Il compleanno dello zio

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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.