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"