Thanksgiving weekend in Tokyo

What a great weekend! Last night we celebrated Thanksgiving with some friends from school. Brad and Rachael kindly invited us to their home, and we shared a traditional Thanksgiving feast together, along with some good Italian wine :)

Today we woke up late, and decided that we needed a hearty breakfast - or brunch, as breakfast time was well and truly over. We headed up to Takadanobaba (on the Yamanote Line) to 'Ben's Café'. For 1000 yen/person we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and toast - on the terrace - with fleecy blankets to keep us warm :) The coffee was also very good - we both needed espresso (in Ale's case a double espresso) to give our day a kickstart! If you ever visit us in Tokyo, we will definitely take you to Ben's Café for brunch, or even coffee and cake - the cakes were very tempting...

Whilst enjoying our brunch, we noticed another couple with a gorgeous puppy native to Japan - the Shiba. They let us hold 'ChaCha', and she settled into Ale's lap and curled up ready to go to sleep :) I am sure we will see ChaCha grow into an adult dog, as they dine there most Sundays, and we will be adding 'Ben's Cafe' to our list of favourite spots in Tokyo ;)

Todoroki Valley Park

A few weeks ago, on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, we went to Todoroki Valley Park in Setagaya-ku, which is about a 10 minute walk from our apartment. In a city of 25 million people, you can still find peace and quiet and trees and water - and so close to home :) Strolling along the dirt paths through the trees and by the river was so relaxing, and to find a temple in the midst of it all was simply wonderful. We felt a world-away from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya and Ginza... we certainly live in a very green part of the metropolis :)

Long weekend in Tokyo

Last weekend (end of October) we had a 4-day weekend in which we could explore Tokyo and surrounding areas.

On Thursday, we travelled to Yokohama by train (less than 30 minutes from Tokyo). We walked from Yokohama Station, all the way to China Town (one of the largest in the world). After we'd had enough of dim-sum, we strolled across to Motomachi (where the cool people drink coffee), and then down to the bay, across to the Red Brick Warehouses, and then to Minato Mirai, Yokohama's futuristic new city centre. After many hours of walking, we were happy to relax on the train ride back to Kaminoge.

On Friday, we went for a walk to the nearest hip neighbourhood, Jiyugaoka (about a 20 minute stroll from our place). On the way, we discovered Joshinji (Kuhonbutsu), a Jodo temple. The name Kuhonbutsu refers to the nine grades of Amida Buddhas in the Pure Land. This temple complex consists of three halls, each with three Amida statues. It was very peaceful to stroll through the grounds on a slightly overcast autumn day, with the leaves just beginning to change from green to yellow and orange...



On Saturday, we went on a big adventure to Odaiba. Odaiba is an area made up of man-made islands which were originally constructed over 100 years ago to protect Tokyo against attacks from the sea. In the 'bubble' era (the 80s), the islands were starting to be re-developed as a business district, but when the bubble burst, everything stopped. In the past 10 years, the area has been reborn yet again as a futuristic shopping and entertainment area, with a scattering of museums and businesses. We were fortunate to visit during a famous dance festival - 'Yosakoi Matsuri'. At least one hundred different groups of adults and kids performed dances to festival music while holding Japanese clappers. It really was great to see many people working together and having fun! We also enjoyed viewing the gorgeous Tokyo Bay, and the copy 'Statue of Liberty' - Tokyo also has its own Eiffel Tower... but there isn't a Leaning Tower of Pisa... yet!



On Sunday, we rested...

Da Pisa a Tokio

On August 9th, we bid a teary farewell to Mary and Peter at the airport in Florence. We were excited and nervous about embarking on this journey and new chapter in our life together. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, so we had time for a few coffees and photos :)




We waited patiently to board the plane... boarding began, and then stopped. "There will be a 10 minute delay in boarding due to a technical difficulty with the plane" - never comforting words just before stepping onto a giant mechanical bird! A few minutes later, the people who had boarded (well, they were actually waiting on the bus which takes you to the plane) arrived back in the departures lounge. Confusion reigned supreme! An Italian airport, a German airline, lots of English speaking passengers... too many languages. The airport staff did their best... which in my opinion was lousy... but finally we were informed that our flight was 100% cancelled due to the fact that one of the plane doors wouldn't close. While we were glad that the airline considered our safety first, we were a little peeved and stressed due to the fact that we weren't going to be able to take our connecting flight to Tokyo. Oh-oh!

After being informed that our flights would be rescheduled, we all piled onto a bus and were driven around to the arrivals terminal to collect our bags. After 30 minutes, we were on our way to line up to secure new flights... and a room at a nearby hotel for the evening (all at the airline's expense, thankfully). We waited in the line for about 2.5 hours, during which time I ate a dodgy sanger and a big bag of chilli chips - Ale looked on, amused. After obtaining our new flight times and a hotel room, we took a shuttle bus to a 3-star joint near the airport, checked in, and then enjoyed a wonderful buffet dinner. The next morning, after waking up very early to call my boss in Tokyo to tell him not to meet us at the airport, we indulged in a buffet breakfast, and were then whisked away to the airport (take two) for our flight to Munich, and then on to Tokyo. We arrived almost 24 hours late - now I know that I am famous for my 'better late than never' approach to life, but this one was way beyond my control, OK?

We touched down, took a bus from Narita to Shibuya, then a train to Yoga, and checked into our hotel. After a long, hot shower we... took another train and then walked to my workplace, announcing "We're here!"

Che viaggio! - What a trip!

Greetings from Tokyo!

Life has been very hectic since our arrival here on August 11th. After a few weeks we found a great little apartment not too far from where I am working (a 10 minute walk), and we have been busy over the past couple of months settling into life in Tokyo, and doing exciting things like buying refrigerators, discovering the cheapest place to buy coffee for our moka... important things like that. I have also been very busy working with a class of 28 boys! Anyway, we are both well (well, I am still recovering from the flu) and happy, and we look forward to each weekend so that we can go and explore Tokyo together.

Ale has been very busy organising the garden. Yes, we have a 50sqm apartment (2 levels - mezzanine floor - very cool), AND a tiny garden... that was more like a jungle when we first moved into the place! One afternoon I returned from work to find Ale wrestling with roots and weeds and vines and very scary-looking insects... he removed all the foliage by hand to leave just the dirt and rocks... and that night it rained!!! So, after a few days of rain we actually had a rather dirty swimming pool... but then when the sun came out and the ground dried, we quickly paved the space with slate tiles and pebbles to create a peaceful outdoor space for plants, our herb garden, and for us to relax - very zen.

This photo shows Ale in gardening mode, and there are other fun snaps on our Flickr page - enjoy!

Il compleanno dello zio

Clicca sulla foto per vedere le altre foto.
Click on the photo to see more photos.

Il 18 di Agosto, era il compleanno dello zio Gianfranco. Tutta la famiglia si è incontrata per celebrare questo evento speciale. Tanti auguri zio!

On the 18th of August, it was zio Gianfranco's birthday. The whole family met to celebrate this special event. Happy birthday uncle!

Our trip to Genova

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For our first wedding anniversary, we decided to visit the beautiful city of Genova in the region of Liguria in Italy. After the relaxing train ride, we spent a few hours exploring the port (Porto Antico) and the winding, narrow streets of the city. We discovered a wonderful trattoria 'Trattoria da Maria' (Vico Testadoro) where we ate trenette (a type of pasta) with pesto alla genovese (basil pesto) - a local speciality - mmm! After lunch we checked into our hotel 'Hotel Continental', had an afternoon siesta, and then enjoyed an early evening stroll in another part of the city. The Museo Palazzo Rosso (Gallery of the Red Palace) and the Museo Palazzo Bianco (Gallery of the White Palace) are both incredible pieces of architecture, and the many squares (piazze) of the city were full of people drinking, eating ice-creams, and relaxing by fountains or on steps. On our walk back to the hotel, we discovered a gelateria called 'Gelateria Profuma' (Via dei Macelli) where we indulged in some of the most delicious ice-cream ever created! I chose two opposing flavours - mint and caramel, and Ale selected pistacchio and zabglione - yummy! The next day, after a big breakfast, we headed north to the largest outlet mall in Europe - Serravalle Oulet. We both picked up some great bargains in the summer sales. Ale dragged me away from the Furla outlet store in the late afternoon as we had to take the bus, then two trains to get back to Pisa.
Bella vita, eh?

Our trip to Ghent

In May, we visited un bel' posto in the north of Belgium - Ghent. Ghent is not as touristic as its neighbour, Bruges, which makes it much easier to explore and enjoy. As a university city, it is full of reasonably priced places to eat, and it offers a range of interesting cultural activities, too. We enjoyed walking along the canals, admiring the architecture of the buildings which line the Graslei and Korenlei Rivers, and soaking up the sunshine while watching a brass band play hits by Queen and other great musicians. We also visited the Museum of Fine Arts (http://www.mskgent.be/) and saw artworks by Hieronymus Bosch and Peter Paul Rubens.

The photo below is of Ale in front of one of the many amazing buildings in Ghent. Click on the photo to see more beautiful views of Ghent.

Long weekend in Den Haag

At the beginning of May, we went to Den Haag for a long weekend. Travelling there by train was a breeze, and getting around the city on public transport was so easy. We stayed at The Mercure Hotel, very close to the centre, and next to the National Library of The Netherlands - what an incredible structure - with lots of fantastic magazines and newspapers, too! We enjoyed our few days there wandering around the city, admiring the architecture and the tree-lined canals, as well as the understated elegance of this former capital and home of the royal family. One afternoon, we took the tram to Scheveningen Beach and enjoyed a bare-footed stroll along the cool sand, daring one another to put a toe into the very cold (for May!) water. We also spent half a day in Delft, a charming village not far from Den Haag, famous for its blue and white porcelain. The highlight of this long weekend (even more so than the poffertjes!) was our visit to "Escher in het Palais" - Escher in the Palace  - a museum dedicated to the work of Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher. We spent many hours there, enchanted by the brilliance of his work. Alessandro was especially impressed by his earlier, less well-known works, which were inspired by his time spent in Italy. What a wonderful weekend away! Click on the photo below to view our photos from the trip.

Beautiful Bruges

Last weekend, we visited Bruges, which lies in the north-west of Belgium, just 10km from the North Sea. The historic town centre is stunning, and has preserved it's medieval nature due to the fact that it was not damaged very much during both World Wars (unlike many other parts of Belgium). We explored the narrow, cobbled lanes and magnificent squares, and enjoyed strolling alongside the meandering canals. Our hotel "Hotel Biskajer" was wonderful - the decor was of aubergine, grey-wood panelling, and black marble tiles. The breakfast (most important meal of the day) was delicious, too. The shopping in Bruges is great - we especially enjoyed a gorgeous homeware store and the TinTin shop! We attended mass in the "Basilica of the Holy Blood" - a moving experience. This church holds one of the holiest relics in Europe - a phial containing some drops of blood and water washed from the body of Christ. After the mass, many people lined up to look at and touch the phial. On a completely different note, I do believe that during our time there we tasted the best hot chocolate known to humankind! "The Old Chocolate House" served us two large bowls of steaming hot milk, into which we placed a chocolate cup full of chocolate buds (Ale also had cream!) - the chocolate cups sank, the chocolate melted... and we indulged ourselves completely! We also shared a plate of various chocolates - white, dark, milk, each one filled with mint and strawberry and orange cremes... words cannot describe such taste sensations! OK, enough about chocolate... and I'm not even that big a fan of chocolate! We will definitely return to Bruges before we leave Belgium... of that we are certain :)

Candalla

A few weeks ago, we went to visit "Candalla", the wonderful osteria which Giulio and Massimo will be opening in May. They have been working on a total renovation of the building (a former mill) for many months now, and they are getting closer to the target each day! After eating a delicious lunch (prepared by Giulio), we explored the building and the nature surrounding the structure - the river is so clear, and there are frogs everywhere!

Easter Holidays with Jenny!

Click on the photo to see many more!

Jenny joined us for the Easter break this year! We had a great time catching up and touring around Tuscany and Liguria. Over the 10 days, Jenny had the experience of dining with 'the locals' - our family, on many occassions, as well as eating out and enjoying specialities such as cecina (chickpea pancake - delicious!), paste (many different kinds of pastries), different flavours of gelato (Italian ice-cream - simply divine!), caffe e cappuccino (Italian coffee), insalate con aceto balsamico e olio d'oliva (salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil), and of course different types of pane (Italian bread) and pasta. We explored various places - Pisa, Lucca, Viareggio, Marina di Pisa, Cinque Terre and Firenze. We also had a few fabulous nights (until very late in the evening/morning) playing Australian MONOPOLY! (yes, no more wild nights on hard liquor!). This wedding gift from the Wray-Browns is wonderful and playing games such as this really brings out a different side to people... sharks everywhere! It was so wonderful to spend quality time with such a good friend - thanks for visiting Jen - we miss you!

P. S. Jen - if I left anything out, let me know :)

Berlin 2008

On Thursday, Feb 27, Ale and I met up in Berlin for a long weekend. I had to attend a conference during the day, but in the evenings we had a chance to be tourists. Unfortunately the conference hotel was about 1 hour from the centre, but we still managed to do a few things. On Friday evening we met up with Michael, Marta and Cord, and dined together in a fantastic Japanese restaurant. Udon with tofu for me, and chirashi-zushi (mixed sushi over rice) for Ale.

On Saturday afternoon we visited C/O Berlin
(http://www.co-berlin.info/co-neu/web/CO_Berlin/start.php) to see an exhibition entitled 'Assorted Cocktail' (http://cgi.kunde.inter.net/co-berlin/user-cgi-bin/news/inhalt_en_neu.php)
by well-known British photographer, Martin Parr (http://www.martinparr.com/index1.html). His social commentary through images is extraordinary! After the exhibition, we did a spot of shopping, and then indulged in some hearty German fare - wurst, brot, sauerkraut und salat. The waiter was shocked that we ordered water rather than beer, and I was worried that we may be asked to leave! Sunday was spent on trains, in airport lounges, and on planes... not much fun. However, all in all, it was a wonderful weekend!

Christmas in Pisa 2007

We drove from Waterloo back to Pisa - via Luxembourg, France and Switzerland! It was minus 6 when we left Waterloo, and the drive, especially through France, was a snowy one. We spent the night in Lugano, Switzerland (Ale was exhausted from driving!), and we enjoyed fantastic pizzas for dinner. Ale was surprised by everyone speaking Italian outside of Italy! By the time we arrived back in Pisa, Ale was terribly ill (I think that I'd passed on my germs from the previous week!), so we had a very quiet Christmas together - we couldn't attend any family or friend events as he was simply too ill. He eventually recovered, and we enjoyed a lovely meal with Peter, Mary, Nonna and Antonio in the newly renovated Meucci apartment - che bello! The weather over the three weeks we were together in Pisa was very cold... so we enjoyed spending time at home, curled up with a book next to a heater, or in bed watching DVDs! The hot water bottle came in handy - and thank-you to the Wray-Browns for sending us two new hot water bottles for Christmas! - they have been put to good use :)

Belgium 2007/8

Hmmm... I've discovered that if I don't work, I go a little stir-crazy! So, in October 2007, Ale and I decided that I should take a librarian job at an international school in Waterloo, Belgium. At the beginning of November, we made the long drive from Pisa to Waterloo. Setting up house was fun, though I never want to visit Ikea again in my life! For now, Ale spends most of the week in Pisa/Lucca, working hard, and we spend weekends together in Waterloo. My contract will be completed in June 2008... and then... we'll keep you posted!

Wray-Browns in Pisa 2007

In October, Jo, James, Chelsea and Matilda visited us in Pisa for a few days. We had a great time together, catching up on all the news, and exploring Pisa, Marina di Pisa, and Lucca together. Chelsea was very impressed with The Leaning Tower of Pisa - La Torre di Pisa, and vows to return one day to climb it! http://torre.duomo.pisa.it/

Berlin 2007

In September, Marta and Michael held a special party to celebrate their recent wedding. Ale and I flew up to join in the festive occassion. We stayed with them and their gorgeous little boy, Cord, in their lovely apartment in East Berlin, and helped them to prepare the food for the lunch party. Gnocchi from Italy, tender meat, vegetables in aspic, and profiteroles and coffee were on the menu - everything was delicious! We spent the next day with them exploring Berlin, and were very sad to leave the day after. I enjoyed apple strudel - apfelstrudel, and of course we both indulged in a bratwurst sausage in a bun with mustard - bratwurst und brot mit sempf - too hard to resist!

Rainbow over Gagno

One hot summer's day, there was a huge thunderstorm - lightning and thunder, and teeming rain. After the clouds moved on, out to sea, this beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. Our part of Pisa is called Gagno - hence the title 'Rainbow over Gagno'. The view is from our bedroom window.

Ale on Skype

Finally, after a long battle with internet connections and dodgy laptops, we got things working. Here, Ale is discovering the joys of Skype.

The boxes arrive!

During August, my boxes from Tokyo finally arrived. It took almost a week to unpack everything, sort through things, and find a place for everything! I was very pleased that my Mickey Mouse cap arrived in one piece - in fact, everything arrived in its original state - those two guys really know how to wrap well!

Goodreads - a must for Book Lovers

Goodreads is a fantastic networking site for Book Lovers! Check out what I've been reading lately...

In vacanza Agosto 2007

During the month of August we made some daytrips around Tuscany. We visited Sienna, the villages in the Garfagnano area, and Collodi. We also visited and stayed with Nicola and Claudia at their beautiful holiday home on the island of Elba - Isola d'Elba - off the west coast of Italy http://www.virtualelba.it/index.htm. Each morning we had a delicious breakfast on the terrace, and one day we enjoyed a trip on their boat to a secluded beach for swimming and sunbathing. One evening, we celebrated Claudia's birthday with a wonderful BBQ and a full moon as natural lighting.

Nando and Chiara's wedding

On July 28 2007, Nando and Chiara married in Calci. The weather was beautiful, and both the bride and groom looked stunning. As best man, Ale performed well under the natural spotlight set within the ceiling of the church - he was sweating profusely! The reception at the villa of Nando's family was wonderful - delicious food, live music and entertainment, and lots of dancing. Congratulations Nando and Chiara!

Honeymoon in Umbria

For our honeymoon we went to stay in an agriturismo (holiday accommodation on a farm) in the middle of the region of Umbria - Italy's green heart. The agriturismo (Santa Serena - http://www.agriturismosantaserena.it/) was on the top of a hill, with beautiful views all around, and a cool breeze to take the edge off the summer heat. It was a very relaxing time... except for the second last day when a sagra (town festival) was held in and next to the grounds of our accommodation. We were invited (of course) and enjoyed the meal, and we were especially fascinated by the amazing number of people who arrived to celebrate carbone (charcoal)!

Our Wedding Day

July 15 2007 was a very special day for us. We shared our wedding day with family and friends in two very splendid settings - we married in San Zeno (an ancient church just within the walls of Pisa), and then enjoyed a magnificent lunch together at the beautiful Casa Lami in Lugnano. A big thank-you to everyone who shared the day with us, and special thanks to those who sent cards, gifts and warm wishes.

Here comes the bride - a sideways view!

Joe Lee sings "What a Wonderful World"