Saint Paul de Vence

Today we went to Saint Paul, it's a hill town known for as an artist colony. I remember coming here when I did EF (back in the 80s) and there were many artists painting the local scenery and selling them as well. I even bought a little water color, will have to look for that this summer. Sophia had a great time wandering the streets, climbing the stairs and playing in the water fountains.

I dont know why I like doors so much.
I guess they have more personality than the cookie cutter ones we have back home

reflecting/looking at the squiggling mosquito larvae
trump l'oeil on wood

wandering the narrow little streets

door and window

Cute little shop that sells liquers. I liked the shelving, Christine has something similar in her house-it's something I might like to do if we get a new house.
fancy door with hand shaped knocker

Lunch. We ordered a hamburger patty and fries, we asked for it medium, but actually came rare. It was very fresh and so before sending it back we let Sophia taste it, I was suprised she actually ate all the hamburger and didnt finish the fries!

Horse made of horseshoes
door and steps with ivy

After we went to wander Antibes, but it was getting late, so we headed back to Christines

Christine's

Max has a few days off and this wknd is Labor Day, we were thinking about going towards Deen's house for a little r and r, but it looks like the weather will be pretty bad. So we have changed direction and gone to France. Our friend Christine has graciously let us invite ourselves over. She even made us dinner:from 12:00 prociutto, couscous, quiche & ratatouille
there was also guacamole and chips and some amazing cheese, but we ate them before i remembered to snap a pic!

Bologna Reunion

Holly, Tyler and Tristan came out this weekend. We went to Bologna to meet Geraldine and her daughter Carolina for a little JLHS reunion abroad. The girls had fun together and it was fun seeing old faces and catching up again.

Bologna is famous for its leaning towers.bw of the piazza

The girls and their daughters
(too bad all the little ones were covered up or looking the other way)

Carolina and Sophia chase pigeons.

There Hair, erm here.

well, the seeds/hair we planted inside the eggs have finally started sprouting:

max has put in a request for some on his head too.

this is a new egg that we started for the nonni:

Eggstravaganza

yes, it's eggactly that time of year eggain...chocolate eggs in abundance! sophia's zii came over for a visit today and came baring a gigantic chocolate easter egg (and a torta di colombo for us).

Picmic

Today was a beautiful sunny day, so we had a "picmic in the park."/our living room I'm glad we are getting good use out of the crown and dress since they took me forever to make!! (the tulle part of the skirt is all bunched up in the bodice part which is why she looks prego). yes, those are christmas presents in the background-don't judge me!

side story: i am obssive compulsive, i know!! i'm been babysitting a friend's kid for a couple of weeks. the first day he came over he was smelly (esp his hair), but you know it was the first day and i didnt want to offend him or anyone else. the second day he came over he was smellier. i think his hair got rinsed in water last night, because he was a bit less smelly, but that's about it. i found out they dont like to wash him too much because they dont want him to get sick (what era do we live in? during the renaissance, or sometime soon after- didnt they discover that was a nyth???) - after about an hour, i couldnt stand to hold him anymore today-he was up to his stinky status quo. soon after i noticed his ears and yellow goop was oozing out, then i took off his his little jumper (that had the closed feet) and pandora's box was unleashed, a sickly sour men's locker room smell over powered my senses and sucked out the oxygen in the room. i thought i was going to puke, i didnt think little kids could smell so badly. i jumped up, turned on the water and dunked him in. when i had him shining, max says 'wow, he's a different kid. remember that time you washed sophia's plastic doll and it went from dark to light.' i swear he was a shade lighter! and then i was a bit paranoid that they might smell him (or not smell him) and i didnt want to offend anyone-so of course i was thinking of all the excuses i would say about why he might smell a little better and of course nobody noticed anything, which is good! my friends are so nice and they are so hospitable when we go over their house-but OMG italy needs to update health and good living books! if i see one i am going to buy one, highlight the hygiene chapters and leave it on their doorstep anonymously!!!!!