It came from nowhere

But by all accounts Robert wasn't surprised (as the Italians say....he knows his chicken) - I spent the day of the Royal Wedding either in tears, fighting the tears or asleep so the tears couldn't come out. But it had all started out perfectly ok - the kids went off to school, I had sent off all the jobs that needed to go so I could spend the morning watching the live coverage (Thomas had asked me to tape it all but somehow I knew he wouldn't want to watch all 8 hours of it - and apart from that he had this strange notion I would be watching the Italian coverage - BBC??? duh????). I knew I would get a bit choked up when they actually got married - weddings do it for me - I have never been to a wedding where I haven't shed a tear or two - I can barely even speak about ours without the same thing happening - I'm a softy, what can I say - but the tears that came yesterday were different - Kate looked lovely it's true - but London looked even lovlier (to my eyes) - and I was overcome by a homesickness for England that I haven't felt in years - everytime they showed, well, all the sorts of shots like the ones below I felt that awful feeling that I think only those who have ever suffered from homesickness can know - and I had forgotten all about it. When I first came to Italy I would have the odd day or so (usually around Christams or, weirdly, on Saturdays) then once the kids were born it changed a lot - I thought about them and had less time to think about me - then, when Robert and I got together homesickness for the UK disappeared all together - he knows where I come from, (his Mum and Dad were Scottish and so although he grew up in Canada he had a British sort of home), he knows things about life in the UK when I was growing up and I guess I am older, I have been here for 22 years and I like my life here - but yesterday seeing all the pomp and ceremony of London I missed it so much - I missed it also because while my kids know England they will never 'get' it like I do - they will never really know what it's like because they have never called it 'home'. There are a lot of things wrong with England today, I know, but what happened in London and England yesterday really is one of the things that England gets right - every time - and London looked lovely - and I was proud..

Is it just me???

Over Easter the kids went to Rome to stay with their dad, his wife, her Mum and his parents - they had a great time, I know, I am happy about that but...........do I really want my ex-husband sending me photos of the kids having a great time with him and his??? (I am omitting to publish here any of the happy family photos......)

or am I just bitter and twisted?????

Adele

My song of the moment........

A first....

Our first successful attempt at Hot Cross Bums (yes I knoew they should be buns I prefer bums...) - could it be thanks to the Kenwood??? or could it be because they had the special ingredient??

San Leo - not mine...... he's not a Saint!!

Yes I know - old hilltop town - seen one, seen them all - but this is one of my favourites - the photos do not do it justice - it's about an hour away from us up in the hills just past San Marino - called San Leo it is absolutely beautiful - perched right up high - so high that on a day like today we were above the clouds - we didn't do a lot - had a wander, sat down for some lunch and a glass of wine but it was lovely. Then off to Verucchio - another hill top town - I am so glad I wasn't driving - well actually I wouldn't have driven - I would have abbandoned the car - driving up really steep cobbledstone roads with just enough rain to make them really slippy - a nightmare....but like I said, I wasn't driving .....


and you only get things like this here - and Ape Cross Trophy - Ape are those 3 wheeler farmer type vehicles - a bit like a Reliant Robin for the countryside - you don't see many of them around these days but when I spot one they still crack me up .......

When is enough enough?

I love Italy - but right now it scares me. There have been many moments in the last few years when I have thought about what it would take for us to say "Ok the political situation is so completely unacceptable that it is now time for us to leave - I have no idea where we would go but there is always the idea that if we wanted to leave we could - Belusconi's government (but mainly the man himself) have behaved in such an appalling manner - time and time again - he is ill - he has to be - he must have some sort of mental health problem - that isn't a quip - I truely believe it - that because he was elected by the people (what were they thinking?????) he has the right to do exactly what he likes - he doesn't - if anyone tries to stand up to him - for example Fini (President of the Lower House) all of a sudden a 'dossier' appears to discredit and basically try to ruin that person, he doesn't appear on TV but has his 'lap dogs' are there trying to justify all his actions while he only speaks to the country if he is being interviewed by someone whose paycheck he actully signs or from his party website - when his party came up with the idea of having gypsy children finger printed for identification (It didn't go through fortunately) it really made me think - when did peole in Nazi Germany/Fascist Italy think things had gone too far - Pants with Names (former brits in Bosnia) wrote a piece some time ago about how situations can change overnight and recently I have thought about that a lot - right now there are bill board advertisements in Milan claiming the Judges in Milan are terrorists (because they want to prosecute Berlusconi for paying an underage prostitute etc etc), this week he was in the press tellling parents to take their children out of the public school system where the teachers do nothing but brain wash the pupils with communist ideals etc and then this morning...I read this - a member of his government is putting forward a proposal - to change article one of the constitution - Article one states that 'Italy is a democratic republic based on work. The sovreignity belongs to the people and is exercised in the manner and within the limits of the Constitution" (l'Italia è una repubblica democratica, fondata sul lavoro. La sovranità appartiene al popolo, che la esercita nelle forme e nei limiti della Costituzione") the proposal is to turn it into this "Italy is a democratic republic founded on work and the centrality of Parliament as the supreme proprietor of the political representation of popular will expressed through the electoral process. " doesn't seem like a big chnage does it???? but if the change is made Berlusconi will be fully justified in thinking that because he was elected he has the God given right to do what he likes - it is scary. When do we say enough is enough?

Red letter day

At last - a day off (almost) - after the marathon of the last few weeks/months, 2 hours talking to two classes of 19 year olds doesn't really seem like work /(even though it was Saturday) - and all four of us are knackered to the same extent - with Easter falling so late this year the kids have had no time off from school since Christmas - and yes, I know they finish at 1.30 every day but they do have a ton of homework (sometimes up to 4 hours - Thomas not Leo , not yet anyway....) and they go to school on Saturdays (a one day weekend will NEVER convince me), Robert has been in his busy spring period - away 3 or 4 nights most weeks and I have just been snowed under with translations, school work and my kiddies groups all going on at the same time - throw in a load of visitors (my family for almost a week and a German exchange student - great kid, we loved him, and the best guest EVER!!!) - we knew it was going to happen but it has been hard all the same - but now, Easter is round the corner, Thomas has broken up today, Leo will on Wednesday and so finally yesterday we started to unwind - how do you do that?? we always seem to do it in the same way - we gravitate to the kitchen - last weekend we bought a an ice cream attachment for the Kenwood which is FAB - just the thought of making homemade icecream would relax anyone wouldn't it? and then yesterday Robert put his hand to homemade pretzles - Leo has a real thing for Pretzels and like Cheddar cheese they are just about the only things we can't get here (teabags ok, bovril ok, heinz baked beans ok, peanut butter ok etc etc) - they were a success and they did the job - ie fed the kids and gave Robert some relaxation time. And then a night out - see what I mean about red letter day? - no need to bore you with the details - no one in Italy reads this blog so no one who reads it will know Jovanotti (apart from the fact I have posted links to a couple of songs over my blogging life) - no photos at the moment - Leo fell asleep in the car on the way home and once we got home left his camera in the car - so photos will have to wait - but we had a great time - and we so needed it!!!!!!