Weekend in Edinburgh

Really a long time that I have not posted something... a bit because I have been very busy and a bit because I have been real lazy... anyway, here some pictures of the weekend in Edinburgh. Half a dozen of us rented a place over the weekeend and spent a couple of days in this amazing place... 2 Irenians, 5 Italinas and 1 English. Real mix of people!!! I had forgotten how difficult it is to do anything when more then 2 Italians are involved. No joking man, it takes F****** forever to take any decision ....about what time to leave, which way to go, which restaurant to eat to, which nightclub to go to... I guess I am not used to it anymore and each time I am the one that shout "Gnamo!!" which in English would translate like "Came on!!! Let's Move"... and usually I get back that that I need to relax !?! RElAX!!!!! well, just to give you an idea... we were supposed to leave Aberdeen at 10.15. By teh time everyone has arrived to Franco, had their Espresso with buiscuits, read the newspaper, gone to buy sandwitches for the drive etc. etc. we managed to leave Huntly Street at about 12.30 and only after I had threaten to run away !!! Well it was good fun anyway, especially Vincenzo's show in "the morning after the night before"..... ONE MORE THING... if you are in Edinburgh and want to got for an Italian meal go to La Partenope, not far from Haymarket area.. great food and atmosphere .. we got to sing the Italian antheme standing on the chairs during a singing competition with a group of scottich old drunken couples...

My first harvest (il mio primo raccolto)

Yes... Ok, mybe I need a few more attemps in mastering the secret of growing beautiful vegetables... although it looked very tiny my tomato actually tasted delicious, shame it wasn't more of it!! We had a bit of ceremony when I pick it, we placed it at the centre of our best plate, cut it in half, spincle salt and pepper over the two halves... (literally two granes of it) and then place the small sacculent red vegetable in our mouth.. and the all experience was over in 10000 of a second!!! The sweat and tears were all worthy if you ask me... The same with my crougette.. The dream of a "risotto agli zucchini" with the product of my own garden had quickly faded when after almost a month my crougette had hardly become over 2 inches (approx 5 cm)... we had one of it tonight, raw as we reckoned that boiling it would have probably shrinking it even more... it was ... well.. interesting!!! I bet you have never seen a yellow craugette, at least my mother has not and this picture is the proof that they exist!!!!!

This half failure (I keep telling myself that this summer the weather has been terrible for veg, no sun and heat... etc... but the truth is that I still feel guilty that a few times I have actually forgottten to water or feed the poor plants) has given me even more ambition to persue this again next year!!!! Will post the pictures then, and I am sure this time I can enter the Aberdeen Summer Fruti & Veg competition.... and not in the dwarf category!!!!!

Il Chianti, Orvieto, Piombino and il Palio

Two weeks in Italy went really quickly...first couple of days spent with my family and our new addition, Dario who was born on 26th July... cutest boy in town and the better dressed too after all presents I brought back from UK! On ferragosto went to Orvieto and Todi with Laura... very hot especially the trip in Laura's car without air conditioning!!!! Lovely city..

It was great to see Vincenzo and Martha + Piddu of course, who came all the way from Marche to see the Palio in Siena.. it was increadibly hot that day, the scorching sun over the Piazza del Campo, packed like a sardins tin, went straight to the head of a group of Aussi who started a fight... fair to say that a couple of bottle of wine had probably contributed to animate their spirit! a range of emotions... tention, joy, disappointment, tears .. the Palio.

It was really good at the weekend to visit an old friend, Lucia in Piombino...years from the last time we met so lots of catch up to do!!! rest of the week was quite dull and cloudy so not much sun tun for my white scottish legs! Finally a thank to Alessia who prepared a nice dinner for us ....

Roberto Benigni: Dio & Berlusconi

I found this one whilst on my lunch break today!!!! I had to post it! Enjoy my friends...it's brilliant..

BLACK GOLD Movie Trailer

On Monday, I went to see "Black Gold" at the Belmont with a couple of friend... go and see the documentary in full if you can because it is worth it, to get a taste of it watch the trailer. The figures are staggering and multinational such as Nestle' and Starbucks are not getting a good publicity!!!!!

Water skying at Aboyne

Tuesday last week I went with Tina, who took my place at my old job, water skying at Aboyne. Our employment lawyer had organised a client outdoory event. It was good fun but bloody difficult.... no problem to keep hold of the pole at the side of the boat, however when I tried with the short cord..... could not get my ars up.... the instructor was shouting at me from the boat "roll your body forward".... I was shouting back trying not to drink too much pond water. I did not manage to get up straight and did couple of huge circle on the lake in the position of the photo... not exactly confortable, especially because of the pressure of the water which was directed straight to my face. It was fun to give it a go and was soo annoyed that could not master the technique.... fell couple of times with the face down and drunk half the loch, felt quite sickly the day after and forgot to mention that we did this 8.30pm whist was raining and outside must have been max 10 degree!!!!
Will dfinetly go back!!!!

Laura's wedding

Just back from Italy, where I spent 4 days to attend to the wedding of my best friend Laura. Everything was perfect, beautiful weather, great setting in the Tuscan countryside (the little church of San Quirico D'Orcia first and villa Banfi for the celebration later) good food and wine, two bottle of "Rosso di Montalcino" came back with me in Aberdeen and not least good company. Met really cool people from Dublin (Terence, Jini and Rashnie), Berlin (Helen) and Switzerlan (Giulia) amongst others... Telling the truth i did not want to come back to Aberdeen, who would blame me!, fortunately the weather has been OK over the past few days which has made it easier. Very stressed at work at the moment, I am starting my new job at the beginning of June and these last two weeks I am handing over to the girl who is going to be my replacement..... she is lovely but I have got so much stuff to get through in such short period of time.... looking forward to the new challenge though!!!!! Will post pictures of the wedding shortly.