Venice memories

San Marco, Venice

Christmas 2008

Christmas memories 2008 - Alessandro with his gran.

Black Cockatoo

Merry Christmas

Tis the season to...

Merry Christmas from my house to yours (with Giancarlo, Alessandro, Tigger, Trixie and Pyewacket).

My lemon tree

Journaling:

I stayed with my sister for a weekend recently and was enchanted by her lemon tree in a pot at her front door. When the boys asked what I would like for Christmas this year I thought, “Yes! I know exactly what I would like!”
Giancarlo and I spent the morning together yesterday picking out the perfect tree and a beautiful glazed pot.
We got punnets of petunias to go in terracotta pots in front, and we put my geraniums on either side and the effect, on my front porch, is just charming.
When I look at it, I see... scented blossoms on the lemon tree and cascades of pale purple petunias...

PhotoHunt: Wide - Trixie

Deck the halls with barfed up holly,
Fa la la la la
La la la la.

Trixie and Pyewacket were playing thundering herd of elephants last week, and they knocked the tree over. Bent branches, downed ornaments, bits of tree all over the carpet.... oh my!

The vet said to put her on a diet as she is getting quite wide, but she didn't take kindly to the idea.

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.

My first Christmas

In Marysville, California.

Prom Cars

Alessandro and Giancarlo - off to the Prom.

PhotoHunt: Favorite - Daybreak in Venice

Venice at daybreak - there's magic in this moment.

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.

Portofino Views

Positano memories

Under 18s State Champion again

Congratulations Alessandro!

PhotoHunt: Breakfast - Sorrento

Can you guess what my favorite appliance is? Yes - my Breville cappuccino maker.
Do you know, I think 7am is my best time of the day because that's when the scent of Vittoria Espresso wafts through the house.

This picture is from Il Fauno Bar in Sorrento. I've been there a few times now. Looking forward to going back, too.

And Giancarlo goes to a Prom too!

Alessandro goes to the Prom

Double click on the picture to make it larger.

PhotoHunt: Metal - Modena, Italy

On Saturday and Sunday, 29-30 September 2007, Alessandro and I stayed in Modena with the Aunts in their apartment in the centre of town. Our bedroom had a balcony we could walk out onto with pot plants. The Duomo was very close by and we could hear the bells calling the faithful to mass.

The apartment is off one of the main streets, Canal Chiaro, and at the end of that street is a large car show room filled to the brim with all types of exquisite Ferraris. There was also a Lamborghini sitting amongst them. We walked up twice to peer through the windows.

Modena is a beautiful small town and it bustles each afternoon for a long time with a passiegata I never grow tired of watching. As it’s the town where I’ve spent the most time in Italy, I’ve seen quite a bit of it. I was able to show Alessandro some sites that have importance to our family.

Straight across from the Cathedral entrance is the third story apartment where his father lived for several years. His father’s parents were married in that Cathedral, and his nonno studied at the Military Academy a few blocks away.

I think Alessandro’s favorite part of the town was the park, which of course he didn’t remember, as he was eighteen months old last time he played in it. But it was fun to show him the play equipment and the roundabout where we spent so much time when we stayed for seven weeks in Modena in 1992. This trip he played with the ducks, geese and roosters and was awed at the size of the carp and at seeing a turtle in the pond.

I sent him up the town bell tower next to the Cathedral. It was a long climb but we were all pleased to see his pictures. And of couse the Ferrari showroom went down very well.

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.

Alessandro in Modena

You can click on the pic to make it larger and easier to see.

San Gimignano - my kinda town

I'm so pleased that Alessandro liked San Gimignano just as much as I do.