Bocconcini e Pomodorini

Goodbye 2009!!

2010-01-07T20:04:00.004+01:00

Roll on 2010....

December was a tough month to get through,10 days before Christmas I came down with a terrible infection under my back molar..I held off as long as I could then decided it was time to find a dentist! The snow hit at a bad time and we were snowed in the morning I was to see the dentist ...I told Domenico he had to find a way to get me into Siena as there was no way I could bare the pain. So we basically slid the 10km to the centre as the snow was still soft, luckily there were no police around as we had no chains and would have surely got a good telling off! Cristina from Expats gave me the details of her dentist here in Siena, and was pleased to find the surgery very hygienic and more importantly he was very gentle. My only gripe was that he prescribed me Amoxyllin which I later found contained penicillin which I was allergic too when I was young (I even wrote on the form that I used to be allergic!). Luckily I didn’t have a reaction but after 2 days the pain was still excrutiating and the pain killers weren’t working. Back to the dentist I went and he told me that the antibiotics would kick in and he prescribed the strongest painkillers possible. Still they didn’t work only giving me 3 hours of relief and I was only allowed to take 3 a day!!

The next day my dentist had finished for the holidays so I had to find another on Saturday morning. Off I trooped again to a new dentist who was very rough and I was told that I needed stronger antibiotics directly into the muscle for four days, by injection.....They seem to like the DYI injections here in Italy!! Domenico looked at me and said that there was no way he could inject me without fainting, so it was a case of finding someone to do it each day! The first shot the dentist did and again I told him I used to be allergic to pencillin, he said that if I didn’t react to the Amoxyllin then I was probably no longer allergic.

That night I was a bit more comfortable, but I did react to the antibiotics, my neck and throat constricted so much that I could hardly swallow. Off I trooped again, this time to the Guarda Medico as it was Sunday, he prescribed some non penicillin antibiotics which were disgusting and had to take for 10 days...no alcohol over Christmas for me!! Though at last they kicked in and cleared up the infection pretty quickly.

Christmas came around and we had our friends James and Jon over for a few days, unfortunately Domenico was called to go to Napoli on Christmas Eve as his mother wasn’t expected to live through the night. She had come out of hospital as there was nothing more they could do for her!

I decided to stay in Siena for Christmas Day with our friends, but found it hard to get into the Christmas spirit and took the train down to Napoli the next day with Milly. The rest of the week was spent sitting around at the family’s house with various family members and friends coming by to pay their respects to Nonna even though she was still alive. It was really sad to see her in the condition she was in, as she is basically just a skeleton with her pace maker keeping her alive...seems so wrong that she is ready to pass away peacefully but the ticker keeps her going. We stayed in Napoli for a week and her condition appeared to improve a bit and she seemed to be in less pain, so we made the decision to come back home.

I am so ready for the winter to finish it has been the harshest I can remember, the snow I can cope with, but I hate the constant rain that that has caused so much chaos in north of Tuscany. Sooooooo roll on spring I need some sunshine!!!!!

I'm going to be a Nonna :)

2009-12-11T18:03:00.006+01:00

Yep thats right I am going to be a Grandma at 45. It came as no suprise when Natalie told us she was pregnant as she always said that she wanted to be a young mum.It seems to run in the family, in fact I made my mum a Grandma at 39, which came as quite a shock to her.

Anyway we couldnt be more thrilled and are planning to go over to New Zealand early March.Its times like this that we wish our family wasn’t so spread out and wish we had the typical Italian scenario with all the children living nearby, but I suppose it was inevitable considering the travelling we have done over the past 10 years.

So here he is still in utero at 27 weeks.

And Nats still looking as trim as ever .

16 weeks and 27 weeks

Our First Trip To Venezia

2009-11-30T21:43:00.001+01:00

On our way back to Siena from Trieste we decided to stop for a few days in Venice, the first time for both of us. I am so glad we didnt decide to leave it until this week as the 'Aqua Alta' high water hit today,131cm of it, flooding most of the city.
We found a park for the car in Mestre and took the train over to Venice, it was a wonderful sight walking out of the station and seeing the canals and the city before us despite the low cloud that had followed us from Trieste and lingered for the next few days.
We hadn't booked any accomodation but found a fantastic place La Locanda A rt Deco after browsing through Laterooms.com and phoning the hotel direct. We had enquired about a double room at 60 euro a night but for 10 euro more we were offered their boutique apartment at the Residenza Art Deco which was just perfect as there was more space for Milly and with the added touch of breakfast delivered each morning.

The next few days were spent exploring the city on foot, it was like a maze and we got lost several times. Milly posed at just about every bridge and drew quite a bit of attention to herself as tourists wanted to take photos of her!

Wandering the streets the first evening

St Marks Square
'Look every body..its the Grand Canal'
Exquisite Carnival MasksAnother day, more walking and more photos

The Rialto Markets near the famous Rialto Bridge Cannaregio...Local area away from the touristy parts.

A Dogs Dinner !!!!

2009-11-29T19:07:00.008+01:00

For a few weeks now Milly has been attending obedience classes at the dog training school in Siena...she is a fantastic dog, but needed fine tuning to stop her pulling when we are out and about. She tends to be a real 'sticky beak' wanting to see everything that is going on and wanting to greet and play with every dog she sees...much to the fear of other owners.
I find the corrections a bit extreme as I have been advised to use a choker chain on her which I have never done previously and the look on her face when I give her a jerk is a look of 'what the hell did you do that for!!' We are slowly making progress, but I think it is more beneficial for me as I'm learning how to train her and what I can and cant let her get away with.

Anyway this post isn't so much about Milly's training but the Christmas dinner we were invited to hosted by the dog training school. It was an evening of food that in my opinion was only fit for a dog, very disappointing.

The three long tables were set up with plastic plates, plastic cutlery and plastic cups....this is a very common occurence in Italy especially at Sagras which I can understand due to the quantity of people and lack of facilities, but it is also becoming more common also in homes.It is one of my pet hates and would only ever use them for kids parties or picnics...used at any other occasion food just doesn't taste the same.
Back to dinner...the first saucer sized plastic plate had on it 3 crostini. One of the spreads was mayonnaise out of a jar, the other, a fishy paste out of a tube and lastly a strange tasting dry fegato paste (couldnt even call it a pate!).
To the primi... again served on the saucer sized plate, a gluggy pasta with bechamel (commercial) then followed by Fusilli with a sparse sauce of ground sausage and pumpkin...at least this pasta dish was al dente.
For the secondi we were served another saucer sized plastic plate of 3 meatballs, so hard my plastic fork kept bending and a side order of soggy beans in a tomato sauce that tasted a bit fizzyish!!
The highlight of the evening was a raffle which we won a dog lead ...whoopeee!! and a bottle of Bubbly.
The dessert then came out, a chocolate slab sponge which smelled like it was made from a packet, so we passed and decided to make a quick exit............but not before the organiser put a tin in front of us...'what was this for' asked Domenico. The meal was 25 euro per head!!
I couldnt believe it, when ever we had been to a christmas 'do' the price was always stated at the start unless it was something organised as a thank you to customers for supporting them, which we thought this was. Domenico and I just looked at each other without saying a word...lesson learnt!!

A Weekend visiting Trieste & Slovenia

2009-11-28T16:54:00.000+01:00

Last weekend we made a impromptu decision to drive to Trieste, DJ still had some of his stuff at our place so we thought we would load up the car and drop it to him as he now lived in Trieste. Any excuse to see a new city.
We arrived early evening after a five hour drive from Siena and took the opportunity to explore the city at night. I was quite taken aback with the beautiful buildings and the various pedestrian shopping areas.

The city had a lively vibe to it with alot of young people spilling out of the bars and cafes into the heated precints drinking their Aperitivi. It certainly had a very international feel to it and was suprised to see so many Ethnic restaurants, especially Japanese.

With Trieste being on the border of Slovenia, we decided the next day to take a road trip to the capital Lubjiana. The low cloud that had lingered over Trieste finally lifted as we reached the border and within an hour we were at Lubjiana. On arriving it seemed like a ghost town but once we parked it didnt take long to find the beautiful old town running along the sides of the canal.

It turned out to be a stunning day and the cafes and restaurants along the canal were packed with people lazing away their Saturday afternoon. Again Lubjiana like Trieste felt very international with all types of cuisine available and had a very friendly laid back atmosphere.

Funghi Galore

2009-11-18T18:48:00.005+01:00

As the last of the dry golden leaves cling to the trees and the air a definite chill to, it is a sure sign than winter is on its way. The smell of wild mint has now been replaced with a woody mushroomy smell as the woods surrounding us play host to an amazing array of different varieties of funghi, flourishing in the moist conditions.

It has been a great season for the mushroom pickers whos cars over the past few weeks have lined the road leading to our house. The rainy days followed by sunshine has made the conditions perfect for the mushrooms to thrive in ...and what a variety there are.

The Porcini season September /October in these parts has finished and instead a different variety can be seen collected. I had to stop a few mushrooms pickers with baskets laden with funghi on a few occasions just to see what type were safe to pick and so last weekend we trooped into the woods to collect our own. The kind everyone was picking had a pink tinge to them and I was excited to get them home to start cooking.

Unfortunately I was very disappointed that they didnt have much taste at all. I tried roasting them in the oven with fresh thyme and olive oil, and again in a risotto, but I couldnt draw any mushroom flavour out of them unlike Porcini. So my desire to collect mushrooms has now diminshed and will now wait until the Porcini season next year.
Little did I know until lately that you need a licence to go mushroom picking, not expensive, but necessary. I suppose due to the fact that there are so many poisonous varieties out there it makes sense to know which are safe to pick.

Apartment Rental Siena

2009-09-27T16:06:00.005+02:00

We are currently renting an apartment in a beautiful casale situated on the “Montagnola Senese” slopes in the Siena countryside about 12 minutes drive to the centre of Siena in a very relaxing and tranquil location.

The casale actually consists of two holiday apartments, one of which I have told the owner that I will try and find a tenant for.

The apartment is tastefully fitted and furnished in the traditional Tuscan style with Cotto floors and beamed ceilings. Gas central heating.Parking.It is very spacious and comfortable and consists of a kitchen, dining and living area, a double bedroom with a double bed, a double bedroom with two single beds, and a bathroom with shower.Garden furniture and barbeque.

The apartment is available on a weekly basis until the 23^rd December for 380 euro and between the 23^rd December until the 10^th January for 430 euro. After the 10^th January the price is 380 euro again until March 2010. I reckon that these prices may be negotiable.

The owner is also happy to rent it out from now until March 2010 on a longer term basis for a reduced price.

More photos are in my side link and I would be happy to provide any further info as needed.

Bye Bye House!

2009-09-26T14:15:00.010+02:00

A couple of weeks ago we finally sold our house in Le Marche, after having it on the market for a year. It was no ordinary sale either it was destiny!

6 months ago Domenico said to me why don’t you sign up for Facebook..I was always a bit hesitant as I am quite a private person and thought that Facebook may be a bit intrusive. Anyway I gave it a go and ended up discovering alot of friends from my past. One of these was James who was one of my best friends at school and who I lost contact with when I left England 30 years ago. We were both thrilled to be in touch again, and it wasn’t long before we organised to meet up in London where he lives with his partner Jon. We still got along really well and spent alot of time reminiscing...before we left we told him to come and visit us in Le Marche as he was keen to see the house we were selling. James has spent alot of time in Italy and speaks perfect Italian and was at a stage in his life where he wanted to leave England to live in Italy. As it happened he loved our house and when he got back to London put his flat up for sale...within a few weeks it sold and now he is the proud owner of our house.

It was hard letting it go as we have put so much work into the place but I couldn’t be happier that James has bought it as it means that we can still visit and see what progress he makes in continuing with the renovations.

Before After

Pizza Napoletana

2009-09-25T20:23:00.000+02:00

Pizza Napoletana in my opinion is the best pizza in the world..especially when eaten in Napoli. Domenico and I have been known to drive for 5 hours from Le Marche when the urge for a good pizza strikes.

Our first stop is usually Pizzeria Da Michele,this is in the heart of Forcella one of the most undesirable areas of Napoli, not far from the station and Piazza Garibaldi. Chaotic is an understatement, noise, dirt and traffic ..no parking unless you double park in an unknown zone with an unknown unofficial parking attendant who you trust your car to then hope for the best that nothing happens!!!

Domenico grew up near to this area and his family owned several shops here many years ago..these have now been taken over by the Chinese who have made a big presence in Napoli and who seem to be accepted by many of the Napolitani. The main market near Piazza Garibaldi has changed too ,even in the few years we have been going there...alot of the stalls have now been taken over by the Aficans who used to sell their goods illegally on the footpaths!!

Da Michele is an institution in Napoli, one of the most well known pizzerias which always has a queue outside. Luckily we arrived just on midday just as the queue was starting ...as usual we ordered a Margherita each and within half an hour we were finished and on our way again.

We also found out not so long ago that Chiara, DJ’s fidanzata has family connections to the pizzeria as her grandfather is one of the owners. So no doubt her family knew of Domenico’s grandmother and other family members who also had shops in the area...such a small world.

Another Pizzeria we go to is Pizzeria Vincezo Costa in Porta Capuana another grotty area of Napoli .

The pizzeria itself is very sparse and basic with no cash register..just a family member adding up the bill in her head and a handbag to store the takings. No receipts here, so I don’t know what happens if the Guarda Finanza drop buy...no doubt a free pizza or two keeps them quiet!!

Domenico used to stop here for a pizza after work when he was a little boy, back then a Margherita cost 30 Lire (1.5 cents), now it costs 4 euro.Pizza fritta is also very common here, which is a calzone stuffed with ricotta and then fried...very tasty though not good for the wasteline!

Bella Napoli

2009-09-24T22:38:00.009+02:00

Napoli...we visit often, though after a few days ‘devo scappare’...it is vibrant, chaotic, noisy,dirty (though slowly cleaning up a bit) and has the best food in Italy. Here are some pics of ‘a day out ‘ in Napoli.

Via Chiaia

Galleria Umberto

Baba's

Streets in the Spanish Quarter

A break for some water

Milly..the dog with attitude, refreshed and on her way again!

Piazza Umberto

Boys taking a break from their football game in Piazza plebiscito

The bird man who wasn't impressed when Milly decided to chase them!

Go Milly !!

Back in Italia.

2009-09-24T21:43:00.007+02:00

For the past 4 months now we have been back in Italy...I can’t explain it but after 4 years of living here I have come to accept the way 'it is', initially I fought the system and didn’t accept the way it was with all the beaurocratic and everyday issues, thinking perhaps by making a fuss it would change for me. After spending several months in France I realised how much I missed Italy and how it has gotten ‘under my skin’ so to speak..although there are many negative aspects I have come to enjoy more the positive ones and the diversity of the country. We have travelled alot throughout Italy and have come to love the changes that come with each region, and the differences in the people as well as the ever changing countryside.

So for now we are living in Siena, renting a lovely apartment in an old casale in the Sienese countryside until we get our bearings and see what the region has to offer in the way of work..still hoping to perhaps get back into the hospitality business..though some days I think we must be mad to do it again and to lose the freedom we have had these past 4 years...we shall see.

Reminiscing

2009-06-16T15:48:00.013+02:00

About 27 years ago to the day, as a naive 18 year old, I jumped on a plane from New Zealand to France to join my boyfriend (now husband) in the South of France.

After settling down our priority was to find jobs.Domenico had made some contacts in Nice and St Jean Cap Ferrat, so after a few weeks I started work at Le Gourmet Italien Restaurant in St Jean.

Le Gourmet was owned by Gianni D’Angelis who Domenico actually worked for years previously on the island of Capri and unexpectedly bumped into again in St Jean as he was working as a waiter next door at Le Sloop restaurant. Gianni was a typical Neapolitan and an absolutely superb chef, he took me under his wings and showed me the ropes, luckily his English was brilliant which helped as my French was limited even though I had studied ‘O’ level french at school.

So the summer was spent working 7 days a week serving the rich and famous, making loads of tips, then heading to the beach to sleep in the afternoon before starting the evening shift. Back in those days the port of St Jean was thriving.

In 2006 we stopped off in St Jean during out camper vanning trip and was surprised to see that Le Gourmet was still there and had in fact expanded to include a Neapolitan pizzeria. After a few calls the staff tracked Gianni down who came to spend the evening with us, it was lovely to catch up after so many years and for him to see our children, we reminisced a bit and he kept saying how I was always his favourite waitress…how sweet!! Unfortunately Gianni’s health was not good and he was getting on a bit, but he couldn’t keep himself away from the restaurant, it was in his blood.

It wasn’t until a couple of years later that we heard that Gianni had passed away. His partner for the past 30 years is still running the restaurant, though only the pizzeria part, the other has closed down. Domenico and I quite often go down to see her and help out occasionally, it is a lovely restaurant though the port in general has lost its charm from years ago and a lot of places are looking tired. The menu’s are still the same as they were 27 years ago ….nothing has changed with time. The prices too are absolutely over the top... for example a margarita pizza in Naples will be no more than 5 euro, in St Jean the average is 15 euro…crazy!! They say they have to justify the high prices because the season is shorter now.

After travelling the world and running our own restaurants we can see where things are going wrong and what needs to be changed in St Jean, but unfortunately the owners are stuck in their ways and won’t make changes to adapt with the times…which is a real shame.

DJ and I have recently finished a website for them to bring them into the 21st century http://www.gourmetitalien.com/

Nice & Dog Walking

2009-06-15T16:55:00.008+02:00

We have been back in Nice now for the past month and still trying to adjust, I think that the fact that we don’t yet have our own place here and still living at Domenico’s brothers apartment hasn’t really helped with the process. But it seems the sensible option for the moment until we know exactly which part of the coast we want to settle. Then we can find a larger place with some space for Milly, she certainly misses her country lifestyle!

It puts a lot of pressure on me having to take her out several times a day for a walk and Nice is not the dog friendliest of places considering so many people have dogs.

I have started a daily regime of taking her up to Mont Boron a short climb from where we are living and running the tracks with her, though it is becoming more difficult in the heat. It is a beautiful part of Nice with views amazing views of the city with its beaches and around to Villefranche and St Jean Cap Ferrat.

Most of the time the other dog walkers are pretty friendly once they know that Milly is not aggressive, she can be a bit too friendly though and I sometimes see a look of fear when we are walking towards some one with a smaller dog. But usually a quick don’t worry ‘elle est gentile’puts them at ease.

One of my worst cases and there have been a few, was when a nasty French chap was coming towards me with 2 poodly dogs not on a leashes and barking away ferociously. I kept Mill under control and she looked at them as if to say ‘what is all the fuss about’, but he had the cheek to say that I should have my dog muzzled, when it was his dogs larking about. I was so angry, I wanted to say to him in my shocking French what an idiot he was, but the words didn’t come out in time, so I stormed of muttering under my breath!!

I have found that the French always have something to say and can’t keep to themselves. I was also verbally attacked one day on the promenade by a woman riding a bike with her dog in the basket. Telling me I should not be walking the dog as it was too hot and the ground would burn her feet! It was a lovely spring day and definitely not too hot, and there were plenty of other dog walkers out who she didn’t approach!! Why pick on me! I need to take some serious French lessons so I can stand up for myself in these situations, as I become mute when I can’t say what I want to say.Very frustrating!!.

On a lighter note, Domenico & I have met some super people and are slowly making new friends through the Nice Meet Up group, loads of events have been organized from walks though to dinners which has been great and have a good laugh.

Back Home in Le Marche for a bit...

2009-06-01T17:05:00.014+02:00

At the beginning of May we made the 8 hour drive from Nice back home to Le Marche I always love going back, though was in for a bit of a shock when I saw how much everything had grown, it had been such a wet spring and the week prior to us going the weather had changed to a heat wave, so everything was flourishing and overgrown. I have never seen the countryside looking so lush.

Casa Nostra

Nearby

Our main priority was trying to cut back all the wheat that had popped up surrounding the house,even between the paving...it was a major and exhausting job with the weed zapper machine and my shoulders really felt it for days later. But it was good being able to walk around and not have to worry about random snakes in the overgrowth.
The stalla was full of swallows making babies.....well actually laying eggs! And Milly spent the days in and out trying to catch them, as well as chasing the lizards...so many without tails running around now! Domenico managed to save this little chap before Milly caught site of it.

It was going to be a very special weekend as an old school friend James who I had made contact with through facebook after 28 ish years and his partner Jon were coming to stay.

Domenico, Jon & James with the Sibillini Mountains in the backgroundBeach at Porto San Giorgio

Servigliano.

They have both spent a lot of time in Italy though it was the first time in Le Marche for both of them, so we tried to cram in as much as we could in the 2 days they were with us, in between lots of eating and drinking! A fabulous weekend...

The view from Fermo looking out to the Adriatic & the Centre

Natalie & Chris' Wedding

2009-03-05T17:57:00.007+01:00

February the 1st was a very special day for us...the day our oldest daughter Natalie married Chris. The wedding was to take place in Auckland, New Zealand, where Natalie still lives. So a week before the big day we flew over, with Liana and DJ following on a few days later from England.
It was a big family affair as it was the first time in many years that I was together with all my family and the first time all of the cousins on my side of the family were together, which was very special.
The wedding and ceremony took place at Mantells in a beautiful old mediterranean villa, it really felt as if we were in a part of Italy.
It was a lovely intimate wedding with about 60 family and friends, Natalie looked stunning and I couldn't stop crying as she walked in with Domenico. Liana was one of her bridesmaids who looked equally gorgeous, as well as DJ who looked very handsome as the groomsman....a very proud moment. Loads more photos are on their website www.amadio.co.nz.

Nice, South of France

2009-03-05T17:08:00.005+01:00

Well here I am back again....it has been a while with a lot happening since my last entry in August.
I've been meaning to update for some time but never seem to get the fingers and brain moving in unison.
The end of last year saw us moving to Nice in the South of France, where we are still hoping to settle...work permitting.

NICE

OLD NICETHE PORT

Our life has done a full circle. 28 years ago before children, Domenico and I both lived and worked on the Riviera for several years before heading to New Zealand. Now the children have all left home to do their own thing we decided to head back there.
We are currently going through the dilemma of 'where is home' as we have been travelling so much and although Domenico would continue to keep moving, I would really like to find a place I can call home and keep coming back to.
We still have our house in Le Marche which is still for sale and I do love it there, but not for work. I didn't realise until leaving Italy how much 'in grained' it had become even with all of its faults and I really start to miss certain things,most importantly the friendliness of the Italians,the fresh produce and the simple way of cooking.
It is for this reason we are currently looking for an apartment in Menton, still in France but only a walk away from Italy...for when I am in need of a quick Italian fix.
I am also thinking of changing the name of my blog, as it is not really an 'Italian Journal' any more,but will see how things go in the next few weeks.

Summer Days

2008-08-24T16:11:00.006+02:00

The last few weeks have been pretty laid back, just hanging about at home and spending some days by the sea. It is the busiest time of the year in Ischia and the holiday makers have arrived on mass. Traffic has increased and the various tourist towns are swelling with pedestrians, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to take Milly out for her daily walks trying to manouevre around the crowds doing their passeggiata. Hopefully next week some normality will return.

Our friends Salvatore and Adriana have come over from Napoli for the weekend to spend some time with us and I had to do the very Italian thing of hiring a brolly and sunbed on the main beach of Casamicciola (not a nice beach at all and the dirtiest water with being near the port) but they insisted on going to the nearest beach. It is definitely not my idea of a relaxing day, it resembled a meat market, with kids crying, parents screaming at them, sand flying…but the Italians seem to thrive on it!

The Beach- Casamicciola

Usually I head to the rocks near Lacco Ameno when I am by myself, no crowds and transparent water for swimming.

Liana

The Rocks

On one particular day I spotted this guy heading out to sea on his blow up lilo….I am sure there are some do’s and dont’s when using these floating devises!! ‘One should be aware of the danger in floating too far especially when you end up in the pathway the boats take for coming in and out of the port!’

Spot The Wally!!

After taking the photo I put my camera away and looked up to try and locate him, but he was no where to be seen, perhaps a passing boat had picked him up!

Isola D'Ischia

2008-08-10T16:10:00.005+02:00

We arrived on Ischia Tuesday evening just as the sun was setting, it was an awesome site and I took loads of photos only to find that I must have somehow deleted the folder as the photos were no where to be found on the memory card. Just my luck!

Domenico found a studio/ apartment on the internet in the town of Casamicciola, which will be our home until the end of August.Then we will look for something more permanent to rent once the holiday season has finished.

The last few days have been spent exploring the Island which is extremely picturesque. Apart from the areas near the coast most of the homes are built on the hillside terraces.

An area I particularly love is Sant' Angelo on the Southern coast of Ischia, the small town cascades down the hillside to the marinas below.

Sant' Angelo

We parked the car in the first car park as no cars are allowed in the town and made our way along the narrow streets to the marina then up through the town towards the long stretch of Maronti Beach on the other side of the peninsula. Luckily there was a large area of beach ‘libero’ at the far end so we made our way there hoping that there wouldn’t be too many people so we could swim with Milly.

Spiaggia dei Maronti

End of the afternoon- Domenico & Milly walking back through Sant'Angelo

The evening was spent back at Ischia port at Il Gabbiano restaurant for a beer and pizza. Domenico’s brother Bruno worked here for 10 years as a pizzaiola before moving to New Zealand with his family.We have eaten at a few places along the port but find that everyone is doing pretty much the same menu- same pasta, pizza, seafood and are really catering to the mass of tourists. So I am determined to find those places that are a bit 'more special'

Il Gabbiano at Porto D'Ischia

Changes Are Good

2008-08-03T19:27:00.003+02:00

It was one of those spontaneous moments that I have come to love, that saw us driving up to Napoli and jumping on the ferry to Ischia.

Although Domenico had visited before, it was the first time for me and I’m just annoyed that I left my camera behind to snap the beautiful images of the Island.

We took Milly with us and she was a gem coping with the ferry ride ( I captured this shot with my phone) and the several bus trips.

It is obligatory to keep a dog muzzled especially a German Shepherd on public transport, and they were very strict about checking. Luckily I had her Halti collar on which is able to be tightened to keep her mouth closed if the need be, and they seemed to be happy about that!

I was actually amazed at how many people would come up to me and ask ‘posso caresare il cane’… can I stroke the dog…. Which was really nice as Milly is a real softy and just loves the attention from people.

After a couple of days on the island and making several new friends we have decided to move there for a while and our plans to move to England are now on hold.

I had my doubts about moving to England after our last visit…usually when we decide to move to another country everything comes together pretty quickly, but after 6 months of trips back and forth looking for a business things weren’t coming together and I began to think that perhaps it was not ‘ meant to be’. And each time the novelty of being there quickly wore off and I missed Italy more and more.

So we have decided to move to Ischia for a while and take it from there, at least we can still enjoy the Mediterranean climate and the Neapolitan food which I love so much and Domenico can speak Neapolitan to his hearts content!

House For Sale in Le Marche

2008-07-24T19:07:00.011+02:00

A lot of this year has seen us back and forth to England looking for a business. Domenico has had itchy feet for a while now to get back into the restaurant industry and we feel that for what we do, the UK would be our best option. I have mixed feelings about this as after a week of being back in the UK I really start to miss Italy.
We have also decided to sell this house and down size since this one is really too big for us now the kids have left. So we thought to find something we can use more for a holiday and weekend breaks when we want to escape back to Italy. We have nearly finished the first floor of the house apart from one room which we reckon will be the second bathroom. It has been a hard slog and we have now basically conked out! Here are a few pics of how it now looks.So if anyone is interested or knows of anyone looking to buy in Le Marche at a very reasonable price this house may be for them…. The fact that we haven’t touched the ground floor gives the new owner the chance to renovate and restore the lower level whilst still living in the house. I reckon there is a lot of potential for a B & B or separate apartments. Also the house will be available to rent whilst on the market as we are probably moving over to the UK in September.

Our Orto

2008-07-24T18:46:00.004+02:00

With the rising prices of food in

Italy

this spring we decided to become more self sufficient and grow our own fruit and veges. A friendly neighbour stopped by with his tractor and dug up a large area for us to plant our ‘Orto’ and to give us a few tips on what and when to plant.

There is nothing more satisfying than eating your own grown food.The tomatoes and zucchini have really taken off, though when we arrived back from England last week the zucchini were a little over done and some have grown to nearly half a metre long. They are still pretty firm though so I will cut them width ways and make an eggplant parmigiana but using zucchini instead of eggplant.

When we go back to England I always get so bloated as the food over there just doesn’t agree with my tum. I can eat bread and pasta here, but in England it gives me terrible cramps. It makes me realize just how much healthier we eat here as the food is so simple and doesn’t need much done to it. Today lunch was fresh figs, prosciutto, fresh ricotta and melon, yum….

Milly's 1st swim and other adventures!

2008-07-23T22:33:00.003+02:00

After a chilly spring the heat in June hit with a vengeance. It was particularly tough for Milly who spent most of the time in the house where the stone walls keep everything nice and cool.
One very hot day I decided to take Milly to cool off at the river, a short walk down the hill from us. The wheat surrounding the house was very long and overdue to be harvested which made the trek down there quite scary as I was worried about snakes. We eventually made it through the overgrowth and came to a relatively deep waterhole. Milly didn’t take long to be tempted in and she had her very first swim.

However what happened next has made me very reluctant to go down alone with her again. I suddenly heard a rustle in the bushes across from us and when I looked up I was in full view of a huge Cinghiale (wild boar), it resembled a woolly mammoth. Well, my adrenalin kicked in big time, I screamed at Milly to run and we both bolted as quick as we could whilst I was looking for a tree to climb up if it got near to me. We belted back up the hill through the wheat no longer caring if there were any snakes, luckily the boar stayed put and chose not to chase us. When we got back to the house my heart was pounding out of my chest and and had the taste of blood in my mouth.
I knew there were Cinghiale down at the river in the winter as the hunters come to hunt them, though for some reason I thought this time of the year they lived somewhere else…silly me!!!

I'm Back!

2008-07-23T22:27:00.001+02:00

Well blogging has certainly gone down the tubes this past year, mainly due to the fact that telecom still haven’t got their act together and installed a phone line. Every 3 months we receive a text to say they are coming to assess things and every time it is the same old story- that they are working on it… I give up! I reckon that after the last 'run in' they had with Domenico who basically told them how dysfunctional the company was that they won’t be back in a hurry.

One positive thing though is that I have a new mobile that seems to work a lot faster when connected to the internet, so I am now able to download photos etc.and hopefully get this blog back on track.

Meet Milly

2007-11-18T19:53:00.000+01:00

What have we got ourselves into, we have been thinking for some time now about getting a dog, but I wanted to wait until I survived the winter here first!
Well, we took the plunge earlier and gave in and now we are in possesion of Milly a 4 month old German Shepherd. She is absolutely gorgeous and has a lovely temperament, but god I wasn't prepared for the possesiveness, she doesn't leave me alone for a minute, following me around like a shadow... I need my space at times you know!!! She has really attached herself to me and doesn't go loos for anyone else unless I take her, Domenico is overseas at the moment, but as soon as he returns I will be making sure that she knows that he is a great person to be around!

Catching Up

2007-11-18T14:43:00.001+01:00

I can't believe my last entry was in June, where have the months gone!
One of my biggest frustrations at the moment is that we don't yet have a phone line and it looks like we are in for quite a long wait. So I am intermittently using the internet with an extremely slow GPRS mobile phone connection, at times I give in as I am waiting my life away as pages load. But... I thought I had to get my act together and as I'm having a lazy day in front of the fire I would just persevere and do some blog entries.
I thought I would do a quick catch up filling in on a monthly basis what has been happening.

June/July
This was the start of our house renovations, doing all the modifications and cosmetic work ourselves, from morning to night we didn't stop. We were exhausted by the end of the day and looked forward to collapsing into bed at night time.
All the old plaster was chipped of the walls to reveal the original stone, parts were replastered and parts were left as the original stone. It was a hell of a job and extremely dusty and dirty. We were on a mission to get the house livable before my parents arrived in September.

August
We trudged on, the weight fell of us and we became very fit, the kitchen was fitted and we started fitting out and tiling the bathroom.

Domenico hard plastering the kitchen to be

Nearly finished

The swallow chicks in the stalla hatched and the lambs were born in the fields next to us.

Newborn

September
My parents arrived mid September, the house still not ready though livable. It was their first time in Italy and they loved it.
The first 4 days were spent in Le Marche before we headed to Rome for 5 days, we rented a super apartment (v.cheap) in Castel Gandolfo which was near enough to visit Rome and the sights.
Afterwards Mum and dad left Rome on a mediterranean cruise for 12 days and we headed home as my brother from Australia was arriving the next day.
October
Once mum and dad left we found it very difficult to get motivated to restart on the house again after a 2 week break. The temperature began to drop dramatically and we knew that we would have to get our act together as the roof needed insulating and heating had to be sorted out. We decided to buy a woodfired Termocamino which would also direct the heated air to other parts of the house through metal tubing. It is fabulous when it gets going and is really toasty, though our house is so open plan now after taking walls and ceilings down that it takes a hell of alot of heating.
We have had a few dramas with our driveway which was originally a whiteish road driveway leading down to the house, though over the years it has covered over.This poses a huge problem when it rains, we found this out on the day mum and dad were due to leave, it had poured the day before and everywhere was so boggy. Domenico tried several times to make it up the driveway with no luck, he just kept skidding. Mum suggested taking the fence down and cutting across the field, bad move! The field was just as bad and Domenico sat in the car as it slid right down the hill, he was about to bail out when it came to a stop. Dad and Domenico went to look for help from the farmer, and they turned up in the tractor and pulled the car out.
Never a dull moment living in the countryside!

Moving to Le Marche has been such a change to living in Frascati, everyone is just so friendly and helpful, everything is easy to do, and there is actually customer service in shops and with a smile! Its like a totally different Italy and so less stressful.

I'm going to try and catch up on reading some of your blogs now, I can't believe how many there are out there, alot of new ones too.

Casa Nostra

2007-06-19T19:11:00.001+02:00

After what has felt like an eternity we finally settled on our property in Le Marche and are now the proud owners of a piece of Italy.
I have to say that for Italy 8 weeks is pretty quick as far as a purchase goes especially as we had to have a mortgage approved. It certainly helped to have a bank manager who went the extra mile to get every thing in place for us, as usually you have to show at 3 years of business accounts or tax returns before applying. We have only been in business for a year, though he was able to pull a few strings!
The rogito was certainly an experience, every one had to be there,the buyer, seller, estate agent, witness, sellers translator, notaio and a banking official. It took 3 hours from start to finish as every single thing had to be read out from the deed and mortgage papers and for those of you who live in Italy already know, they just love paper!

Casa Nostra

Nearest Neighbour

As soon as the Rogito was finished we were given the keys and headed straight to our new home.

I can't believe how peaceful it is compared to Rome and sitting outside in the evening with the fire flies is amazing.
Today we are back in Frascati to start the packing and moving process though it is so incredibly hot that I have no energy to be shifting boxes. Hopefully by the weekend we will have everything sorted.

My First Italian Wedding

2007-06-12T15:01:00.001+02:00

Well it has been a busy couple of weeks entertaining, our guests have all gone into Rome for the day so I am left alone to catch up on a few bits and pieces.
Domenico 's brother Renato arrived last week with his wife Debra and four of his six gorgeous daughters.

Sophia

Olivia

Stefania & Manuela with DJ.

We had a wedding to attend in Napoli (my first in Italy) and it was going to be a big affair with Arianna being the first of the children to marry.

We arrived just in time at the family apartment which had been transformed into what resembled a jungle, as well as all the bouquets of flowers, the outside of the apartment right down to the ground level had been decorated with different types of palms and other greenery, this was for the first 'grand exit' of the bride with her dad.
As soon as they got into the car and headed to the church all the greenery was packed away in a matter of seconds and carted away.
We got a bit lost on the way to the church so arrived half way through the ceremony which was being undertaken by a very 'gay and flamboyent' Neapolitan priest.We were terrified to walk in thinking it would be very rude to be late, though the ceremony itself appeared to be very casual with people coming and going off the street and some not dressed up at all.

Arianna & Gianni

After about another hour of standing and sitting and having water sprinkled on us it was all over, lots of 'auguris' later we headed to Villa Lucrezio at Posillipo where the reception was to take place. This was a beautiful venue overlooking the bay of Naples, towards Vesuvio and the Sorrentino Peninsula.
It was lovely to catch up with family members before the bride and groom finally arrived, that is when the feast began. Two huge buffet tables were set up on the outdoor terrace, one with every type of Fritti possible, as well as proscuito sliced of the bone and various types of cheeses from buffalo mozzarella to the creamiest ricotta I have ever tasted. The other table was overflowing with seafood, whole octopus had been cooked up and chopped and dressed to order, baby octopus' in a rich tomato and olive sauce, grilled prawns..... the list goes on, it was very impressive.
As we had left Rome without eating breakfast we were all ravenous by 3 in the afternoon, so we really let loose on the Antipasti and were all pretty full. This was a huge mistake! We were then told to make our way to the dining room where dinner really started. Over the next 6 hours we were fed two pasta courses, two secondo (one fish and the other meat), and a fruit course. It was all fabulous, though far too much, we had to stagger from the dining area back to the outdoor terrace where the buffet was set up again with Neapolitan desserts, I wish I had room to indulge but my body was crying out to stop!
The wedding cake was cut, toasts were made and then there was gelato and liqueuers.
After the handing out of individual photo albums and bonbonerie we all said our goodbyes and headed off. It was certainly a lavish wedding and an awful lot of money must have been spent, but that is how it is in Italy, it has to be a big show.

Private Apartment For Holiday Rent Frascati

2007-05-24T11:16:00.001+02:00

Well it looks as if the purchase of the house in Le Marche is going to go through which means that we will be spending the summer months over there renovating.
We have decided therefore to rent out our apartment in Frascati for the months of July, August and the first 2 weeks of September.
It is a beautiful apartment on the top floor ( see photo, top 3 windows) in the central piazza of Frascati, the views are stunning, and as the sun is setting you can see out to the sea.
There are 3 bedrooms each with double beds, large lounge and dining area, kitchen, bathroom, laundry and terrace.
Frascati is the main town of the Castelli Romani and is an excellent base for visiting the other towns of the region as well as Rome as the station is just 2 minutes away, with a train to central Rome every hour, taking 25 minutes.
The price we are asking is 800 euro per week which is negotiable for anyone wishing to rent on a monthly basis.
So if any of you know of anyone looking to spend some time in Rome this summer please let me know.

A Lazy Afternoon at Portonovo

2007-05-17T18:02:00.000+02:00

As the temperature soared into the 30's we decided to head to Portonovo in the Conero Regional Park on the Adriatic coast to have a long lazy lunch beside the beach before the long drive back to Rome.
After an amazing seafood lunch at La Capannina and a bit too much to drink we were ready for a nap, so plonked our selves down on the restaurant loungers and lazed away the afternoon.
This is truly a beautiful piece of coastline, unspoilt and not too busy (yet).
I have had a hard time getting used to the Italian beaches after being spoilt for choice in New Zealand and Australia which has some of the most amazing coastline with miles and miles of uninterrupted,clean white sand and sea.
I absolutely refuse to pay to lie on a beach which seems to be the normal practice here. Lido after lido, some charging 40 euro a day for the privilege of an umbrella, a sun lounger which will be a metre or so from the next person! I need my space and if anyone comes within 2 metres of me with their towel, they get glared at! Sometimes whilst driving along the coast roads in Italy it is hard to even see the beaches as the rows of lido's block the view, such a shame.

Portonovo

Lazy Afternoon (fully clothed as we didn't have our togs with us!)

Giro D'Italia

2007-05-17T17:38:00.000+02:00

We awoke this morning to a Frascati that had been transformed to accommodate the 5th stage of the Giro D'Italia.
Our apartment is right in the centre and I reckon we had the best view despite not quite being able to focus on the finishing line!

The leaders

A happy finalist, not sure if he was the winner!The rest of them

Nats Is Getting Married!

2007-04-18T08:22:00.000+02:00

Domenico received the call from our daughter Natalie on his mobile and thought heck what has happened, she would only phone the mobile in an emergency!
A bubbly excited voice on the other end said that Chris had proposed to her whilst they were having a romantic picnic on the beach with the sun setting...aww, he is so sweet. She said she was crying and laughing at the same time and it all felt quite surreal.
I feel so old, our first born getting married !
Chris and Nats have been together for 5 years now since she was 17, we stumbled across them one evening after Domenico and I arrived home after a night out. Domenico walked in on them as they were snuggled up on the sofa, he turned to me with a very concerned look on his face and said 'there is a boy in our house with Nats !' and being the protective father, felt a bit strange. There was nothing to worry about though as Chris is lovely and they are perfect for each other.
So it looks like we will be heading back to New Zealand for the wedding this time next year.
The first thing Domenico said though was 'no bambino's before I'm 50!'

Easter Weekend

2007-04-16T14:22:00.000+02:00

We had a lovely Easter weekend this year, Sunday was spent cooking,eating and hanging out with our friends, Nigel and Isalena. We have known N & I since 1985 as they were customers in our first restaurant in New Zealand. Nigel who had just finished his Architect degree took on the job to design and oversee another restaurant we had just bought and when it was finished we bought himself and his girlfriend Isalena an airline ticket to Italy. That was the last we saw of them though we heard that they were living in Rome!
We decided when we arrived here to look them up in the phone book and were thrilled to hear that they were still here after 17 years and with 3 beautiful children. Even after so long it is nice to be able to pick up where we left off, though with Nigels busy schedule (he has just finished working on the controversial Ara Pacus museum project) it is hard for him to find free time.

Easter Monday was spent with friends who were visiting from New Zealand, the girls Madeleine and Frances have been friends with our girls since primary school.
After lunch in Frascati we all trooped off into Rome to show them some of the sights, it was a fabulous warm day and they were in awe at all the History around them (the perfect tourists!).
We finished the day at 'Gusto' our favourite pizzeria, absolutely exhausted.

House Hunting

2007-04-16T14:03:00.000+02:00

Sorry for not posting for so long, the past few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster ride mentally.
We decided a year ago that we wanted to move over to Le Marche, so the past couple of months have seen us going back and forth on a house hunting expedition. I think we have seen every farmhouse possible.
We eventually found one that we loved on top of a hill with 360° views, though when we went to put in an offer we were told that some English people had offered 20,000 euro more than the asking price.
On one of our expeditions which was during a very wet weekend we got bogged down twice in the muck whilst looking at properties,our jeep was proving to be a very unreliable 4 wheel drive!! Another lady in a jeep came to our rescue as we couldn't find a tractor and I think we ended up burning her engine! It was very embarrasing and especially checking into the B & B covered in s****t!
The worst was yet to come, as we were driving back on the autostrada there was a very bad noise coming from the back wheels, Domenico kept telling me not too worry it was nothing! Oh yeah!....3 hours later when we arrived at the toll booth the car behind kept beeping at us, so we decided to pull over. I was in shock to see that we had lost all of the bolts except one holding on the back wheel. I think there was definately someone 'up there' looking after us that day.
After several more weekends we finally found and put an offer on another property which has been accepted subject to us getting finance through. I'm not getting too excited until we have the keys in our hands as I am sure there will be beaurocratic hoops to jump through. One of those being having to change my surname back to my maiden name to satisfy the Italian laws. When we were looking to buy a place in Sicily 2 years ago the Notaio insisted that I couldn't use my married name as it made Domenico and I look like brother and sister,I am sure there must be a way around it. So I am not posting any pics yet until everything is 'cento per cento!!'

Early Days

2007-03-19T11:46:00.000+01:00

Domenico is probably going to kill me for posting these pictures which I came across recently, but I think they are so cute and really take you back in time.
This one was taken on the beach at Napoli, probably 44 years ago Domenico is the one with the blonde curls looking towards the camera with his brothers, sister and mama (very proud of her offspring).

This is an early school photo, Domenico is to the right of the teacher. I just love the smock dresses they had to wear, I don't think they did though, as they don't really look like a very happy bunch. Real 'Scugnizzi'!

And here he is 3rd from the left in the second row

Sunday Lunch

2007-03-05T18:28:00.000+01:00

Today I am still recovering from eating too much yesterday, I feel like a real glutton.
Our friends came to Frascati and insisted that we try a local restaurant, I'm so bad I can't even remember the name of it, I just remember it was a very basic place, you know the type, family owned, Nonna, Mama, Papa and Figlie all working, no menu, you get what you are given and the TV is on full blast in the corner.
The food was in my opinion very basic, the type you eat when you are really hungry and need to fill the stomach, and well we certainly did that.
We started with antipasto consisting of cured meats, fagioli, ricotta and olives. Then a soup of Pasta and Fagioli arrived, I thought this would pass as the pasta course but no, immediately arrived a plate of Fettucinne Bolognese, at this point I was really struggling when arrived yet another pasta course of Bucatini Carbonara. Unbelievable 3 pasta courses ! Domenico had to beg them to slow down and to let us have a rest.
When the Secondi arrived it consisted of Involtini, Scaloppine con Carciofi, and an Osso Bucco type of stew, all served with roast potatoes. At this stage I just looked at all the food and wish I had the nerve to ask for a doggy bag as I knew it would all go to waste. I just couldn't understand why there was so much.
To finish we were served, two types of sponge cake and a frizzante white wine to add to the 2 litres of red wine we had all ready drunk.
Unbelievably the bill only came to 20 euro for each of us.
So I have decided this week I'm going to try and eat healthy and try and get back on to my low carb diet.Story of my life! As much as I love pasta it really doesn't agree with me, I'm left feeling bloated and uncomfortable.

Not A Good Week!

2007-02-21T16:34:00.000+01:00

I'm having a really lousy week this week, sadly may friend Ross died after his fight with cancer, I will miss him so much he has always been there for me and we spoke often, even though we were so far away. I did write a post a few months ago (below) about Ross, I know he will be around in spirit. Before he died he managed to set up a website ( in my links) of his stories and publications over the years, his 'Spiritual Journey' is very inspiring, (you will need to scroll down to read.)

As well as this I've had an awful hacking cough the past few days, I reckon its the warm weather breeding the bugs. If it was cold they would be dead by now! and its been raining the last couple of days which hasn't helped my spirits. Role on next week....

(I’m having a sad weepy day today after having spoken to my dear friend Ross in NZ who was diagnosed with cancer a couple of months ago. Unfortunately the cancer has spread rapidly and has got into his lungs so his breathing is difficult and he is in alot of pain as antibiotics no longer work. By the sounds of it he doesn’t have much longer left to live.I think he is slowly coming to terms with his mortality though I’m having a tough time accepting it.

I came to know Ross about fifteen years ago when he applied for a job in our restaurant. We hit it off from day one and have had many days of fun and laughter. After my husband, he is my best friend who has been my mentor in my personal and business life and has always been there for me. We are so similar in the way we think its quite scary, maybe it is to do with the fact that our birthdays are only a couple of days apart.

Ross has experienced a lot in his life, he is a very passionate conservationist and has done a lot of work with the preservation of whales and dolphins in NZ. Through out his years he has travelled the world, travel writing and photographing for several NZ publications, his love of Italy brings him back year after year, though he is upset at the thought of not being able to see any more of Italy.)

I feel so angry that a life can be taken so quickly from someone who has had such a love of life and has always looked after his health, it is so unfair. I’m just hoping he can hang on.

Nonna

2007-02-07T15:42:00.000+01:00

This week 'Nonna', Domenico's Mum came to stay. She is getting on a bit now and finds it hard to get out and about, though it suprises me how, when she is at home, she still manages a daily trip up and down 4 flights of stairs to go to the park to feed the pigeons, despite her having a hip disability.
It makes me laugh when she comes as she always brings a bag of treats for Liana and I. This time it consisted of a couple of pairs of huge bras and girdles, four pairs of elastic waisted trousers that don't sit on the hips but go right up to the boobs and a pair of fluorescant pyjamas! Liana and I look at each other in disbelief, though we have to say that they are lovely so not to offend her. The crunch comes when she tells us to try them on to see if they fit OK, it is so hard to try and keep a serious face. I have a special drawer now which is full of Nonna's special gifts to us, I just hope she doesn't go snooping one day and finds them all!
She loves coming to Frascati as she finds it so peaceful compared to Napoli, though most of her time is spent sleeping, she reminds me of a cat, eats and sleeps, eats and sleeps!

Buon Anniversario 22 Anni

2007-01-31T15:18:00.000+01:00

This week Domenico and I reached our 22nd wedding aniversary.We have known each other since I was 16 years old, 26 years later and with 3 children thrown in along the way, I'm still crazy about him!

Linguine Con Vongole

2007-01-17T10:06:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favourite pasta dishes, light, quick to make and slightly picante.

You will need:
Vongole (Clams) make sure they are very fresh
1 Onion
1 Garlic Clove
Pepperoncini
Fresh Parsley
A few salted anchovies
Linguine

1. Cover the Vongole in salt water ( a good handful of salt) and leave for a few hours, if the vongole are still alive they will open up and spit out any sand still in the shells.
2. Sauté finally diced onion with the garlic, pepperoncini and anchovies.
3. The anchovies should melt to add to the seafood flavour.
4. Cook the pasta
5.Drain and rinse the vongole and add to the simmering onion mix. Add a dash of white wine, chopped cherry tomatoes, salt, cracked pepper and a little water then cover, leave until the shells have opened.
6.Drain the pasta well and add to vongole sauce, I usually make this dish in the Wok so I have the depth to toss everything together.
7.Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Austria- Christmas Holiday 2

2007-01-03T20:34:00.000+01:00

Before returning to Italy we decided to stop a few days in Austria, as soon as we reached the border into Austria the skies cleared as if on cue and before us we could see the Alps where we were heading. We decided to go to the Gastein Valley near Salzburg as it wasn't too far from our route back to Italy and luckily had a substantial covering of snow considering the rest of Europe was still waiting. We hadn't booked any accomodation though did leave an email with the information centre for any vacancies to be texted to us. Luckily we found one of two self contained apartments (Hausebengut) in an Austrian families house on the mountainside at Bad Hofgastein.

Hausebengut

View up the valley from our terrace

Domenico, Liana, DJ & I

It was just perfect and had everything we needed and at 45euro a night for four of us it was a real bargain. The Wallner family were extremely hospitable greeting us with a glass of Schnapps and then bringing us some homemade christmas cookies.
The next day we headed to the ski resort for a day of skiing and snowboarding. The conditions were perfect, DJ took off with his snow board and we didn't see him for the rest of the day, whilst Liana, Domenico and I tried to stay together. It didn't take long to get the hang of it again, though Domenico had a bad fall at one stage and lost his confidence so spent the rest of the time cautiously snow ploughing down the pistes. After yet more sausages (yes we are all sausaged out now!) and a couple of mugs of hot mulled wine we were on our way again, our skiing suddenly improved with some alcohol in our systems! and we had a fabulous time meandering through the forest on a 7km run. I was exhausted by the end and my legs were like jelly, though it was a great feeling.
The following day we spent around the town of Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein which are part of a thermal area full of health spas and underground caves reknowed for there therapeutic qualities. We really loved this area in Austria and will certainly return one day for a longer stay.

Bad Hofgastein

Though a bit of advise to any one travelling with their car, make sure you buy the road tax sticker for the autostrada and expressway 7 euro. After travelling through the rest of Europe ( apart from Czech Republic) we didn't realise it was necessary and got a whopping 120 euro on the spot fine when crossing the border back into Italy. No amount of pleading helped and they said they would take our car if it wasn't paid!

Prague- Our Christmas Holiday 1

2007-01-03T14:19:00.000+01:00

After a really early morning flight from Ciampino we eventually arrived at Stansted. Looking down from the plane the countryside was covered in a blanket of frost, I haven't experienced this since I left England, it was lovely and crisp and brought back lots of child hood memories.
After picking up our car we checked into the hotel at Docklands then made a quick dash to the underground to the centre of London to make the most of the the rest of the day. By the time we had wandered the streets, checking out the shops, we were ready for dinner. We stumbled across a fabulous communal Thai restaurant 'Busaba Eat Thai' in Piccadilly and indulged in a fantastic feast, it had been 2 years since our last decent Thai meal (apart from my attempts at home).
The following day we rose bright and early to start our trip to Prague. We took the ferry from Dover to Calais ( a word of advise.. you save alot of money by booking prior or buying the ticket from the agency advertising cheap tickets before you reach the terminal) and then drove through France,Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, reaching Prague 12 hours later.

Prague-Mala Strana from Charles Bridge

My first impression of Prague was that it felt really eerie, as a low cloud hovered over the city the whole time we were there, preventing the sun from shining through and the air was very still and bitterly cold.
With our thermal underwear on and 'Time Out' in hand we went to explore the city. The old quarter of Prague (Stare Mesto) was really delightful, the quaint little streets were full of christmas lights and decorations and several Christmas markets were scattered throughout the old squares.There was plenty of activity and alot of tourists around browsing through the little shops full of crystal ornaments, Czech dolls and plenty of woolly hats. Others were keeping warm huddled around the wood fires which were roasting hams on the spit, drinking beer or Gluwein (hot mulled wine).

Christmas Hams

Castle Grounds and the Old Market Square

We followed the route which took us over the Charles Bridge and across to Mala Strana, the area between the river and Prague Castle, then proceeded to the castle grounds. Unfortunately we were too late to look through the castle.

Mala Strana area

Prague Castle

Statue St John of Nepomuk, photo taken 1st crossing the bridge then again on our return

To keep warm we spent alot of time in and out of shops and pubs, the feeling was blissful as we entered from the cold that had penetrated through to our bones into the warmth. We also ate a great deal of Czech sausages, and drank alot of Pilsner beer and Gluwein which I became addicted too and brought several bottles home with me. Though it doesn't quite have the same effect drinking it in a warm house.
The Czechs are a very quiet bunch preferring to keep themselves to themselves, though were more than willing to help with advice as most of them have a good knowledge of English.
We were in Prague for 5 nights and it was plenty of time to take in and explore the city.

Happy Christmas

2006-12-18T21:26:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to wish every one a fabulous Christmas and New Year.
We are flying out early in the morning to London as we have just bought a car there, then we have decided to drive down to the Czech Republic and hopefully experience a white christmas with a bit of snow boarding and skiing thrown in.
A presto!

2006-12-16T16:54:00.000+01:00

As I sit here writing this I am indulging in yet another piece of Panettone, with toasted almonds on top ( Not for you Annika!). It is so easy to eat several pieces and not realise.

Well Christmas is just a week away and to be honest I'm having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year especially since Ikea were sold out of trees, I'm seriously thinking of decorating our large pot plant!.
As it is going to be a quiet one we are thinking of taking off to Prague for a week on Christmas Eve.The airfares have sky rocketed so I reckon we could drive there as it only takes 12 hours and we could stop in Austria on the way.
All our life we have always taken holidays on impulse due to the nature of the business we had, nothing has ever been planned much to the disbelief of our friends.
Many times back in New Zealand we closed the restaurant around christmas time, went to the travel agency wanting a package deal that week only to be told no accomodation available. It has never deterred us though, we hop on the plane and keep our fingers crossed that we will find something when we arrived.
In Bali we found some amazing hotels all willing to barter the price, Thailand was a bit harder though. We arrived late at night, I hadn't slept on the flight and was sooooo tired, I need at least 7 hours sleep to function properly or you don't want to be around me! We trailed around several hotels in Phuket all to no avail, in the end I sat on the side of the road and balled my eyes out. Where was I going to sleep!! Domenico took off to find somewhere, leaving me to drown in my tears. Luckily he found a room in the Holiday Inn for the night where I crashed and woke up the next day totally refreshed and happy.
The next day we hired a scooter and found a fabulous resort just out of Phuket where we spent rest of the week.
It is all very adventurous and I actually like not having to commit to accomodation or a place we are not sure about.
Well I will finish there and have yet another piece of panettone.

Jamies Great Italian Escape

2006-12-16T14:48:00.000+01:00

I got a lovely suprise in the mail today, a belated birthday present from my daughter, the DVD of Jamie's Great Italian Escape. I know alot of people are not Jamie fans, but I really like and relate to his style of cooking and was very frustrated when I couldn't get this particular TV series in Italy as we don't have Sky. I searched everywhere for the DVD with no luck, then my daughter called to say she managed to find a DVD in Australia of all the Italian series put together. So I've been glued to the TV this morning watching all 6 series' and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the different regions with their own styles of cooking and the attempts of Jamie Oliver to cook and have his food accepted by the locals. It shows the stubborness of the locals in their particular region to accept any style of cooking that is different from what they are used to, it was all very interesting. The DVD does require parental guidance as there is one particular scene where he is asked to slaughter a lamb.. eek... very gross and I had to look away! If any bloggers here in Italy would like to see the DVD let me know.

HELP.......

2006-12-14T16:53:00.000+01:00

I need some help guys, I don't know what I am doing wrong, but I no longer seem to be able to leave comments on Blogs that I previously could. When I go to the comment page it has the google/blogger account bit which no longer accepts my password when I put in my details. Ive tried changing my password, still no luck. I did notice that the people who were leaving comments on other blogs seemed to be with Beta Blogger, could this be the problem. Very frustrated!!!

Chocolates Galore

2006-12-08T17:03:00.000+01:00

A rather belated post as there is a fight for the computer at the moment in our house,with one computer being down. I think I am going to have to draw up a timetable!
Last Saturday we all hopped on a cheapy 99 c Ryan Air flight to Belgium as my brother who has moved to Antwerp with his family was celebrating his 40th birthday. It was originally going to be a suprise as we haven't seen each other for over 4 years, though he had planned to fly to Israel on Sunday so my SIL had to tell him we were coming so he could reschedule. It was great to see them all again especially my nieces and the cousins all got along so well despite not having seen each other for so long.

Bruges Town Centre

Unfortunately we were not able to do much sight seeing as the weather was wet and blustery, however we did take a day trip to Bruges on Sunday dodging in out of shops between the showers. It was certainly a picturesque little town with loads of quaint boutique chocolate shops. I thought the chocolate in Italy was great but the Belgium chocolate is to die for, so exquisite and creamy and packaged in lovely little boxes. So after dinner the rest of the evening was spent indulging in our chocolate purchases followed by hot chocolate.

I found a huge difference between Belgium and Italy, everyone was so quiet and reserved, although very polite they tended to keep themselves to themselves. On the train to the airport we were speaking to each other in our normal voices, though I think to the other passengers we were being loud as we got a few glary looks. Perhaps we should have been whispering.
We had a lovely weekend though, it is always nice to visit new cities and experience a different culture. It is made all the more easier with the cheap flights, next on the list is Prague.

Autumn

2006-11-25T21:40:00.000+01:00

One thing I love about Italy is the distinct change in Seasons and the new fruit and veges that arrive in the markets. When I first came to Italy I used to get very frustrated when I was unable to get a certain fruit or veg, as in NZ they were always available whether local or imported. Now I have accepted the fact that I can only get certain things when they are in season and in fact it has given me a greater appreciation of them as its something to look forward to.
Autumn has to be one of my favourite seasons, I love the green leavy veges, broccoletti, kale,friarielli, the fresh carciofi, porcini mushrooms and roasted chestnuts are the ultimate in comfort food.

Today was a beautiful day in Rome and it felt very Autumny whilst walking along the Tevere, the trees all changing colour and the river was very calming as the sun was beginning to set.

Blondie

2006-11-25T12:52:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I took the plunge and decided to go very blonde. Even though I was reasonably happy with my hairdresser nearby I was finding that every time I went for highlights he never quite did enough, and due to lack of communication I wasn't able to express exactly the colour I wanted.
So I decided to pay a visit to my husbands friend Maurizio who has a salon in Rome. I have only had Maurizio cut my hair once when I first arrived in Italy and at the time I said 'never again' as I feared that I was going to leave earless!. Its not a nice feeling to have someone chopping away at your hair whilst he is looking in another direction talking to someone!!
Well yesterday I was desperate, so I went to see to him with a photo of Uma Thurman in hand, hoping he could transform me to the same colour. He did a pretty good job copying the colour, though I am now starting to freak out as its the first time I have had a full colour and I'm now worried about the mousy roots that are going to expose themselves any day now!

What does one 'do' with a Cachi.

2006-11-11T17:21:00.000+01:00

Today I bought my first Cachi. I have seen them in the markets quite a bit lately and usually just look at them and think what on earth would I do with one as I am not at all familiar with this fruit.
I peeled away the skin and was pleasantly suprised to find the inside very sweet with a sort of firm jellyish texture.
If anyone has any cooking/ dessert suggestions for the cache, please send them my way.

Grazie

Napoli. I love it and hate it!

2006-11-09T18:06:00.000+01:00

I have a real love hate relationship with Napoli (the birth place of Domenico, though he escaped at 15 years old!).

Lately I have been feeling a bit vulnerable and especially wary with all the violence that has been happening and especially since Domenico and his friend were held up at gun point last week.
They had just parked when a couple of guys on a motorbike pulled out a gun and asked if they had any money, when they said they didn’t they just said OK and took off with a wave! Unbelievable! It seems to be a normal occurrence, though I would be freaking out.

My love of Napoli comes in the form of food. I just love Neapolitan pizza and desserts, as well as marinated Octopus Salad, made with the big octopus’, whilst sitting outside one of the waterfront restaurants on a balmy evening, watching all the crazy antics of the passersby.

I also love walking around the side streets of the Spanish area just off Via Roma, exploring the food shops and markets whilst dodging crazy Neapolitans on their scooters.

After a couple of days though I am driven away by the chaos, dirt and constant noise and can’t wait to return home.

I can’t get my head around why Neapolitans have such a problem with rubbish, it is everywhere and such a health problem. For weeks sometimes the big street bins aren’t emptied due to strikes. Whilst driving into Napoli one day on the autostrada, the people in the car in front of us threw out two supermarket bags full of rubbish straight onto the next lane. I was in shock, sometimes I wonder if they have their heads screwed on properly! They don’t think about the ‘what if’s’.

And to finish off my rant, who in their right mind would live here…….

Bella Roma

2006-11-09T14:19:00.000+01:00

Whoops I seem to be slipping a bit, no posts for the past 3 weeks. No excuse really just lack of motivation as well as going back and forth to Napoli the past few weeks.

Well the days are certainly a lot cooler now, but the beautiful crisp sunny days and less tourists make it a perfect time to visit Rome. Quite often I take a trip into Rome, a quick 20 minute train ride from Frascati, and do a walk taking in all the sights as well as exploring new areas.

So if you are ever short of time and want to do a speedy sight seeing trip taking in as much as possible I suggest the following itinerary.

Once you arrive at Termini station, hop on the metro B line to the colosseum, here you can also take in the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Look out for my daughter Liana and say hi if you see her. She is currently taking tours of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, they say she is the youngest guide down there at 18 years old and loves to meet new people.

Next head down Via Dei Fori Imperiali towards Piazza Venezia and Piazza Del Campidiglio, to take in the sights of the amazing Complesso Del Vittoriano and Campidoglio..

From here once you have dodged the traffic of Piazza Venezia, walk down Via Del Corso where you should see the sign to Fontana Di Trevi.

From here you can cut through the side streets to the Spanish Steps.From the top of the steps there are some great views over Rome.

By this time will probably be ready for lunch. One of my favourite places is Gusto in Piazza Augusto, very cheap and they make great Pizza Napoletana.

From Piazza Augusto take the little back streets to the Pantheon and then onto Piazza Navona. The streets around Via Coronari also have plenty of little restaurants and hosterias to eat at.

At this stage if you still have time and your feet are not crying out, head towards the river and cross the bridge ‘Ponte San Angelo’ to see Castel San Angelo. From here it a straight walk to Piazza San Pietro and the Vatican.

To get back to Termini, take the Metro A line at Ottaviano.

So there you have it Rome in a hurry. Of course ideally you need at least 3 days to do it justice and to take in other areas such as Campo De Fiori, Trastevere and Villa Borghese and the park.

Dinner Parties

2006-10-19T11:56:00.000+02:00

There have been alot of dinner party menus flying around blog land lately and it got me thinking about how much I miss the dinner parties we used to have back in NZ where we could be creative with food.

I find in Italy when I am entertaining Domenico's family and friends (mainly from Napoli) it is not quite the same and I don't get the same satisfaction. They are stuck in such a rut where the concept of food is concerned and they can't see beyond their way of cooking.
Don't get me wrong I have alot of respect for the traditional recipes that have been passed down through generations, but it isn't the 'be all and end all' when it comes to food and I wish some of the Italian buddies would see this, perhaps it is more of a Southern Italian mentality. I get so frustrated when I am told that you can't put this with that and that a certain food can only be cooked a certain way! What happened to a bit of fantasy.

For me food is like art, a chance to play around with flavours etc, you wouldn't give an artist a plain canvas and paints and expect the same picture time and time again, the same applies to food.

Anyway enough ranting, it doesn't stop me from cooking the way I want to cook even if the finnochio does gets picked out of the arugala salad or I am told that you can't put apple sauce with roast pork.......

Our last guests were treated to the following, on this occasion I did Italianise a bit.

Marinated Alici
(before)

After they were gutted and beheaded and before they were dressed with White Wine Vinegar, Lemon, Garlic,Olive Oil and Parsley

Unfortunately I forgot to take a pic of the final dish before they were woofed down.

Followed by :

Roast Pork with Apple and Sage Sauce, and Caramalised Onions

Braised Leeks wrapped in Proscuitto (before)Barbecue Grilled veges tossed with Balsamico, Olive Oil and Basilico

I usually cheat when it come to dessert and pop down to the Pasticceria for some mini pastries and cakes, though ocasionally I make a Lemon Tiramisu with a full bottle of Limoncello, its lethal!!

Puglia in a hurry!

2006-10-09T16:17:00.000+02:00

We have just arrrived back from a whirlwind visit of amazing Puglia.
Domenico decided that due to the unreliability of the courier company he was using that he would personally deliver the barbeques that were ordered at the Bari Homeshow himself.
We piled the barbeques into the truck and off we set for a weekend on the road.
Puglia is a beautiful part of Italy, unlike the other regions it is set apart with its mix of Arabic, Greek and Baroque architecture, a totally different Italy.

Unfortunately due to our lack of time we had to whizz around, passing through countryside made up of mile after mile of olive groves.
We have decided to take another trip to really absorb the region and to take more photos when we have more time.

Olive Groves

The Pugliese are truly lovely people, everybody we came across was very friendly and helpful. Their generosity really showed through when we did our final delivery in Metaponto, near Taranto. We asked the guy Andrea if he knew of an agriturismo in the area. Unfortunately there was a shortage of accomodation, though he insisted that we stay at his friend Aldo's holiday apartment for the night as it wasn't being used.

He then took us and Aldo to a restaurant in the town, where the food was absolutely amazing.
We started with marinated anchovies, octopus salad and tiny frittered pesce, this was then followed by fresh homemade pasta with the most succulent vongole, and mussels. They were smaller than usual though much tastier.
Puglia is famous for its fresh seafood in fact most is eaten raw, I was suprised to see plates of raw sepia (squid) being eaten.
We were so full after the pasta that there wasn't any room for a Secondo, though they insisted on fruit and dessert followed by homemade Meloncello liquer. This was similar to Limoncello though a bit thicker.

Fresh Pasta with Vongole e Cozze

When we finished our meal our new friends refused to let us pay for accomodation or the restaurant meal and the next day before we headed back home they came by with a large crate of grapes from their vineyard, and tubs of olives and mandarins.
Such generosity. I am definetely looking forward to our next trip.

Our Summer Holiday

2006-09-30T12:22:00.000+02:00

I was sorting out some photos when I thought I would do a blog of our summer hols.

It was coming to the end of July when we realised we hadn't made any plans for our summer holiday and decided on the spur of the moment to take the children to the South of France where Domenico and I lived for 2 years and then on to Spain. As accomodation gets rather pricey for four of us we took the plunge and bought a cheap camper van off Ebay in the UK. We were really lucky and dealt with a lovely honest chap from Surrey. As this was the first time we had ever tried campervanning we had no idea what to expect, though we liked the thought of being free to go where ever we wanted.

Domenico flew to London to pick up 'Steve' (the camper) and prepared to travel down France ( a 1st for him without me to navigate!) and DJ and I piled the car full of bedding, clothes and kitchen stuff to meet up with him in Nice. All went well, DJ and I arrived on time and met up with Angelo (Domenico's brother who lives in Nice) and we were all to meet up with Domenico in a restaurant that evening. It was there we got the SOS text- 'Help I've run out of petrol, I'm in the french Alps (God knows what he was doing there as I told him to stick to the autostrada), 30km from Nice, beside a river near such and such town!!' Well I knew it was too good to be true. From what we were told the area where he stopped was treacherous mountain roads, so we were tossing with the idea of just leaving him as he did have a bed and kitchen facilities! In the end we decided to go and save him as we thought he wasn't too far away. Thats when the fun really started. We arrived at the gas station to get some petrol for the camper but when I put the car key in the boot to open it, the key snapped and Domenico had the spare on his key ring. The car was stuck at the petrol pumps blocking everyone as the power steering had locked and which ever position we pushed the car it left no room. In the end the nice chap at the gas station let us use his car to try and track down Domenico in the mountains and retrieve the spare key. It was all to no avail as he had no reception on his phone, and he wasn't where we thought he would be,so we arrived back at 5am in the morning and called a tow truck to take the car away. At 8am in the morning I got a call from Domenico saying he had arrived in Nice, after finding petrol nearby.It was such a relief and we went to retrieve the car from the towing people, who actually kindly let us keep the car there for a few weeks while we travelled in the Camper.

The first couple of days we stayed around Nice and Villfranche, before heading to St Raphael along the most amazing red rocked Esteral coast road with crystal clear waters.

Villefranche

The Esteral Coastline

Sunset Port St Raphael

We quickly learnt that we were better off staying away from the big towns as there was no where to park the Camper and we didn't want to stay in campsites which were just so overcrowded.
It was really nice being back in France and didn't take too long before my french came back, it was a bit of a cocktail for the first few days though.The french are certainly a lot more respectful than the Italians and were very polite. It was nice to experience great customer service again which is pretty much non existent in Rome.

Liana arrived 5 days later by train and we made a quick detour back to Nice to pick her up. We quickly told her the camper rules, as with such a small space this was important, it didn't help matters that she bought just about everything with her!

We did the next stint on the autostrada until we came to Montpellier then headed cross country to the coast, through the Camargue region where the wild horses roam and then on to Cap D'agde.I remember this resort town from when I went on holiday as a young girl, though now it was not very nice, a bit run down and tacky, so we only stopped off one night.

The next day we headed to Spain by the coast road, it was really stunning though hair raising driving along the cliff roads, my toes and fingers were so sore afterwards with keeping them clenched. It was funny arriving in Spain as we were all mute when we went to get supplies from the supermarket. Even Domenico who knows some Spanish couldn't get the words out, so we were speaking italian and adding an 's' onto the end of each word hoping it would sound right.Little did we know that the grammar is totally different to Italian.

Whilst driving through the spanish villages we came across several 'hole in the wall' Fire roasted chicken joints. The chicken was absolutely irrisistable, stuffed with lemon, garlic and rosemary. The queues outside proved the popularity with the locals.

Fire Roasted Chickens

Barcelona was our next stop, an amazing lively city which really functions well and is so easy to walk around, with so much to see and do. Unfortunately it was not very camper friendly and we only stayed one night as we were broken into.The bloody thieves took off with my laptop (which I had hidden), our soap and beach bag, leaving behind Liana's Ipod and the mobile phones. I was so peeved off as I lost so many photos which I hadn't backed up.We would really like to return in the winter to see more of the city and will definetely fly next time.

The next day we headed to Sitges, this we later found out is Spains main Gay resort, a gorgeous town and beachfront, lots of quaint streets and funky cafes/ restaurants as well as LOTS of gays.DJ and Liana went out one night and DJ couldn't get over how happy everyone was, though after a while he said he started to feel a bit uncomfortable.When we arrived in Sitges we had to sit out the biggest storm which went on throughout the night, I have never experienced gales like it, really frightening, though the next day the waves were awesome.

Sitges Beachfront

Sitges

Liana & DJ and the amazing waves

We spent about a week in Spain before heading back along the French coast stopping in St Tropez for a few days.This place is oozing wealth, and is extremely expensive, so we avoided the main town. The port was full of boats bigger than the buildings, we could just stand and drool. We found a beach area about 2km long just outside, made up of private and public areas,and a lovely camping area just for campervans right on the beach.

This old dear was parading up and down with just a piece of string around her bum, I think she thought she was still 20 not 80 .
Beignets sur la plage
This pooch was loving the sea
Liana & DJ St Tropez
The Port St Tropez

The rest of the hols were spent back near Nice and Monte Carlo and we showed Liana and DJ the areas we lived and where we worked (the same staff are still working there after 20 years).

Nice

End of our holiday,Domenico & I sur la Promenade Des Anglais

About 5000km later we arrived back in Rome after a fabulous adventure and have decided that campervanning is a great way to travel. We are hoping that the next trip will be to Morroco though next time we will put the camper on the ferry over to Spain.

Reflecting

2006-09-21T14:08:00.000+02:00

One of the biggest adjustments I have made since moving to Italy is coming to terms with how much my days have slowed down and in some cases come to a complete standstill, with boredom setting in.
I have always been a spontaneous person doing things on impulse, though that just never happens as the opening hours of shops, businesses etc. dictate when I am able to do something.
I was always on the move physically and mentally and I thrived on it. I have been throwing ideas around for starting my own business, things that work overseas, but I just know that trying to do it here would be an impossibility due to the resistance of change. So now I try and fulfill my days helping my husband with the business.

A typical week day for me in New Zealand was:
-7am- Wake up and head to the pool for one hour of training
-9am- Head to work, food prep, making sure all of the catering orders are met by their deadlines, accounts etc…
-4pm-Leave work and go to a 90 minutes Bikram Yoga class (3 times week)
-7pm- Stop off at the supermarket before heading home to make dinner for the kids
-10pm- Crash into bed ready to do it all again the next day.

I was lucky that the kids were at an age to get themselves to and from school, and I that being self employed I could leave work if I had emergencies, appointments etc.
I certainly looked forward to the weekends though.

A typical day in Italy is:
-8am- Wake up, make brekky and take it back to bed
-9am- If I am feeling in the mood, I go to the gym
-11am- Pick up groceries before heading home and spending time at the computer
-1pm- Lunch
-2pm- More computer and getting accounts etc. done for the business
-4pm- Sometimes I have a nap, then more computer
-7pm- Make dinner
-10pm- Bed.
Of course some days I go into Rome for a stroll and to pick my Asian goodies up from the market, and at the weekends we try and take trips out of town.

I have to keep telling myself to remember the days in NZ when I wished I could just stop working for a while and recharge my batteries. Though I don’t think I anticipated coming to a stand still.

I suppose at the end of the day it is all about finding the right balance between work,family and leisure time, I’m sure one day I will find it.

Back To The Gym

2006-09-18T15:45:00.000+02:00

The start of a new week and I eventually got my act together and dragged myself back to the gym.
It has been three months now without exercise and all the bits that I managed to tone up at the beginning of the year have started to wobble again. Sometimes I wonder why I bother, though usually after a couple of weeks I am back on track again.
I am not usually a big fan of gyms, preferring to do my exercise running or training in the pool, but I feel I have been forced to do so as it is too dangerous to run around here with the traffic and I get bored running around the park. We have a local pool too but it is so unorganised and quite gross.
I was really suprised when I walked into the gym today as it had all been renovated, it was already brand spanking new when I started so I don't know what the story is there, they must be making lots of money!
So I did a gentle workout and felt awesome afterwards, a great way to start the day and I really must try and keep it up. Story of my life!

Frascati

2006-09-16T13:51:00.001+02:00

It is a year today that we moved into our apartment in Frascati. Why did we choose Frascati you may well ask?
-Well we wanted to be near to Rome, we are only a 20 minute train ride into Termini, 10 minutes from Ciampino Airport and 30 minutes to Fiumicino
-As it is in the Albano Hills we seem to be above the smog level of Rome
-It is definately cooler in the summer, though the down side of that is it is also colder in the winter
-All conveniences are within walking distance
-Fresh Veg/ Fruit market Monday- Saturday, as well as several butchers, delicatessens, bakeries.
-Handy to the other towns of the Castelli Romani.

Villa Aldobrandini

Cattedrale Di San Pietro

Villa Torlonia from our terraceView over the Castelli Romani from Tuscola

Although we have a fabulous apartment with wonderful views, living in the heart of Frascati does have its down side. The noise is the main thing that gets to me, though I suppose that is a part of Italian living.
- The constant traffic and honking, people who dont talk but shout, especially between the hours of 2am and 5am in the morning. Why they cannot just converse with each other without letting the whole world know is beyond me!
-The street cleaning truck that wakes me every morning FAR TOO EARLY.
-The lack of free car parking, I think we could of bought a new car with the amount of parking fines we have paid over the past year!
-The mass of people and teenagers from all over Rome who all congregate to Frascati on a Saturday evening to hang out. This makes going out a nightmare.

I do really think it is a lovely town despite my moans and groans, but inevitably I would like to move into the countryside, as I am a country girl at heart. The only problem is convincing my husband who loves city life and being around people. I will have to work on that!

A Wee bit of history

2006-09-15T18:30:00.000+02:00

I was born and raised in the UK, before emigrating to New Zealand with my family at 18.
After 6 months I headed to the South Of France to live with my future Italian husband who I met before leaving the UK at the ripe young age of 16.
After living and working in France for 2 years we headed back to NZ, as I was expecting my first baby.
Twenty years later, after having had another 2 children and opening several Restaurants/ Deli's in NZ and Australia, we decided to make the move back to Italy and have been here for 18 months now.
There has been a great deal of adjusting to do, coping with beaurocracy and archaeic systems, as well as trying to perfect the language and starting a business, but we are getting there.
We decided to avoid the hospitality industry and have instead been importing Stainless Steel Gas Barbeques which are very much a part of the NZ and Australian culture.The interest so far has been very positive.
I have been amazed also at how well the children (16 and 18 ) have adjusted, the eldest daughter stayed in NZ to work in TV.
So we shall see what the coming year has in store for us..........

Up and Running

2006-09-15T18:00:00.000+02:00

Oh boy, it has taken for ever but I think I have finally figured out how to use this site.
After constantly reading everyone elses Blogs I have taken the plunge and started my own.
I have been finding lately that I have had so many thoughts in my head that I need an outlet for them.
As my passion is food, alot will be food related as well as the usual ups and downs of adjusting to my days in Italy.

My favourite food in Italy has to be:

Fresh Buffalo Mozzzarella, Sweet Pacchino Tomatoes, Fresh Basilico