* Again no pictures from this week. Here are somemore from Jack and Vic. Its also nice to look back on the "good ol days" of the tour before.....well the less good newer days. Went to the boxing gym Monday and Tuesdays night with Chris. Really enjoyed training there, hope I get myself back there after the holiday break and rehearsals. There is one other women who trains there, Lisa, who is something of a Italian boxing champion, not professional though. The owner of the gym, Matteo a former European Champion, I think, now is her coach. She’s thirty I think, [View Full Entry]

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*As I didn't manage to take an pictures this week, the photo's for this entry are brought to you from the rest of the company. Mostly Vic and Jack. So enjoy the montage of Lingue moments, even if they don't match the text. So we had an extra day this weekend as Monday is an Italian holiday. So on the day of the Madonna I did very litter during the day. Went for a jogged, did laundry, bough groceries. Went on a date in the evening with a guy I had met the weekend before. It went well/fine/not amazing/but good. I [View Full Entry]

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This week Chris, Victoria, and I were on tour as team awesome while team brilliant stayed in the flat and taught long workshops in Milan. We set off Sunday night and after a three hour drive found our hotel. It was raining, and after about five minuets of knocking and buzzing we were greeted by a VERY talkative and well meaning but overly helpful hotel manager. After about half an hour of going though EVERYTHING about the hotel, where the school was, are you sure you don’t need another key, this is how the lights work, are we sure we don’t [View Full Entry]

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Tuesday we had yet another easy day. I can’t believe how down the bookings are. Everyone has been fighting the winter chest cold. Tom Tom got very confused and it took us quite a while to get to Costa Masnaga, near Lecco. Had a quiet evening in the little town. Just stayed in, in our crappy little room - with the window that overlooked/smelled a plumbing construction project. However, the B&B was slightly redeemed by the kick ass breakfast spread. Scrambled eggs, fruit, meat, cheese yummm. After we did our show we drove into the mountains to Sondro. The scenery was [View Full Entry]

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Woke up this morning to SNOW! I am glad I didn’t stay in Federico’s flat in Padova alone and come back to Milano today, Monday, because: one I was very happy to see everyone and two I wouldn’t have been here to go to Bergamo with Laura this morning to pick up Helen and her brother. We met them in the late morning, and spent a few hours together in the new snow in beautiful Bergamo. I’ve always wanted to see the city and only ever been to the train station and slept over in the airport. The city, even at [View Full Entry]

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Mestra (near Verona) So we spent a lazy two days in Milan. Got lots of laundry done and house keeping stuff. Chris, Laura, and I drove two hours to a small town outside of Venice. After some confusion in finding the B&B we arrived to a lovely, homey flat. Tons of books on the shelves. Comfy big beds. I was asked to please take the single room because, my cold I think, has been causing me to snore badly for the past couple of days. Had trouble sleeping so I caught up all my emailing and skyped some friends from back [View Full Entry]

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*as of Nov 17. There is a teachers/education strike in Italy, I don’t really understand it but apparently bookings are WAY down and they are still taking bookings, so schedules are liable to change. Nov 19 - Mestre (near Venice) Nov 20&21 - Lonigo (near Vicenza) Nov 22 - Seminar in Vicenza Nov 23 - Sunday (we always have off) Nov 24&25 Also Off! Nov 26 - Costa Masnaga (near Lecco) Nov 27 - Sondrio Nov 28- Pantigliate (near Milan) Nov 29 - Seminar Parma Nov 30 - Sunday Dec 1 - Motta Di Livenza (near Treviso) Dec 2 - Oderzo [View Full Entry]

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So I arrived at the station and then had to wait a half hour for the bus. Vic texted me and asked me to meet her at the Roman Theatre. So I took the bus there and then as I got off, I called Vic from under the theatro Roma sign. As I called I had an inkling that she was near the Roman arena, which is also used as theatre and someone who had never been to Verona (which Vic hadn’t) would easily confuse to two. I was right and made my way to the arena. I asked for directions, [View Full Entry]

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Thursday was a lovely day. Went out on Wednesday evening with one of the young women from the office, Raf and Jake returned from Milano. So I was very grateful to got to sleep in and then left for the riding lesson around 3pm/15:00. The lesson was certainly not worth the 22 euros. The horses seemed really board and constantly needed to be encouraged to go. Laura is quite an experienced rider so I felt worse for her, I on the other hand didn’t feel so board because I had never ridden on an English saddle before, though I prefer English [View Full Entry]

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Had a very quiet weekend. Went to a neighboring town with Jack, Imperia, and started joking around about a travel show hosted by Tiny Tim. All three of us, me, Jack, and Laura went to Nice Satuday for the morning and afternoon. Nothing too eventful, went shopping with Laura, Jack sat on the beach and read, we did see the silliest Michael Jackson impersonator (think dirty Mic Jagger with old tattered sequined costumes and tuxedo pants that are way too big- decent but not even a great dancer) We watched him for a while, did a small Tiny Tim sequence [View Full Entry]

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