (including a portrait of Bean in Tummy), painting (on the kitchen floor), building (such as Christmas tree birds with Matteo and Simone) and lots more.
Our photographer focused on the inbred locals, using us as props.
Lovely weather, warm, sunny, no wind...
And they managed to avoid slapping each other too hard.
Disappearing into the sofa.
Loulou of course! And she did not arrive alone. By mid December, mate had acquired Flybaboo shares and got herself, Laurine and the wheels down to Florence. And so it was that we drove off into the night with a family size pack of M&Ms and lots of chit chatting. By the following day, having slipped down the lop-sided bed during the night, the girls were ready for a full round of baking (more mince pies!!), shopping (no woolly jumper...), visiting (here and there and Perugia), drawing (including a portrait of Bean in Tummy), painting (on the kitchen floor), building (such as Christmas tree birds with Matteo and Simone) and lots more.
Our photographer focused on the inbred locals, using us as props.
Lovely weather, warm, sunny, no wind...
And they managed to avoid slapping each other too hard.
Disappearing into the sofa.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
OUR LAST MINIBREAK AS A DUET?!?
And so it was that Cristian hobbled on one leg and I poddled on two round the beautiful historic centre of Lucca for the Ponte dell'Otto Dicembre.
When we got to the Torre dei Guinigi, with its trees sprouting atop, and discovered there was no lift, we decided we had better come back the following day, taking a picnic with us and making it into a 12-hour excursion.
Needless to say that we managed to skip it, basking in the sunshine of Piazza Napoleone instead and discovering Trattoria da Francesco (family run, super yummy cappeletti lucchesi).
Lovely handbag! (Torre dei Guinigi in the background)
The best mortadella sandwich bench ever!
Piazza dell'anfiteatro.
And so it was that Cristian hobbled on one leg and I poddled on two round the beautiful historic centre of Lucca for the Ponte dell'Otto Dicembre.
When we got to the Torre dei Guinigi, with its trees sprouting atop, and discovered there was no lift, we decided we had better come back the following day, taking a picnic with us and making it into a 12-hour excursion.
Needless to say that we managed to skip it, basking in the sunshine of Piazza Napoleone instead and discovering Trattoria da Francesco (family run, super yummy cappeletti lucchesi).
Lovely handbag! (Torre dei Guinigi in the background)
The best mortadella sandwich bench ever!
Piazza dell'anfiteatro.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
HOW DID THE SPINACH HIT THE WALL?
Ken dragged his girls to watch Pozzuolo versus some obscure village football team, one freezing Sunday afternoon, when the wind was blowing a gale and the nose hairs were congealing.
A few days later, to ensure the heroic kids had survived, we had them round for a mini-pancake party.
The girls were angels but somehow spinach was splashed half way up the dining room hall (right behind Ken's head?!? a giveaway?) and Cristian got the entire machine floating in nutella and whipped cream...
The Murphys minus Danica.
Ken dragged his girls to watch Pozzuolo versus some obscure village football team, one freezing Sunday afternoon, when the wind was blowing a gale and the nose hairs were congealing.
A few days later, to ensure the heroic kids had survived, we had them round for a mini-pancake party.
The girls were angels but somehow spinach was splashed half way up the dining room hall (right behind Ken's head?!? a giveaway?) and Cristian got the entire machine floating in nutella and whipped cream...
The Murphys minus Danica.
Monday, November 10, 2008
FOX PARADE
Fox and Mate saved the day again!!!! They arrived from Cesena just in time to see Cristian before his knee operation and were there to lend their support to Bean and me, and tell lots of silly jokes.
In the space of a week, they:
- delivered a ton of material from Isa and JA - saving us from the hassle and stress of trying to figure out what Bean will need (one trip to Prenatal nearly saw the shop assistant cleaved in half - and no, not by me, but by Fox. I wonder where I get it from?!);
- cooked lots of meals - including a full on Christmas dinner (with a turkey-chicken-cat hybrid - ask Fox, he will tell you - and with a gorgeous Christmas tree too);
- cleaned the terrace and washed the table and chairs (we can now eat on the floor it is so sparkling);
- sorted out the bike shed, removing all spiders (there were millions);
- built a bed and bookshelf (king of diy);
- had the entire kitchen pot-drying cabinet fall on their head (ok, that was Fox, and no, he did not admit to yanking the doors open);
- taught me how to make pastry (ban the bomb gigantic mince pie and treacle tart - my next trip to perugia will include a treacle hunt);
- went to the Silvestrini CUP to pay for a free ecography;
- and much much more.
I tried to confiscate the car keys, but to no avail... one week down the line, they had disappeared and the fairytale dissolved into thin air.
A first? Christmas in November!
Any excuse to celebrate.
What was that joke about the I-Tit? or the Daddy Long Legs?
Fox and Mate saved the day again!!!! They arrived from Cesena just in time to see Cristian before his knee operation and were there to lend their support to Bean and me, and tell lots of silly jokes.
In the space of a week, they:
- delivered a ton of material from Isa and JA - saving us from the hassle and stress of trying to figure out what Bean will need (one trip to Prenatal nearly saw the shop assistant cleaved in half - and no, not by me, but by Fox. I wonder where I get it from?!);
- cooked lots of meals - including a full on Christmas dinner (with a turkey-chicken-cat hybrid - ask Fox, he will tell you - and with a gorgeous Christmas tree too);
- cleaned the terrace and washed the table and chairs (we can now eat on the floor it is so sparkling);
- sorted out the bike shed, removing all spiders (there were millions);
- built a bed and bookshelf (king of diy);
- had the entire kitchen pot-drying cabinet fall on their head (ok, that was Fox, and no, he did not admit to yanking the doors open);
- taught me how to make pastry (ban the bomb gigantic mince pie and treacle tart - my next trip to perugia will include a treacle hunt);
- went to the Silvestrini CUP to pay for a free ecography;
- and much much more.
I tried to confiscate the car keys, but to no avail... one week down the line, they had disappeared and the fairytale dissolved into thin air.
A first? Christmas in November!
Any excuse to celebrate.
What was that joke about the I-Tit? or the Daddy Long Legs?
Monday, November 03, 2008
WONDERING WHAT COUNTRY THIS IS?! ME TO!!
Today is the day Alitalia has another one of its meetings to decide if the staff can accept the new proposal to save the company. Somehow, the past month and a half has been one long ultimatum - too much deficit, time to collapse it; new investors, time to save it; cash injection opposed by Brussels, time to seek a sentence. Hopefully they will not resort to flying the planes with no pilots or hostesses...
Cristian was also supposed to be operated on today - knee ligaments - but the surgeon called on Sunday to say the hospital was going on strike so he would be operated on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Mah?! Oh and it is now 16.00 on Monday afternoon and we still don't know if/when the operation will take place.
Today is the day Alitalia has another one of its meetings to decide if the staff can accept the new proposal to save the company. Somehow, the past month and a half has been one long ultimatum - too much deficit, time to collapse it; new investors, time to save it; cash injection opposed by Brussels, time to seek a sentence. Hopefully they will not resort to flying the planes with no pilots or hostesses...
Cristian was also supposed to be operated on today - knee ligaments - but the surgeon called on Sunday to say the hospital was going on strike so he would be operated on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Mah?! Oh and it is now 16.00 on Monday afternoon and we still don't know if/when the operation will take place.
BACK TO FRONT
The boiler pump has blown up, as they do when the boiler is an antique and the owner refuses to change the whole thing. The plumber was suppose to arrive before lunch, he turned up at 14.30 only to tell me he will have to send someone else later. I love waiting for the boiler man, its become one of my favorite pass-times :)
On another positive note, the workmen have finally arrived to do up the entrance hall (perfect timing to start banging and making lots of dust since I have been away a month and have Mate and Fox arriving just today!!).
Now my question is: why lay the new tiles BEFORE painting the walls and adjusting the doors to they will actually close - or the tiles near the door will fit?!
The boiler pump has blown up, as they do when the boiler is an antique and the owner refuses to change the whole thing. The plumber was suppose to arrive before lunch, he turned up at 14.30 only to tell me he will have to send someone else later. I love waiting for the boiler man, its become one of my favorite pass-times :)
On another positive note, the workmen have finally arrived to do up the entrance hall (perfect timing to start banging and making lots of dust since I have been away a month and have Mate and Fox arriving just today!!).
Now my question is: why lay the new tiles BEFORE painting the walls and adjusting the doors to they will actually close - or the tiles near the door will fit?!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
BELLA ROMA
Bean and I survived!!!!
Actually, we sailed through the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) meeting and the Rotterdam Convention 4th Conference of the Parties.
The Villa San Pio hotel was a highlight, as were a few of the restaurants we tried in Testaccio. Mainly it was a fun opportunity to spend time with Melanie and Wangu the first week, before Melanie set off for New Caledonia (as you do).
So here we have:
Nancy (our Logistics, throughout), Andrej (forest mtg), moi, Mel (TL for wk1), Wagaki (TL forests), Wangu (front - writer both wks), Anne (back - writer wk 2), Keith (writer wk2), Nicole (forests) and Soledad (our TL for wk2).
And this is Anne, Bean and Moi handing out ENBs in plenary.
Bean and I survived!!!!
Actually, we sailed through the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) meeting and the Rotterdam Convention 4th Conference of the Parties.
The Villa San Pio hotel was a highlight, as were a few of the restaurants we tried in Testaccio. Mainly it was a fun opportunity to spend time with Melanie and Wangu the first week, before Melanie set off for New Caledonia (as you do).
So here we have:
Nancy (our Logistics, throughout), Andrej (forest mtg), moi, Mel (TL for wk1), Wagaki (TL forests), Wangu (front - writer both wks), Anne (back - writer wk 2), Keith (writer wk2), Nicole (forests) and Soledad (our TL for wk2).
And this is Anne, Bean and Moi handing out ENBs in plenary.
