Simple thoughts

As I guessed, yesterday we had a great time.  Our new friends, Lorenzo and Sabina, arrived at 11.00am and after a cup of coffee, a few chats on what news we had for each other, we took our car to Zibello some 40 km outside Parma, where we had a restaurant reservation. The place was a suggestion from a cousin of hubby, and I have to say, I'm glad we choose this one, located in the main square, in the old Pallavicino Palace.





We enjoyed the lunch so very much..........











It was a typical spring day, sunny and warm, so we decided (considering our bikers' hearts) to take a look on what was going on on the Varano racetrack.



Not much I have to admit, just some guys (as always, the most of them driving a Porsche) driving along the track, trying to win some sort of personal competition.....

I was right in my thinking, we seem to get along pretty well with Lorenzo and Sabina, we fixed another appointment as soon as we can, but the most fantastic thing is, they're trying to manage their schedule to come to Provence with us! I really hope they can do it, it would be really nice, and I'm sure our other friends will agree on that.




Speaking of travels..........saturday morning we met with our friend Luca (his wife was working) at a travel agency to have some informations about a fly+drive to Ireland an to get some brochures about Prague and Hungary. He already made some researches about renting a car, so yesterday evening we met all together, to make the final plans for next summer.
Our final decision? Due to their son schedule with school, we opted for a car trip, Salzburg - Prague - Bratislava - Balaton Lake - Budapest. I'm already dreaming about it. Now I have four months to found out what to see there, read all the material I have from previous trips, ask for some updated brochures from the local tourist offices, and make a list of what we have to bring with us. Just the time I need, if you ask me..............

Mom had a minor surgery this morning, she had a little vein in her left leg removed in day hospital. Now she's home with her sister caring for her till saturday morning. This was nothing, she had local anesthesia, in a little more than a month she will have another surgery, her tyroid has to be removed as well. It's a problem that she's tried to forget for years, now she can't anymore.




It's a while now I have this persistent cough, and finally I decided to do something about it. Yesterday morning I had a visit with a lungs doc at the hospital. I made some blood tests before, she read them and told me I'm very much anemic, the tachycardia I'm experiencing lately is related to it, and she thinks I suffer from asthma, probably with an allergic origin. So, from next week till the beginning of june I have scheduled lots of tests and examinations to try to better understand what to do.



Have I told you about those guys from Modena we met on the Nurburgring racetrack last year? Here's a pic from the vacation, in a restaurant lost in the german woods, with them and hubby............



Well, he had a bike accident last fall, now he's ok and next sunday they will be here to spend some time together at lunch. I can't wait, they are very nice people, we have so much in common, this could be the begining of a new friendship, who knows?

Well, I survived Easter, this year too......and I'm very proud of myself, because I didn't eat too much! Mom tried to tempt me, but I stood firm..........until the end of the Easter lunch at least, when the "colomba" (dove) the traditional Easter cake  (so much calories, but really so good!) was on the table. I can't help myself with it.......



I didn't even eat the chocolate of the Easter Egg, but I was curious about the surprise inside



In the afternoon a couple of friends visited us for a cup of coffee, and we talked about next summer vacation. This year the time we will be free from work it's the same, so we planned to do something together. We have reduced the possibilities to two choices, a car trip to Prague and Budapest, or a fly+drive to Ireland. Now, I'm excited about Prague coz I've never been there and anyone keeps telling me how beautiful it is, a little less about Budapest because I already know the place. And those of you who know me better, know that I left a piece of my heart in the Emerald Island, so It seems I'm left with only one choice. But we searched the net and it seems that to rent a car for 5 people (they have a 15 years son they have to bring with them) is so very expensive in Ireland. We decided to look for some solutions during the week and take a decision by the beginning of april (if it's not too late to book a flight).



Today is the Easter Monday, we decided to stay home for lunch (except Marty who is at the Preistoric Park with her friend Alice). In the afternoon our bikers friends joined us for a little walk to our city park. It was cold but sunny and we enjoyed the walk.







The Ducal Palace (former headquarters of R.I.S. - carabinieri branch, our kind of CSI - and now of EFSA) was open to visit











We got back home it was almost dark, next meeting in two weeks for dinner at Gio & Anna home, for the last details of our bike trip to Provence.

   It's time for some renovation, inside and out, some cleaning, on our souls as well, and new propositions. It's time to plan some new ideas for our lives, take on new projects and try new experiences. Make new friends, found again the lost old ones, and why not?......maybe renovate the wardrobe.......?




Feeling a new smell in the air I tried new recipes I found on the web, really really good, and they look good, right?







Due to my recently found sense of duty (clean the house, up to the roof) and next days fixed appointments with family and friends, I won't be online for the whole Easter weekend, so...... to all of you and your families.........

My heart is bleeding.......

For yesterday the forecast said "no rain, some clouds". So in the morning, we took our bikes and reach the little village of Boretto on the banks of the Po river, where every year the local motoclub organizes a bikers reunion.





For lunch we had pizza at the restaurant Torchio (a very good pizza, trust me)



The sun was shining after lunch, so we headed to St. Andrew Bath in the hills to take a little walk



but while the women kept on walking, exploring the site



the men (the strongest ones) decided to rest a little



The lacked completely the adventure side of a walk!

Anyway, we had a great day outdoor, lots of chat and laughing, as usual.

You know, when nothing seems to really matter.
I started the day at 7.30am at the medical lab to have a blood test, without having breakfast, and I can't really start a day without my dose of caffeine.

Then, at work I have to deal with a lot of problems, all of them to be solved by friday morning, when a foreign company management will be here to check some details about a joint-venture with an italian company we are the consultants for. And I already have  very bad headache.........



I'm really tired of this job, every day more, much more................it seems that every time you fix something, something else is alredy there, needing your attention, and all your time. Since I came back at work after the flu, I'm stick to my desk all day, and this will be the same till the end of july, at least. And next month we'll start to work on saturday mornings too.

I can't stand it no more   I give up.
I just will wait till hubby will retire (8 years more.......) and I'll find something else to do, with less energies required and more free time for myself.

(The pics of the show are by a friend, mine were absolutely bad!)









The show was absolutely amazing, a real blast. I knew almost all the songs by heart, so I could concentrate on the scene, and those guys were so very fantastic! The scenography was just terrific, very new and intriguing.

At the end, Riccardo Cocciante himself sang "Verona" after thanking the audience and all the people working on the show



and we put our lives at danger, fighting to reach the artists exit where they stood to sign autographs, to get a glimpse of Gimmo



My daughter said she was so ashamed of me, behaving like a teenager!
We had a great time on the road trip to and from Bologna, lots of fun remembering things happened at work, office trips or some collegues adventures.

Saturday night we invited a couple of friends, and I bought a chocolate & pears cake, it was a beautiful one, but most of all, really delicious!



We talked about vacations, books and wines. And we talked about  a lunch at the seaside for a big fish-eating!