Let me commence this by stating that my formidable touch_typing skills have been affronted by arrogant french keyboards, and i, now having to LOOK where i, typing because many keys are in different places! So i apologise in advance for any spelling mistakes!
So im in an internet cafe right now, ive just met Madame Andre who ill be living with! She lives fairly close to the town centre, in a 4room apartment, shes very lively and keeps busy by singing in 2 choirs and being involved in sporting organisations.. and has been hosting foreign students for 4 yrs! although she speaks no other languages, im pretty happy and im sure shell be fun- she chats like a chatterbox anyway!
Let me start fro, the beginning. it will have to be in dot forms for now, apologies again:
Monday 25th
last dinner with family all together in italy: it didnt really feel like a goodbye as both my parents and i zill sooner or later go back for a fez days, but i wish i could have taken a bit more than films of it back to Oz with me.
after dinner i joined my friend and her friends in the piazza for a while. incredible how all young people smoke over there, from ages 13 or 14. I had to explain to a smoked up long haired hippy that I was madly in love with my own man, thankyou very much, that was fun.
Tuesday 26th
incredibly quick flight to lyon, france, compared to the 18 hrs to get to australia! walked around Chambéry with parents, found it lovely, theres an impressive castle right in the middle of it, with the oldest parts of the city around it. found out pizza is a BIG thing over here, i guess i will probably resort to it a few ti,es for lunch (i have to find my own lunch, not included with Mme Andre).
Wednesdqy 27th
first stop was the castle which houses IFALPES, the french school for foreigners im attending. it was goregous. not one of those stony cold and sqare castles for battle, but a warm pinky coloyured one, situated on top of a little hill, it used to house a royal family. i met some of the organisers and they informed me that on monday ill be taking written and oral tests to figure out at what level im at with the language. theres 75 students starting with me and we will get places in 5 classes, depending on our levels.
my parents and i then had breakfast zith crossaints and bignes, who cares, it was yummy. found out coffee and gelati cost a bit more here than in italy. i had a little dream of stoppin in a cafe every day to watch people go by with a coffee.. i think i will be drinking wine instead, cheaper :)
anyway we got some information on public bycicles (is that spelt wrong..), as ill be renting one for 5 weeks to get around town. fairly cheap.
we then walked around town like headless chickens trying to ensure my health insurance, which no one wanted to give me; it was all solved in 5 minutes when we asked the school about it!
In the afternoon we drove to Annecy, a city on a lovely lake which was soo relaxing. Have you ever seen swans dive for food, Like they throw their heads under water and leave their white pointy bum in the air. Its quite a show! We also watched parent ducks feed their youngs, how sweet.. the little things :)
We had dinner there, on a bench, with bread and some fish patès we bought from the supermarket.
Can you believe this keyboard is making my left pinkie finger hurt? The letter A, most frequent, is right in the upper left angle. not happy.
Thursday 28th
This town has so many patisseries, what else could we choose for breakfast??
We visited the castle of Vizille, not too far from here, lovely for its 100ha of lawn! There is a small river which meets the entrance, surrounded by tall trees, benches (its open to the public) and areas used for apicolture and development of species of flora and fauna. The castle was also most impressive, with one of those huge staircases on the outside.
We then visited Grenoble, close by,
Whops, im being called, i have to interrupt this, will probably post again on monday after my first experiences of the school?? pray for me!!
xo
Friday, August 29, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
France is getting close!
21 / 08 - Thursday
It was rather a "it's getting hotter let's go away" morning, so the timing for our mountain break was perfect. Around 9am we left Conegliano and stopped at around midday in Cortina. This is a rich mountain town where celebrities are often spotted. Although I missed out on seeing Johnny Depp (he does have a house in France... fingers crossed), I spotted a shop featuring Billabong products! We stopped in a cafe with a most impressive delicatessen display, so there some of our lunch happened.
Once we arrived in Gais, Campo Turres, we took advantage of the afternoon tea offered. Some lovely deli products and pastries did us fine! Later in the afternoon we took a walk around a nearby castle. Finally the musky, fresh smell of forests I remembered from seven years ago! It was good to get those legs moving again!
At the hotel restaurant were 20+ lovely dishes for us to choose from the buffet. The menu tonight was to be Italian; this may seem obvious but Gais is so close to the Austrian border (the region was formerly Austrian) that the population is largely German and not all signs around town are translated in Italian. Interesting way of life though, because most residents are bilingual. Anyway, the buffet was quite satisfying.
Fools we were!
Following this, we were given another entree, a first course, a second, AND dessert! Best tiramisù I've ever tasted, sorry Dad! Everything was exquisite, and we endulged in this delicious ritual every night; we felt so guilty about how much food we had it was a nice excuse to go out after dinner :)
22 / 08 - Friday
On Friday we visited the castle of Campo Turres. My favourite so far! It overlooked the town and was very impressive, built largely on rocks around 1100. The castle was also well looked after and we took a guided tour around the magical insides. What struckme most was how small the window holes were around the place; situated over 800m in altitude, it could get quite chilli, also due to the stone walls. Furthermore, the absence of windows let all air in. However, very little light penetrated so I struggled to imagine the importance of candles! All doors, chairs and beds were much smaller than these days'. There were no wardrobes. A chapel (which didn't allow the presence of women, who had to spy through a hole in the wall and ceiling) and a priest's residence were within the castle. We were also shown the torture room and some pretty gore and scary ways the prisoners were treated.
In the afternoon, mum and I took off in an exploring entourage, and for some reason I thought it was hilarious to yell 'shark' in the middles of the forest. A few rounds of cards and another glorious meal awaited us.
Following dinner, the group split: my parents and grandma went to see a local orchestra, the rest of us went to a nearby town, Brunico, to see some late night markets and live music.
23 / 08 - Saturday
What a change in the sea! Overnight, a storm made the temperature drop about 15 degrees, and most of this rainy Saturday was with little sun. We decided to go to Brunico again to see its beauty (and shops) in the daylight.. had lunch in a cafe where we waited less than 10 mins for our meal, but over half an hour for three ice creams..
After a much needed siesta I walked around Gais with mum (literally ALL AROUND IT, it's that small) and again found ourselves in a place we were not supposed to be... an old church, in fact, which was being restaured. There comes the priest looking suspiciously at us..
A few more games of cards, dinner, and then we walked down to a local 'show' on the lake, which really consisted only of a stage with live music, a few bars and lots of people drinking beer. We were basically in Austria, remember! It was surprisingly strange though because at some point the Australian 'Land Down Under' song (by Men at Work) was playing!
24 / 08 - Sunday
Today we left Gais, as the sun came out again.
Stopping in San Candido and another town, we made it back home. After about an hour (just enough time to talk on the phone to my man, after four days!!) we had to go visit some people again, the family of a girl who used to go to school with my brother, Silvia. She invited me out for a pizza but unfortunately I had to give her a raincheck for October, since last night was one of the last dinners my family would have all together.
Because TODAY is Monday, and I've been for a ride to the castle of Conegliano, soon I need to get packing because TOMORROW I'm leaving for France!! Scary. Peur. I think that's 'fear' in French. Is that right Carolyn?? :s
It was rather a "it's getting hotter let's go away" morning, so the timing for our mountain break was perfect. Around 9am we left Conegliano and stopped at around midday in Cortina. This is a rich mountain town where celebrities are often spotted. Although I missed out on seeing Johnny Depp (he does have a house in France... fingers crossed), I spotted a shop featuring Billabong products! We stopped in a cafe with a most impressive delicatessen display, so there some of our lunch happened.
Once we arrived in Gais, Campo Turres, we took advantage of the afternoon tea offered. Some lovely deli products and pastries did us fine! Later in the afternoon we took a walk around a nearby castle. Finally the musky, fresh smell of forests I remembered from seven years ago! It was good to get those legs moving again!
At the hotel restaurant were 20+ lovely dishes for us to choose from the buffet. The menu tonight was to be Italian; this may seem obvious but Gais is so close to the Austrian border (the region was formerly Austrian) that the population is largely German and not all signs around town are translated in Italian. Interesting way of life though, because most residents are bilingual. Anyway, the buffet was quite satisfying.
Fools we were!
Following this, we were given another entree, a first course, a second, AND dessert! Best tiramisù I've ever tasted, sorry Dad! Everything was exquisite, and we endulged in this delicious ritual every night; we felt so guilty about how much food we had it was a nice excuse to go out after dinner :)
22 / 08 - Friday
On Friday we visited the castle of Campo Turres. My favourite so far! It overlooked the town and was very impressive, built largely on rocks around 1100. The castle was also well looked after and we took a guided tour around the magical insides. What struckme most was how small the window holes were around the place; situated over 800m in altitude, it could get quite chilli, also due to the stone walls. Furthermore, the absence of windows let all air in. However, very little light penetrated so I struggled to imagine the importance of candles! All doors, chairs and beds were much smaller than these days'. There were no wardrobes. A chapel (which didn't allow the presence of women, who had to spy through a hole in the wall and ceiling) and a priest's residence were within the castle. We were also shown the torture room and some pretty gore and scary ways the prisoners were treated.
In the afternoon, mum and I took off in an exploring entourage, and for some reason I thought it was hilarious to yell 'shark' in the middles of the forest. A few rounds of cards and another glorious meal awaited us.
Following dinner, the group split: my parents and grandma went to see a local orchestra, the rest of us went to a nearby town, Brunico, to see some late night markets and live music.
23 / 08 - Saturday
What a change in the sea! Overnight, a storm made the temperature drop about 15 degrees, and most of this rainy Saturday was with little sun. We decided to go to Brunico again to see its beauty (and shops) in the daylight.. had lunch in a cafe where we waited less than 10 mins for our meal, but over half an hour for three ice creams..
After a much needed siesta I walked around Gais with mum (literally ALL AROUND IT, it's that small) and again found ourselves in a place we were not supposed to be... an old church, in fact, which was being restaured. There comes the priest looking suspiciously at us..
A few more games of cards, dinner, and then we walked down to a local 'show' on the lake, which really consisted only of a stage with live music, a few bars and lots of people drinking beer. We were basically in Austria, remember! It was surprisingly strange though because at some point the Australian 'Land Down Under' song (by Men at Work) was playing!
24 / 08 - Sunday
Today we left Gais, as the sun came out again.
Stopping in San Candido and another town, we made it back home. After about an hour (just enough time to talk on the phone to my man, after four days!!) we had to go visit some people again, the family of a girl who used to go to school with my brother, Silvia. She invited me out for a pizza but unfortunately I had to give her a raincheck for October, since last night was one of the last dinners my family would have all together.
Because TODAY is Monday, and I've been for a ride to the castle of Conegliano, soon I need to get packing because TOMORROW I'm leaving for France!! Scary. Peur. I think that's 'fear' in French. Is that right Carolyn?? :s
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
we're off again
Our last few consecutive days in Conegliano have past fairly quickly.. They have been characterised by visiting friends and family and being visited, literally all day yesterday, going around town, and most of all EATING. Oh I also bought myself a snazzy digital camera, which is so far my most expensive expense. Unless we consider the language course in France I'm about to pay for! I'm beginning to notice the consequences of eating lots and going from a chair to the couch to the car... only occasionally walking or cycling! Feeling very guilty.
BUT! We are off (with my auntie, uncle, cousin and grandma) to Gais, near Campo Tures, the highest (in latitude) point of Italy, on the border of Austria. This place in the mountains should be a fresh change of air and we'll do some mountain walking which should make me feel better :p
will be back on Sunday. On next Tuesday we'll leave for France, as I'm close to starting my language course! I'm torn between excited and nervous right now, not underestimating the difficulty of the french language! :s
Have a good rest of the week!
BUT! We are off (with my auntie, uncle, cousin and grandma) to Gais, near Campo Tures, the highest (in latitude) point of Italy, on the border of Austria. This place in the mountains should be a fresh change of air and we'll do some mountain walking which should make me feel better :p
will be back on Sunday. On next Tuesday we'll leave for France, as I'm close to starting my language course! I'm torn between excited and nervous right now, not underestimating the difficulty of the french language! :s
Have a good rest of the week!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
just a quick note
Because time on this computer flies and I'm about to head out again!
Yesterday was Ferragosto, August 15th. It is a public holiday and, being the peak of summer, everyone usually goes on holiday somewhere, even if it's only for a few days. Two things were a bit different this year; due to a general economic depression, less people were on holidays, and it bloody hailed! In the afternoon, a storm came for a half hour or so to take the humidity away. Grazie! Anyway, I also found out that Ferragosto comes from the Ancient Roman times when Augusto was Emperor. Ferragosto = FERie di AGOSTO, or holidays of August. So initially Romans took most if not all of the month of August as holidays. And Augusto was also responsible for the naming of this month!
Anyway we didn't do much on this day, just went to the markets and had a few people over for lunch and in the afternoon. Today we visited people again and will go out for a pizza with my friend and her family. Should be nice.
Hmmm perfect time and temperature for a siesta, off I go :)
Yesterday was Ferragosto, August 15th. It is a public holiday and, being the peak of summer, everyone usually goes on holiday somewhere, even if it's only for a few days. Two things were a bit different this year; due to a general economic depression, less people were on holidays, and it bloody hailed! In the afternoon, a storm came for a half hour or so to take the humidity away. Grazie! Anyway, I also found out that Ferragosto comes from the Ancient Roman times when Augusto was Emperor. Ferragosto = FERie di AGOSTO, or holidays of August. So initially Romans took most if not all of the month of August as holidays. And Augusto was also responsible for the naming of this month!
Anyway we didn't do much on this day, just went to the markets and had a few people over for lunch and in the afternoon. Today we visited people again and will go out for a pizza with my friend and her family. Should be nice.
Hmmm perfect time and temperature for a siesta, off I go :)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
back from an exhaustingly beautiful Venice!
I have to pick up where I left, so a main highlight back up in Trento was visiting a (very) old monastery which used to keep friars cloistered centuries ago; the most particular thing about the place was its size: corridors were a few metres wide and the large rooms were rather empty or simply decorated, due to the simplistic lifestyle the friars obviously lived. They also grew much of what they ate so to have minimal contact with the outside world. Obviously a lovely church stands out close to the entrance, and if you look closely at the decorative paintings on the round ceilings.. there is a 3-D leg hanging off one man's pelvic area! So, after ignoring a 'PRIVATE' sign and walking upstairs where mum and I met no other tourists... and after being told by a scary friar who walked around the corner dressed in black from head to toe that.. no, we weren't really allowed to be there.. we left to visit more family.
Wednesday, around 7.40pm is when we got home. To my grandma's greatest horror, at 7.50pm we were walking out the door again! Some family friends had gotten together again for us as they were leaving for holidays, and it was our last chance to catch up. The evening was quite pleasant, and a very light snack for dinner was just what we needed.
So, finally catching up to TODAY! Today is Thursday, and we spent it in Venice. We were accompanied by a man who was born there so we didn't waste a lot of time trying to figure out on our own where to go. The glass manufacturing in Murano was amazing as ever (I'd seen it before as a child), the types of things and details these people can create is stunning. Again we walked up stairs we were not supposed to, to find a chamber containing the largest and most expensive chandeliers I've ever seen, with other impressive ournaments. The art of glass making, we learnt, is passed on father to son, there is no school in Murano or nearby to learn it.
We soon walked to a church built in 600AD, which is A LONG TIME AGO, and compared to some others we've seen, it was simple and just as impressive.
Then we split and got lost. And we ran around trying to find each other. And in the end we did. And lunch was at about 2.30 :p we let our legs rest because due to all the walking and the heat, they were letting themselves be heard (or rather felt!).
We then had the pleasure to go for a drink at the Cafe Florian, the oldest cafe in Venice, right on Piazza San Marco. It has been running since 1720! It was also the first cafe in Europe to allow women as customers! Inside the luxury is obvious, the furniture all things you'd think twice about buying for your own house, and paintings of Venetians decour walls. There was even an orchestra playing outside! Indeed, the menu lets you know where you are sitting; a coffee costs about five Euros, and a 200ml juice a ridiculous 8.5 Euros. The waiters are dressed like penguins all day and the service is admirable. It was lovely all the same, something you don't do every day :) oh and may I add that I almost felt like royalty sitting on the red leather in the cafe, with my new jewellery (on top of what I was already wearing lol) and the D&G watch given to me by my godmother! How nice :)
There we are, I think I've noted some of the highlights so far? Have a lovely weekend!
Wednesday, around 7.40pm is when we got home. To my grandma's greatest horror, at 7.50pm we were walking out the door again! Some family friends had gotten together again for us as they were leaving for holidays, and it was our last chance to catch up. The evening was quite pleasant, and a very light snack for dinner was just what we needed.
So, finally catching up to TODAY! Today is Thursday, and we spent it in Venice. We were accompanied by a man who was born there so we didn't waste a lot of time trying to figure out on our own where to go. The glass manufacturing in Murano was amazing as ever (I'd seen it before as a child), the types of things and details these people can create is stunning. Again we walked up stairs we were not supposed to, to find a chamber containing the largest and most expensive chandeliers I've ever seen, with other impressive ournaments. The art of glass making, we learnt, is passed on father to son, there is no school in Murano or nearby to learn it.
We soon walked to a church built in 600AD, which is A LONG TIME AGO, and compared to some others we've seen, it was simple and just as impressive.
Then we split and got lost. And we ran around trying to find each other. And in the end we did. And lunch was at about 2.30 :p we let our legs rest because due to all the walking and the heat, they were letting themselves be heard (or rather felt!).
We then had the pleasure to go for a drink at the Cafe Florian, the oldest cafe in Venice, right on Piazza San Marco. It has been running since 1720! It was also the first cafe in Europe to allow women as customers! Inside the luxury is obvious, the furniture all things you'd think twice about buying for your own house, and paintings of Venetians decour walls. There was even an orchestra playing outside! Indeed, the menu lets you know where you are sitting; a coffee costs about five Euros, and a 200ml juice a ridiculous 8.5 Euros. The waiters are dressed like penguins all day and the service is admirable. It was lovely all the same, something you don't do every day :) oh and may I add that I almost felt like royalty sitting on the red leather in the cafe, with my new jewellery (on top of what I was already wearing lol) and the D&G watch given to me by my godmother! How nice :)
There we are, I think I've noted some of the highlights so far? Have a lovely weekend!
trento trip - change of scenery!
I'm now back from a few days' travelling around the northern parts of Italy, where another part of the family lives. Sunday night, following a pleasant pizza, we drove to the castle of Conegliano, buildt in Medioeval times and now used as a museum, tourist and social attraction. It happened to be the night of San Lorenzo, and traditionally Italians believe that to with on falling stars tonight will make your dreams come true! So the scene was even more romantic than usual; walking around the gardens outside the dimly lit castle under a startty night were numerous lovey dovey couples. Although the cafe was still open, there was an intimate quiet which made the evening magical... without any sleazy magicians!
So, our moonlit walk finished, we ended the night with a gelato and got our bags ready for Monday morning.
It was my grandma's biggest nightmare. Not only were we leaving her guard for THREE WHOLE DAYS, but it so happened that my auntie, uncle and cousin were also on holidays and left for a week at the beach! As a reminder, they live upstairs so she is used to seeing family all the time. I hardly doubt we've heard the end of her sufferings :)
So we were on our way to Trento, about 2.5 hrs from Conegliano, where my mum's extended side of the family resides. Specifically, we stayed with her auntie and uncle in Sant'Agnese, population around 500. A quiet and pretty small town in the green mountains, with most buildings a few centuries old. You see charming houses with wooden balconies decorated by geraniums similar to the typical Austrian house; walls made of rocks and stone which keep the houses cool in summer; then, out of this blinded, falling apart window, blasts lous metal music, indicating the likely presence of a male human being, aged 14 - 18. And you snap out of the fairy tale! It is the kind of place where you go for an afternoon walk and you come across noone, except perhaps your second cousin- which funny enough actually happened to my great uncle.
Anyway, on Tuesday morning my parents and I took a walk around the city of Trento, population around 110,000. Now I thought Treviso was spectacular- and it was- but the charm of Trento, a larger town, was characterised by even more fascinating and impressive sights. The castle tower and ca seen around the town; the cathedral is one side of the largest town square with a majestic fountain and numerous cafes. Lining the pedestrian districts nearby are meanwhile centuries-old palaces once inhabited by rich extended families, most now owned by the shire. Coming from a 200-yr-old Australia, this is all very impressive, however the locals are now obviously accustomed to the town's charm.
At lunch we probably had the biggest meal yet (and that's saying something) at a lovely family restaurant on a quiet lake, in the middle of the forest. The kind of atmosphere which just makes you want to be lazy and enjoy life :) we spent the afternoon with one of mum's cousin and her family, leaving them for another of mum's cousins', Andrea. Him and his wife have three beautiful blue eyed boys, the youngest one, 3-yr-old Alessandro, seemed to take a liking to the 'signorina with the pink top', aka.. me! It was a very romantic night for us as our friendship was born and developed into love at first sight. Or maybe it's the other way around? Anyway as a sign of my love for the boy I gave him one of my hair lackies, which made his night. And it was pretty special, because only Rob and my ex have ever owned my hair lackies! :p
On Wednesday morning we were on the road again to Bressanone, to see some great aunties and more cousins.. a fairly boring day unfortunately, as we had little time to see about a billion people, so we felt like we were diasppointing the three families who asked us over for lunch! It was curious to see the German influence as we were so close to the Austrain border. Most signs around town were written first in German, then (in most but not all cases) Italian. This is because the region has only been officially Italian post WWI, it was before Austria, and the Germans havent exactly switched to italian automatically!
Ok that's all for now because dad's nagging me to leave, we're off to Venice for the day with some family friends :) More later! Ciao carissimi :)
So, our moonlit walk finished, we ended the night with a gelato and got our bags ready for Monday morning.
It was my grandma's biggest nightmare. Not only were we leaving her guard for THREE WHOLE DAYS, but it so happened that my auntie, uncle and cousin were also on holidays and left for a week at the beach! As a reminder, they live upstairs so she is used to seeing family all the time. I hardly doubt we've heard the end of her sufferings :)
So we were on our way to Trento, about 2.5 hrs from Conegliano, where my mum's extended side of the family resides. Specifically, we stayed with her auntie and uncle in Sant'Agnese, population around 500. A quiet and pretty small town in the green mountains, with most buildings a few centuries old. You see charming houses with wooden balconies decorated by geraniums similar to the typical Austrian house; walls made of rocks and stone which keep the houses cool in summer; then, out of this blinded, falling apart window, blasts lous metal music, indicating the likely presence of a male human being, aged 14 - 18. And you snap out of the fairy tale! It is the kind of place where you go for an afternoon walk and you come across noone, except perhaps your second cousin- which funny enough actually happened to my great uncle.
Anyway, on Tuesday morning my parents and I took a walk around the city of Trento, population around 110,000. Now I thought Treviso was spectacular- and it was- but the charm of Trento, a larger town, was characterised by even more fascinating and impressive sights. The castle tower and ca seen around the town; the cathedral is one side of the largest town square with a majestic fountain and numerous cafes. Lining the pedestrian districts nearby are meanwhile centuries-old palaces once inhabited by rich extended families, most now owned by the shire. Coming from a 200-yr-old Australia, this is all very impressive, however the locals are now obviously accustomed to the town's charm.
At lunch we probably had the biggest meal yet (and that's saying something) at a lovely family restaurant on a quiet lake, in the middle of the forest. The kind of atmosphere which just makes you want to be lazy and enjoy life :) we spent the afternoon with one of mum's cousin and her family, leaving them for another of mum's cousins', Andrea. Him and his wife have three beautiful blue eyed boys, the youngest one, 3-yr-old Alessandro, seemed to take a liking to the 'signorina with the pink top', aka.. me! It was a very romantic night for us as our friendship was born and developed into love at first sight. Or maybe it's the other way around? Anyway as a sign of my love for the boy I gave him one of my hair lackies, which made his night. And it was pretty special, because only Rob and my ex have ever owned my hair lackies! :p
On Wednesday morning we were on the road again to Bressanone, to see some great aunties and more cousins.. a fairly boring day unfortunately, as we had little time to see about a billion people, so we felt like we were diasppointing the three families who asked us over for lunch! It was curious to see the German influence as we were so close to the Austrain border. Most signs around town were written first in German, then (in most but not all cases) Italian. This is because the region has only been officially Italian post WWI, it was before Austria, and the Germans havent exactly switched to italian automatically!
Ok that's all for now because dad's nagging me to leave, we're off to Venice for the day with some family friends :) More later! Ciao carissimi :)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
elena the magician
So yesterday afternoon we went to this lovely Show of the Artisan, where there were hundreds of stalls around town with hand-made products, everything from Venetian masks to paper to jewellery (and lots of it) to musical instruments which imitaded nature sounds to toys to food (obviously).. the list could go on. It was a lovely walk around with my parents, uncle, auntie and cousin (even MORE hyper than usual due to his newest purchase- an ultra modern lime green camera responsible for some of the later pictures im uploading).
We happened to run into my godmother Stefania with her family and we had a lovely dinner there with them at the fiera. Following dinner.. there was an entertaining show with a magician, with a crowd of numerous dazzled children looking up at him and the parents at the back. Quite cute. Aaanyway, after a while he threw a ball "at random" at the crowd while aiming at me, and I had to 'volunteer'. So he asked me to tie a knot at the ends of two red napkins. He then told everyone to look away (obviously no one did) and stuffed them down my top! After making the usual magician fuss he pulled two ends out from my top and with them came a lame sexy black bra!! Funny. Obviously not mine, but he then pulled to the side one top of my shirt along with my bra strap, fooling the audience it had been mine.
So there I go to sit down again and he does the classic 'magic fire' tricks, after a while he calls me back up again. This time I was a little bit worried.. He gave me a small balloon and I was to hold the end of it in between my teeth. Between the baloon and my face he put this square protection thing which seemed like a piece of cardboard... So he goes, 'are you scared,' and I'm like, 'nooo... I trust you....' with a trembling voice, and he replies, 'too bad, you should never' eheh. Then he basically made the baloon pop in front of my face with fire!
So there you go. The last time the dude called me up he made me a green and blue baloon flower. He says, 'I wanted to give you a heart, but thought not to!'
So there is last night, quite a memorable one. This morning we were just about to go to church, with next to no willingness, as I wanted to catch up with my old choir teacher. In pulls Lucio, good family friend, to visit us save the day! Mum gave me a lift when mass was finished and I caught up with Angela there. And right now I'm wondering why I included that, because it is really not that interesting and I have probably wasted about 20 seconds of your time. I apologise. Ciao!
We happened to run into my godmother Stefania with her family and we had a lovely dinner there with them at the fiera. Following dinner.. there was an entertaining show with a magician, with a crowd of numerous dazzled children looking up at him and the parents at the back. Quite cute. Aaanyway, after a while he threw a ball "at random" at the crowd while aiming at me, and I had to 'volunteer'. So he asked me to tie a knot at the ends of two red napkins. He then told everyone to look away (obviously no one did) and stuffed them down my top! After making the usual magician fuss he pulled two ends out from my top and with them came a lame sexy black bra!! Funny. Obviously not mine, but he then pulled to the side one top of my shirt along with my bra strap, fooling the audience it had been mine.
So there I go to sit down again and he does the classic 'magic fire' tricks, after a while he calls me back up again. This time I was a little bit worried.. He gave me a small balloon and I was to hold the end of it in between my teeth. Between the baloon and my face he put this square protection thing which seemed like a piece of cardboard... So he goes, 'are you scared,' and I'm like, 'nooo... I trust you....' with a trembling voice, and he replies, 'too bad, you should never' eheh. Then he basically made the baloon pop in front of my face with fire!
So there you go. The last time the dude called me up he made me a green and blue baloon flower. He says, 'I wanted to give you a heart, but thought not to!'
So there is last night, quite a memorable one. This morning we were just about to go to church, with next to no willingness, as I wanted to catch up with my old choir teacher. In pulls Lucio, good family friend, to visit us save the day! Mum gave me a lift when mass was finished and I caught up with Angela there. And right now I'm wondering why I included that, because it is really not that interesting and I have probably wasted about 20 seconds of your time. I apologise. Ciao!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Photos up :)
Ive uploaded a few pics onto this page, a few more onto my Facebook profile.
Last night, whilst we caught up with some cousins (and I had to endure, WITHOUT A PARTNER, the saddest scenes of 'The Notebook', which was basically suicide...) a fairly big storm freshened up the air and took away most of the humidity.. which is a blessing! Hopefully though it doesn't freshen up TOO MUCH because we are going up to the mountains a few days next week and the following. My auntie and uncle have two weeks' holidays from today so we will go up together a few days as well! Speaking of 'the uncle', he informed me my blog kept him quite amused during his last day of 'work', so he deserves a mention. Coincidence, he was born in Sydney (from Italian parents) and moved back to Italy when he was 10. So my blog also let him practice his English reading! There you go, doing my bit for the community :D
Oki, I'm running off to the next adventure :p
bye bye!
Last night, whilst we caught up with some cousins (and I had to endure, WITHOUT A PARTNER, the saddest scenes of 'The Notebook', which was basically suicide...) a fairly big storm freshened up the air and took away most of the humidity.. which is a blessing! Hopefully though it doesn't freshen up TOO MUCH because we are going up to the mountains a few days next week and the following. My auntie and uncle have two weeks' holidays from today so we will go up together a few days as well! Speaking of 'the uncle', he informed me my blog kept him quite amused during his last day of 'work', so he deserves a mention. Coincidence, he was born in Sydney (from Italian parents) and moved back to Italy when he was 10. So my blog also let him practice his English reading! There you go, doing my bit for the community :D
Oki, I'm running off to the next adventure :p
bye bye!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
8 months today :)
Life is getting a little exhausting.. we are seeing people every day, all with the same curious reaction, all very welcoming and happy to see us.. but from my point of view little of it would be long lasting were we not here for such a short time. I guess I'm just grumpy.. it's the weather/aching tooth/lack of Rob's presence/lack of privacy.. :p
Yesterday afternoon was pretty nice. I caught up with a couple of girls at a bar for a couple of hours before going to visit the house I used to live in. The new owners (a doctor with his wife & 3 kids) have taken good care of the garden, added a pool and furnished the house quite plainly and modernly (that is a word?). Shame to see no pets though, with such a large space. We used to have a wooden fenced area for our old G. sheperd Rex, but unfortunately they haven't gotten around to experience the wonders of a pet yet.
Later in the evening a girl I used to go to school with invited a few of my old school pals over as well as their parents, and we all got together after dinner for sweets and watermelon. It was strange to see Alex again. Back in year 5 he was the 'cute' boy in our class (out of 11 boys, mind you), always chatty and smiling. Now he is very tall, skinny, quiet and introverted, spends hours riding his bike and shaves his legs. His hair has grown (too much) and he parts it on the side. It was quite an interesting sight!
Today I've found out about my home stay in France! I will be staying in Chambèry with Madam Andrè, about a 15min walk to the school. She is recently retired and enjoys outdoor activities and painting. Eheh, sounds interesting.. I'll get in touch with her soon! Praying she speaks English or Italian... ;)
ps. it's our anniversary... <3
Yesterday afternoon was pretty nice. I caught up with a couple of girls at a bar for a couple of hours before going to visit the house I used to live in. The new owners (a doctor with his wife & 3 kids) have taken good care of the garden, added a pool and furnished the house quite plainly and modernly (that is a word?). Shame to see no pets though, with such a large space. We used to have a wooden fenced area for our old G. sheperd Rex, but unfortunately they haven't gotten around to experience the wonders of a pet yet.
Later in the evening a girl I used to go to school with invited a few of my old school pals over as well as their parents, and we all got together after dinner for sweets and watermelon. It was strange to see Alex again. Back in year 5 he was the 'cute' boy in our class (out of 11 boys, mind you), always chatty and smiling. Now he is very tall, skinny, quiet and introverted, spends hours riding his bike and shaves his legs. His hair has grown (too much) and he parts it on the side. It was quite an interesting sight!
Today I've found out about my home stay in France! I will be staying in Chambèry with Madam Andrè, about a 15min walk to the school. She is recently retired and enjoys outdoor activities and painting. Eheh, sounds interesting.. I'll get in touch with her soon! Praying she speaks English or Italian... ;)
ps. it's our anniversary... <3
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
getting wiser by the minute
What is the ultimate way to get really annoyed at your body? When it decides to have a wisdom tooth grow during your holiday, which causes pain when eating, and even in your ear!
I have to include what someone close to me said when I told them I had pain due to wisdom teeth, it is a classic: "My wisdom teeth haven't fallen out yet, that's why I'm so wise!" eheheh.. I do hope they forgive me for quoting them, it did make my day..
Sunday was quite nice as we caught up with a few friends again, and I got to go see a couple of my friends at a bar where there was an American band playing, Boss Tweed. Since it was their last tour stop and my friend made them dinner, they didn't hesitate in hanging around after the show. The 2 guys and girl were around the age of 30 and from New York, we had a nice chat and it was really refreshing to speak some English again!
On Monday we took a train to Treviso, only about 20 mins from here, population of 100,000. Some friends who live there took us around and it was nice to see such old architecture everywhere. There was a cathedral originating from the X Century, with beautiful paintings and statues, and an underground section of it built in the III Century! Fairly well preserved for its age.
Today we are having lunch with the guy (and his wife) who taught dad how to make Gelato; in the afternoon some people are coming over to visit (seriously I can't keep up), then we'll go to visit our old house we lived in, and I decided to let my parents go out for dinner tonight. My cousin needs me for a game of Monopoly ;)
Untill next time :)
I have to include what someone close to me said when I told them I had pain due to wisdom teeth, it is a classic: "My wisdom teeth haven't fallen out yet, that's why I'm so wise!" eheheh.. I do hope they forgive me for quoting them, it did make my day..
Sunday was quite nice as we caught up with a few friends again, and I got to go see a couple of my friends at a bar where there was an American band playing, Boss Tweed. Since it was their last tour stop and my friend made them dinner, they didn't hesitate in hanging around after the show. The 2 guys and girl were around the age of 30 and from New York, we had a nice chat and it was really refreshing to speak some English again!
On Monday we took a train to Treviso, only about 20 mins from here, population of 100,000. Some friends who live there took us around and it was nice to see such old architecture everywhere. There was a cathedral originating from the X Century, with beautiful paintings and statues, and an underground section of it built in the III Century! Fairly well preserved for its age.
Today we are having lunch with the guy (and his wife) who taught dad how to make Gelato; in the afternoon some people are coming over to visit (seriously I can't keep up), then we'll go to visit our old house we lived in, and I decided to let my parents go out for dinner tonight. My cousin needs me for a game of Monopoly ;)
Untill next time :)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
it is too hot.
I mean really. Staying at the beach in Lignano was nice because it was ventilated, breezy, and it lacked the annoying presence of mosquittoes unfortunately characteristic of our stay at grandma's. Strangely enough (when you think of my dad's profession), I have been eating gelato nearly everyday in the past week. Friday night we basically had dinner with a nice sundae cup. It's much cheaper here than in Australia! I was also surprised at how cheap wine is in supermarkets, where you can find a nice bottle for under 1.5 Euros- just over 2 Aust dollars. We spent a couple of very lazy days at the beach reading magazines, chatting, eating coconut (amongst other things) and swimming in the lukewarm water.
We are back now, and that's ok too. I just got to call Rob after a few days of mere texting, which was nice. By the way, I was really lucky to find a phone plan from which I can text to Australia for only 9Euro cents, which is just about 15Aust cents. If anyone needs it, my mobile number here is: 0011393292235103. That should be exactly what you need to type to text me.
Anyway! Busy week ahead, we've been booked by friends and family at least twice a day, plus there'll be a couple of day visits to nearby cities, namely Treviso and Venice.
From the LOGF (... land of good food ;) .... arrisentirci!
ciao :)
We are back now, and that's ok too. I just got to call Rob after a few days of mere texting, which was nice. By the way, I was really lucky to find a phone plan from which I can text to Australia for only 9Euro cents, which is just about 15Aust cents. If anyone needs it, my mobile number here is: 0011393292235103. That should be exactly what you need to type to text me.
Anyway! Busy week ahead, we've been booked by friends and family at least twice a day, plus there'll be a couple of day visits to nearby cities, namely Treviso and Venice.
From the LOGF (... land of good food ;) .... arrisentirci!
ciao :)
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