Ciao everyone... it's been so long!! A number of things have kept me from writing, but I am hopeful that my faithful audience will tune in now that I'm back... First a word from our sponsor: The Society for the Preservation of Italian Men. I can put it no better than Shane... "Even the Italian male mannequins have six packs." Long live Italian men!! And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. After some time on my own I was anxious to meet up with my friends Janelle and Neal from Hazelton. They had invited me to join them for a [View Full Entry]

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The beginning of 7 days on my own... eek! Do I like my own company that much?? Do you like hearing about me spending time with myself enough to keep reading?? I started the day off with a nice long cappucino near the train station with Matteo. He is so kind, and the person I feel I know best in the family - it felt like fitting bookends to begin and end my time in Cosio having cappucinos with him! The train to Monterosso was uneventful - I was saving my one English book for reading on the beach, so I [View Full Entry]

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And she,s back... :-) How is Canada, my darlings?? I,m almost half done my trip and I feel like I,ve been gone for months. I,m having such a great time, but I do miss the familiarity of home and the comfort of family and friends. Know that I am thinking of you (and hoping you will all decide to move to Italy so that my life will be easier!) Sorrento and area was FABULOUS, and Janelle and Neal and I had such a good time together...more days of incredible experiences (and more bearable weather - I just got back to Milan [View Full Entry]

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I,m more than a week behind in blogging! Its hard to find Internet access in small towns (also hard to find the punctuation on this keyboard!) I,ve so enjoyed reading the comments people are making - thank you! Makes me feel connected and like I am not so far away. I,ve had a conversation on the phone with my Mom, but other than that, have not had a conversation in English for a week! My Italian is improving (or at least I am becoming so hungry, thirsty, and in need of a toilet, that I make myself understood *ha ha*). Today [View Full Entry]

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Pictures from my time with Kim & Shane... [View Full Entry]

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I had an easy time finding my way to Italy... navigating in small-town Italia without speaking much Italian is a challenge, however! Although both my English and Italian friends agree that speaking Italian is a matter of adding "o" "a" or "ione" to the end of (boring) English words... however, understanding these and being able to respond is more complicated! I often revert to French in a panic... "oui...c'est beau..." Egads! My blank face and the horror in my eyes is often enough for people to start gesturing rather than speaking to me, and it goes easier for all of us! [View Full Entry]

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I started my last day in London at the Tate Modern gallery. It's housed right on the Thames near the Globe Theatre. I think it used to be a warehouse...? The main space is open - at least 5 floors up - cavernous and gray. I spent a couple of hours seeing only about 1/4 of the display/paintings. I was excited to see a Degas sculpture matching one I had seen in Washington DC, as well as so many fantastic works... Kandinsky, Dali, Picasso, Matisse. There was also a floor of contemporary artists.. one display was a room filled (floor, walls, [View Full Entry]

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Toodle pip, darlings! I've made it as far as London and, though the Queen won't take my calls, I'm having a grand time! I had a delayed but straightforward flight and met Kim (my friend from the education program at UVic) at her work - Selfridges on Oxford Street - to drop my bags to shop for awhile. What a relief to get rid of my pack! I'll be losing 37 pounds before the end of this trip (and it will likely be my bag). It rained, but I was relieved to have a shower after so long :-) One travel [View Full Entry]

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Things are getting settled: July 9 Fly to London - visit with Kim and Shane (The Globe!) July 13 Fly to Milano - train to Morbegno - visit with Felicita and Giovanni July 14-18 Kim and Shane visit from London July 19-21 Train to Cinque Terre - Festival in Vernazza July 25-28 Fly to Napoli - stay in Sorrento with Janelle and Neal (visit Pompeii, Capri) July 28 Fly to Milano August 1-13 Carolyn - amico migliore - visits from DC (Florence, Cinque Terre, Volterra, Como, Venice) August 18 Fly to London - visit with Kim and Shane August 21 Fly [View Full Entry]

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