For the trip back we drove a hire car to Roma and caught a plane to Londra. All the baggage came under the weight limit which was always the worry. Otherwise, plan B was Grace stays…and we’ll be back someday soon. From London it was onto Singapore then Brisbane. 30ish hours altogether over a few timezones. At one stage we were served breakfast on one plane then 2hrs later dinner on another plane. In between was Saturday! We were flying QANTAS and luckily the plane kept ALL it’s engines attached!
We made it into Brisbane (very over-dressed) and VERY tired. Immigration and customs were no worries up until the sniffer dogs started to take a liking to my bags! Meanwhile my wife had been through the check and moved on… Apparently Fido liked the Qantas lollies that were in my hand luggage.
We moved into Jim and Paula’s (Anna’s parents) for a week or so till our new bed arrived and the furniture was moved out of storage. Once again we were living out of a suitcase…All part of the adventure! After unpacking boxes and once again throwing away a lot of ‘stuff’ (things we thought we needed and had to store) we have the place back into some type of ‘normal’ routine. It has been very ‘cleansing’.
Paddy and Grace got to visit their old (and new) schools in the first few days back. Patrick went up for a lunchtime game of handball and Grace met her new teacher and Principal. She also went to her old school and had a day at school with them. We posted the last of the Brisbane School of Distance Education work and now simply await their reports.
As we write this, we’re at the Coast lapping up the surf air. It’s also pouring so it’s not quite idyllic.
This blogs purpose was to keep friends and family informed whilst we were on our adventure overseas. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to our ‘journey journal’.
Most afternoons we go down to the allyway next to our building to play calcio (soccer). We do this late in the afternoon because it is cooler. Grace, Dad and I go and Mum watches from the windows above us. The guys is the local shops/restaurants also watch and sometimes kick the ball back.
We play Cinghiale in la Media (Piggy in the Middle) and a game of 2 on 1 soccer. It is usually Dad and Grace vs me. Our goals are the ends of the ally and the winner is the first to 21.
As we play the tourists come past the ends of the ally and take photos of us. They think we are Italiano! It is when Grace says, “scambiare” (which means ‘swap’) in her best Ozzie accent, that they walk away. I wonder if they delete these photos?
Our school term started on Monday just as it has back in Brisbane. It goes for 10′ish weeks and we got our Term 3 materials from Brisbane School of Distance Education (BSDE) just before we left Umbertide. The students tried to leave the boxes behind (i.e. destruction of school property during the holidays – it happens everywhere)!
To mirror Brisbane’s school calendar we tried to angle for a PD day on Monday for the teacher and an extra day off for the students, however, the school board/Principal (she is one and the same) wouldn’t have it!
PD was going to consist of a morning lecture from a noted expert in the area of Group Socialisation. The topic was ‘Dealing with different personality types in the public forum’. The location was at this convention centre – http://www.thefriendspub.it/. Speaker was Barb Maid. This was followed by a staff bonding session in the afternoon at the same location…which saved moving from your stool.
Maybe it can be done on student moderation (CTJ) day…
Barb came to stay in Firenze only for two days, however, the cherubs were looking forward to her visit before we left Umbertide. We had just (about 30 minuti before Barb arrived)moved the last boxes/suitcases in to our apartment so she got to see us unprepared and baring all (so to speak). We loved having her stay.
Over the next couple of months we have a few ‘cousin’ families visiting and at one stage, 8 sleeping (6 cherubs under 12yo) in the apartment! It’ll be like one BIG pyjama party sleepover! The adults might get a room somewhere else!!
We head out each morning on our walks/runs in Firenze for a bit of exercise outside a small apartmento of course, but also to explore the city in the cool and when there are less people around. We’ve been searching desperately for a space for Patrick and Grace to play and run around, however, (appropriate) wide open spaces are a bit of a rarity around the Centro Storico (town centre) as we knew.
Another regular time we get out and about is in the evenings…to fare la passeggiata in Firenze (to do the walk in Firenze). It begins late in the afternoon when many people dress up and go for a stroll. We head away from la Ponti Vechio and down via Calimala toward the Duomo, then loop back toward Michelangelo’s David in the Piazza della Signoria. Somewhere along the the way we grab a limoni Granita to share and cope with the worldwide challenge of getting over Brainfreeze…How do the Eskimos do it?
As Anna said on the drive from Umbertide to Firenze (Florence)…it has felt like we have been planning this move for eons! It’s not that we wanted/needed to move, it was simply the change of residence that was a typical planning and administrative ‘challenge’ (especially with some 9 and 10 year old cherubs). It was similar to when we moved from Brisbane to Italy! However, now we are a little more experienced at this travel and moving thing!!!
When we reached Firenze we parked outside the main citta (city) area as there are restrictions on vehicals in the centre of the old town…and our appartment is near the centre of the city. This will certainly be a task for us as far as grocery shopping is concerned. The larger grocery shops are outside the expensive historical part of town. However, carting aqua, 6 x 2L at a time, will certainly build Grace’s muscles up. She’ll start look like a QLD prop!!
After dumping our bags and letting the kidlets explore and touch EVERYTHING in the appartmento, we needed to get to the Alimentari (corner shop) before it closed. We were greeted with so much life in the streets! It was amazing and made us even more eager to explore this city over the next four or more months especially as it changes through it’s seasons of Estate to Autunno (or Tourists to less Tourists).
We sat out on our little terrace for aperitivo last weekend on sunset and chatted about everything and anything…as you do. It was only after one Campari e arancia (Campari and Blood red orange soda) that we saw our Fiume Tevere (Tiber river) ‘Lochness Monster’!!! It swam just above the water, obviously hunting people strolling by the shore, and went out of view around the river bend. We’re sure we heard screams in the distance where we had earlier seen a group of picnickers! Surprisingly, the next day there was nothing in the papers about any local disappearances!
We’ve been following the Rugby League State of Origin series in Australia and were wrapped when we won the first game. Our Maroon blood was pumpin’! There was lots of news in the lead up to the second game which we get through the news websites (well Mum and Dad tells us about it). Even before the 2nd game we were talking about it with a Victorian while watching the Socceroos play Germany (but let’s not mention that match).
On the day we were really trying to look for ways to follow the game. We didn’t think the bars/cafes in downtown Umbertide would have the match on, so that was scratched from the list. We Googled every possibility and came up with ABC radio. We set up the computer in the kitchen and listened to the match during pranzo (lunch). The family toasted QLD with arancia rosso and cheered on the Cane Toads! There was dancing around the room everytime QLD scored. Both of us were puffed out after 10 minutes…just too much scoring (not that that’s a bad thing)!
We will have moved to Firenze by the 3rd State of Orgin game where there are more bars/cafes/Gelaterias that might have the game on. We’re wondering if David (Michelangelo’s David) has a plasma!
The Football (soccer) World Cup has started in South Africa and Italy is abuzz with Calcio Febbre (it doesn’t quite have the same ring as Football Fever). In the centro storico, the plasmas have been rolled out to face into the square so that people can sit outside the bars/cafes and watch. When Italia play it becomes a large gathering for the town. The kids play soccer at one end of the square during the game and the adults sit and watch the TVs. Patrick and Grace get just as much excitement from watching the people (and playing soccer with the other kids) as watching the game. At half-time the bars set out a table and feed the people with homemade Panzanella or Bolognese. Grace loves half-time!!!!
As Australia go into their final match and all the permutations have been calculated to find out if they can make the final 16, it’s unusual that Italy is doing the same thing. The mood seems to be everything BUT elation when it comes to Italians talking about their current World champion soccer team. And the fact that they DREW with Nuova Zelanda… Hopefully it’s just a slow start and Italy (and of course Australia) continue in the competition. Grace would hate to miss out on her half-time feast!
Today is the first day of Estate (Summer) and it’s 11 degrees and raining! I don’t think we’ll be getting out the zinc and boardies just yet.
Things have changed around us over the past few months which we don’t see as much in Brisbane. Below are some of the views from our balcony (in chronological order) -
