Carnival

Last Sunday we went to the carnival in Anghiari. Sam went as a pizza, Emily a fried egg, their friends Filippo (toasted sandwich) and Camilla (McDonald's chips).

I t was the first sunny day in ages and Anghiari was packed with people. There was a procession of floats, dancers, bands etc etc.

Returns

If you're used to living in the UK, next time you take something back for a refund - just remember how lucky you are!!! Over here, they look at you like you're a criminal and point blank refuse to give you your money back. Instead you get a credit to spend in their store. Having had a background in sales, I was always led to believe the customer was king. But over here, you sometimes feel like they're doing you a favour just letting you buy something from them. It's crazy, as a happy customer will return.

Rant over! Another sad day today. One dead hamster and one tearful 9 year old...

Basketball Day - Arezzo

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to Arezzo for the day. Sam was playing in a basketball tournament for his team - Dukes of Sansepolcro. It was a miserable day and the rain hardly stopped.
We got to Arezzo, and after the traditional Italian late start (only half an hour this time) the first match was underway.
Dukes got off to a flying start, winning their 1st 3 matches easily. This took us nicely up to the lunchtime break. We had decided not to join the others for the "club meal" as we'd heard awful reports about it. So we went 2 minutes down the road and found McDonalds...a rare treat!
I've heard many Italians knocking McDonalds in the past, but clearly none of them were there yesterday. It was absolutely packed!
Anyway, we returned, well fed, for the afternoon matches, which didn't go quite so well. A loss and a draw.
We'll find out on Tuesday what their final position was, but it's a guaranteed 2nd place, and a possible 1st - depending on the result of the last match of the day.
Dukes played really well, a credit to their twice weekly training. Sam scored quite a few baskets so was very proud of himself!

A bad start to the day!

Ahhhh.... weekend! Normally in low season it means a slow start to the day. A bit of extra time in bed,  with no school runs.
Not this morning. Sadly, I woke up to the sound of the dog being sick. I came downstairs and as I arrived he started having a seizure.
It's not the first time. We think he has epilepsy. The vet says we can treat him if it happens regularly, but it just happens a couple of times a year.
He's ok now. Relaxed in front of the stove.
It's very scary when it happens though. His whole body spasms and he loses control of bodily functions... not what you want first thing in the morning!

Someone's enjoying the Tuscan sun!

Cold as it may be outside, at least our cat and dog have found a sunny corner! 
Our cat, called Mausen (never let a 3 year old name a pet!!) was a rescue cat. Charlie arrived the following year much to her initial disapproval - they're best friends now though!

The winds of change!

We live in rural Tuscany, about 4km from the little town of Monterchi, famous for the work of Piero della Francesca, the pregnant Madonna.

We have a holiday business, an old converted Mill, adventurously named "Il Mulino" (http://www.ilmulino-tuscany.com/) . More about that soon!

Firstly though I want to tell you about our neighbours. As well as farming the land, they keep pigs...and lots of them. Every April they buy lots of piglets with a view to fattening them up!! Last April they bought 60! The pigs are all slaughtered during the cold months of January and February. Over the course of the year they put all the pig "doings" in a very big pile. Can you can imagine how much 60 pigs make in 10 months?? Once they've said goodbye to the last of the pigs, they spread the contents of the big pile over their fields. We are about 1km from our neighbours, but they always seem to spread the "fertilizer" on a windy day, and always when the wind blows straight up the valley and past our house.

So, just for one day a year, we celebrate "fertilizer day"!

My brand new blog!

My brand new blog....

Having been here nearly 11 years I think I'm a bit late starting. Still, loads of people blog about their first years in a new place....which really may not be the same as real life...sometimes just a long holiday.

With this blog I didn't want to talk about all the new stuff but more about what everyday life is like for a foreigner in Italy.

Sometimes positive, sometimes negative, but always honest.

Your comments and experiences are always welcome!

I hope you enjoy it!!