Week 13 - Back to Bergamo

Week beginning March 23rd

As Justin is away most weeks, and returning only for the weekends, I decided to do a weekly outing. It will be a day trip from Milan. This week I went to Bergamo, partly to get my Mother's birthday present.

Some friends, Jupy and Meera, drove with me to the old part of the town, 30 km from Milan. As with a lot of old cities, it is just gorgeous. We had a lovely time browsing in a relaxed environment, I purchased Mum's present, we ate lunch then headed for the big smoke to collect the kids.

The church here is beautifully decorated, you may be able to see a little of it behind us!

 

Just in case you were unaware, Europe is obsessed with Nutella.

And daffodils, but they are lovely, seen here in the median strip.

I am not so fond of Nutella.

 

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Week 12 - Spring Festival

It was a fairly quiet week apart from the Benvenuto Club Spring Festival on Sunday. It is an international food festival, and I put my hand up to hold an Australian table. There are only two other Australians in the Club. Therefore, I made mini pavlovas with strawberries on top, Anzacs and Lamingtons. I found fresh raspberries, but not enough for the 200 mini pavlovas. I can't find frozen berries so I can make jam, which surprises me. Fortunately, the fresh strawberries are perfect. Which reminds me of an article in an English newspaper about a mother finding hatching Brazilian wandering spider eggs in her bananas from Costa Rica. Quite nasty if they bite you. She popped them in a snap lock bag and in the freezer to keep them quiet until Tesco came to collect.

I didn't have an Australian flag, so I took Kev, our inflatable kangaroo so it was blatantly clear what country I was representing. Still someone asked if my food came from England!

Fortunately there were plenty of people at the lunch, and all the pavlovas went. They don't keep and I am not fond of them anyway. How un-Australian of me. Lamingtons are more to my taste.

 

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Week 11 - Cake course

Week beginning March 9th.

Three mums from the school and I did a cake decorating course with Luisa, another school mum. We had three hours of fun, and all the cakes were really impressive. Phoebe and Lexie both were with me as they were unwell, and had a go at creating also. Below is Phoebe's fantastic result.

 

This bunny will be put on every birthday cake in our house from now on!

Unfortunately, as Phoebe and Lexie were sick, and George followed suit on Saturday night, the cake was not all eaten.

We had Daniela, Angelo, Sofia and Maria Luisa over for dinner on Saturday night. Fortunately George wasn't sick until they were leaving.

 

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Week 10 - Girls Night Out

Week beginning March 2nd.

There is a milk vending machine near the junior school. You can get 1 litre of milk how it used to be for € 1. Delicious! They also sell yoghurt drinks with minimal sugar, we have yet to try them. You can buy a plastic or glass bottle too. If is such a great set up.

Also delicious are the rolls called tartaruga, meaning turtle. I am enjoying the bread a bit too much here.

We had a visitor to the garden that Claude discovered.

He tried to pick it up and paw it, but soon high-tailed it out of there once he felt the hedgehog's spikes.

On Saturday night I went to a girls night out to raise money for a charity. I had a great time dancing with Mums from school and went home with sore feet.

Sunday was a quiet day for us, we walked around the old part of Vimercate.

There are many yellow houses in Milan. I can't imagine it in Melbourne!

 

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Week 9 - Ski Week

Week beginning Feb 23rd

It snowed all night and half the day on Sunday, so by Monday our car looked like the below photo.

 

Everyone who had any experience of skiing was absolutely raving about the snow quality. We who knew nothing about it were merely concentrating on staying upright. Justin and I spent the first few days on the baby slopes, steep enough for me.

Our teacher was Dario. Looking like a celebration of the 70's, he was hilarious.

 

Everyone on the slopes knew him, he has been a maestro ski instructor at Prato Nervoso for 42 years. The girls had MaestroTullio, who has been on the slopes teaching for 46 years. So they really knew their stuff.

I was shattered at the end of each day, but the girls still had energy for snow angels.

The sun came out most days, making the entire experience bordering on perfect. Someone needs to reinvent ski boots, that is my only complaint. Phoebe went night skiing with her friends Evelyn and William, and I finally got the hang of hedging down a blue ski run without the face plants. Turns out snow stings on your face. Meanwhile Lexie was just heading off on any slope without any fear, and Phoebe was having a go at some jumps!

This Madonna was on the electrics hut for the ski lift.

The army turned up at one stage to check the border between Italy and Switzerland hadn't moved. I was disappointed their skis weren't camouflage. Then again, they should have been in white.

We went in a snow plough up to a restaurant at an altitude of 2000 metres. They had a 12 course degustation menu, everything was delicious. The sugar sachets gave me a giggle.

The whole week was a huge success, and we got to know the families from the school, who attended, a lot better. The last day was stunning, and the sunset even better.

 

 

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Week 8 - Monza Park and Prato Nevoso.

Week beginning Feb 16th

Claude continues to enjoy his romps in Monza Park.

The above villa is rotting away. Anyone like to start a five star hotel in an amazing setting? It could take some time to get the planning permit.......

We walked past the famous racetrack on Wednesday. It is very close to Phoebe's school campus.

We head off on Saturday for Prato Nevoso, our Ski Resort. Allessandra, a mum from school has organised the week for us. Given we are almost total novices, I'm glad to be going with a group.

They sell round cut pre-rolled pastry here, no waste!

It was snowing on Saturday as we headed to Prato Nervoso, so we had to fit the snow chains to our car, another new experience.

Below is the entrance to the Hotel. I probably wouldn't recognise it in Summer!

 

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Week 6 - More snow

Week beginning Feb 2nd 2015

 

It snowed a few more times this week. The park is so beautiful when the trees have snow on them, like a fairy's world.

 

George and Lexie both had a party to go to, both were cooking parties. Lexie came home with biscotti, George with a small cake. I found the Italian version of Twisties at Esselunga Supermarket, Fonzies. They also sell eggs in pairs! Perfect for singletons.

 

I successfully managed to get my haircut, using my very limited Italian, at a nearby salon.

I got the bed ready in the guest house, so come on people!

 

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Week 7 - Stuff

Week beginning Feb 9th 2015

Nothing too exciting this week, we purchased some gear for Ski Week.

 

Phoebe had Sophia stay over after the School Disco for her campus, Santo Stefano.

I joined an international women's club, and caught up with Federica, our relocation agent at their monthly morning tea.

Justin had his hair cut, and crocuses are popping up under the trees in our back garden. We have daffodils too, very cheerful.

I bought some moth orchids, I love them and they are super cheap here. Maybe I'll have better luck not killing them in the northern hemisphere.....

 

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