Well, it didn't stop snowing all day. In fact it snowed harder as the day went on and the hills and towns took on a very different look to yesterday. We are told that there hasn't been much of a winter here this year, so this is quite unexpected in April. We decided to brave the roads and take a drive to Tione to enjoy the scenery. There was not much else to do, which suited us just fine for our last day in Massimeno. Sue took some video on her iPhone while we were driving in the snow. You can view it here: We stopped for a coffee and hot chocolate at a cosy cafe and did a little bit of shopping to finish off the afternoon. Then it was off to the home of ... read more

The eggs in Italy are amazing. Whenever we have purchased eggs, butter, milk, fresh verdura and frutta we have enjoyed them immensely. The colours and flavours are fantastic. This morning's breakfast was no exception. Even the apricot jam had a taste that we hadn't experienced before. After breakfast, the ragazzi went out for a play and Emily met a new friend, Francesca, in the playground. Then, we jumped in the car and took a drive through the valley, visting Tione, Pinzolo and, finally, Madonna di Campiglio. What an incredible drive, the views are simply spectacular. Madonna di Campiglio is a village and the number 1 ski resort in Italy. At over 1,500 metres above sea level, it has 57 lifts and 150 kilometers of skiing runs up to 2,600 metres above sea level. The ski season ... read more

Happy Easter everyone. For the first time ever, we lined up to attend Mass. Admitedly we were lining up to attend Mass at the Basilica di San Marco on Easter morning so this was probably to be expected. When we left the service, there were still people lining up to get in. After Mass, it was time to get lost in the streets of Venezia. And lost we got. Even Google Maps had a tough time understanding where we were. But there were plenty of shops and sights to keep us interested. The weather was becoming chillier and keeping moving through the warm stores was the way to go. We can't work out the Italians. In the south, they build towns on the sides of cliff faces. In the north they build a city in the ... read more

As if Firenze had sensed it somehow, the night was relatively quiet and allowed us a good night's rest and a late wake up for breakfast. After nearly two weeks of many miles travelled and sensory overload through many sights, sounds and tastes we needed it. Like Roma, being in an apartment right in the centre of the city has its benefits but it is very noisy. There are revellers out until very early in the morning - and then the garbage trucks roll through! Maybe we were just too tired to notice last night. And it was fitting that we decided today that our theme song for the trip would be The Lazy Song, by Bruno Mars. We keep hearing it on Radio KissKiss (along with Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know, and some ... read more

Today was an exciting dy for the ragazzi. We visited the some famous gardens and the galleries in the Palazzo Pitti. After crossing the river Arno, we started at Giardino Bardini - a large garden area at the Villa Bardini that is built on the side of a steep hill. It ascends to Belvedere and there are beautiful views of the city of Firenze to behold. A few drops of rain were the first time we had experienced anything like bad weather on our trip so far, but it cleared fairly quickly and we enjoyed the rest of our stroll. The baroque steps are very steep and long and walking down then requires some care. The garden tour then continued on through to Giardini Boboli and Palazzo Pitti. The Boboli gardens are even bigger than Bardini ... read more