Simple thoughts

Finally we found a car rental agency willing to lent us a car for our trip in august! The problem was, no others were able to give us a car for the Czech Republic, due to the high rate of cars robbery.
Tonight we'll meet up with our trip's companions to fix the details and tomorrow the men will definetely rent the car. I'm the one in charge of the vacation "must" and "things to do", so I really can't wait to have more time (more or less at mid-july) to re-read my travel guides and plan the details of our visits.

Yesterday it was Alice's birthday, now she's 20 too. Alice is Marty's best friend, and even if lately they have renovated an old friendship with Valentina (an old classmate) the two of them are really inseparable. Alice calls me and hubby her "other two parents", this makes me feel good and it makes me laugh.
Yesterday night Marty and Valentina were invited to dinner, along with Chiara (Alice sister's best friend) and Madeleine (a girl from Ghana they have helped since she was born) at her home. After dinner we joined the company for the birthday cake, it was a nice date. The girls sang and laughed a lot, we laughed at them, it was pure joy to watch.





Even Beo, one of three cats of the house was having fun.......



(Sorry for the blurry pics, they are from my cell phone, not a pro in the field.......)

We complained so much about the weather lately, and someone heard us.............unfortunately, I must say!

Since last friday it's very hot, so on saturday night we met a couple of friends, Anna & Gio, for an ice-cream in Calestano, about 30 km in the hills surrounding Parma. It was a little windy, and for a while we escaped from the hot of the city.

This is the nice church from the back



On sunday, we met with Anna (Gio was busy with a previous date) Luciano & Enrica to have lunch together in a nice restaurant in Casaselvatica (in the mountains)



as you can see we followed Luciano inclination and we didn't have any wine (he doesn't touch a drop of wine or any other alchoolic drink, never ever!).

Then we drove to Berceto, coz it was the "biologic market day"

We first visited the Cathedral







and then we took a stroll on the streets and the market














With a heavy hart we left at the sunset, knowing we were going to miss the light wind, the sweetly warm sun and all the flavours we smelled and tasted......................

See you in two years, at the World Football Championship.............hoping to qualify for it and to do better in the competition..........

for having played fairly......



and thanks to Italy Football Team for keeping us dreaming......

Last saturday we discovered a new place, very comfortable, low-price, good food and wine, just in the outskirt of town. It was Bruno choice (he paid the dinner, coz it was his 60th birthday) a nice one I have to say. A new name to keep in mind.

Sorry for the long no-post time, but we are lost in dealing with medical examinations, blood exams, clinical evaluations, everything without letting mom and mother-in-law to know about it for not worrying them.
Marty has to have surgery to get an ovarian cyst removed, and I have to say, I'm a lot more worried than she is (or she shows to be). The surgery would take place in a month or less, according to the surgeon (who is also our gynecologist) busy schedule.
Please keep your fingers crossed, or say a prayer if this is more like you.

That's exactly how I felt going there.......so peaceful, silent, majestic........... the only sound was made by our bikes.....






Me and two friends on the snow left from winter




The "men" in the same spot



The entire group (minus me, the authorized photographer)



We had the time to visit some little villages in the area such as Paganica









and Castel del Monte,







to relax a bit on the banks of the Campotosto lake,





and to enjoy a real "country" meal in a typical rural butchery



where our chefs in charge took pride in cooking us the meal



in a fantastic landscape



Too pity three days are so fast to pass, I still have in my eyes and in my soul, the smells and the colors of a beautiful land.

Next monday is national holiday here. So we have planned a bike trip to Gran Sasso in Abruzzo. We're going there with two couples of friends, I'm sure we'll have a great time. Here's the hotel where we'll stay.
Tomorrow I'll be very busy, so I guess I can say right now  "see you next week" and tell you

Friday night was the Partilhar night, we had dinner raising money for our friends' son in Brazil, at Poxoreu. Here are the proud parents, our friends



and some of the others who were there







some of the clothes-pegs-bags sold for charity



the one I bought



Last year the money was enough for a mini-bus for collecting the children to school and for some school supply, I hope this year the money will be even more.



Yesterday I had lunch with a bunch of old classmates at the country home of one of them, Silvia, here with a pair of garden gloves we gave her as a gift



We had a really good time, we shared some memories, lots of laughs and a few nostalgic teardrops.







Even Odette, one of her three dogs, enjoyed it



We had such a great time, Silvia decided that if we all agree, this could be the start of a new tradition, each year we get together there to spend some quality time. And she already invited us for a summer night party, and for some tea before the fire next winter. Nice of her, don't you think?