The Invite

Well it's that time of year again, Miss Sophia is having another birthday! She turns 4 on Monday and so we made up the invitations and sent them out today. Now we need to start prepping for the partay!be there or be square!

The get-a-way

We stayed at the Cristallo Hotel in Scopella. It was the off season so there was no one there. There is a small spa under the hotel and Max arranged for me to have a massage, it was wonderful. Unfortunately the pool was under construction and so we didnt get to have a swim. The lovely Cristallo Hotel! The ground floor of the hotel had a fantastic restaurant with typical cuisine and so we ate all our meals there, but I didnt take pictures this time.

After lunch, we had a walk around, it's spring and
the snow is melting so there were waterfalls everywhere!

Our walk led us to the Walser Museum, where there were was a typical village and houses in the Walser style.

The houses are built close together and have a particular wooden framing. Everything was small and narrow. I really wanted to go inside, the roofs seemed to be very low. Unfortunately we were an hour too late and everything was closed.

Look, the doors are tiny, even I'm taller!

I just liked the intersecting lines here.

Outhouse.
Imagine going shi-shi in the middle of a colder winter nights storm!
Old school sleighCreepy little hallway that lead to a cantina.
I dont know how Max made it down the narrow stairs!

You know me, I just had to get a picture of a door!
Sophia says this is creepy.

There was a sign that said bread was baked just twice a year, i'm wondering how nasty stale was the last loaf of the season. yuck!

Hidronica in Valsesia Rocks!

Valsesia River looking south (we rafted further south down the river).

After pictures of doors, I also like snapping pictures of bridges.

Max found a place called Hidronica and they were awesome! They were easy to find, great service and the trip didnt cost nearly as much as it does in the states. Oliver and Cris are Milanista and so they 'dumped' us with a guide who is also a fan of the same team, Ricki. He was funny and cracked jokes which was great.


The rapids they took us on are only a class III, but since you have technical wear and it needs to get wet to work and they want to see how you react to water, they make you do a jump off a cliff at the start. (Good thing they dont make you do that in CA or Mom would have never started us rafting if she had to get her hair wet!!!!)

and let me just say, the water was COLD!
it was more frigid than kate from jon and kate make 8!!!

clockwise from the guide: Ricki, me, Max, Oliver, Cris, Lolo and Stefano (from another group).
funny little sign inside the cabin.
boys debriefing after the adventure

Alba

For years I have wanted to go rafting in Italy, but no one ever wanted to go. Last summer I told Max that for my bday, I didnt want a present, but wanted to go rafting in Italy or Switzerland. As May grew closer, my hints got bigger and he found a place in Piemonte, arranged for Sophia to stay with the Nonni, booked a nice hotel and got a little group together for a trip down the white water. Today we took Sophia to towards the Nonni to Alba, a town thats only 2 hours away from Milan and 1 away from Cuneo- and therefore our meeting destination. It was a bit hard this time because she cried and said 'I wanna come with youuuuuuuuu!' It was easier when she was smaller and didnt realize what was happening (even if we explained it to her), but now she gets it and this time she really missed us, she actually couldnt wait to come home.

After the nonni and soph left, we wandered around for a bit and I snapped a few pics because the town is so cute.

Sunday in the Park

We rode bikes to Parco Increa to meet Valentina and her family. The girls had a good time playing together. They play really well together and are good at sharing! I love having not to monitor all the time!!BFFs

The merry-go-round was broken and very hard to spin. The adults had to all put their muscles together to move it. (except me, i just took pictures, im so lazy!)

an unfruitful search for bugs

footballer Valentina

soccer monster Sophia

Gettin into the Swing of things

Guess who learned to swing on her own! it's a whole new world for us now!!!! We still have to learn how to get off and share with others though!

Labor Day Euro Style

May 1st is Labour Day in Europe, so everything is closed and everyone is off to picnic somewhere. We didnt want to hit the crowds at the beach, so Christine suggested we Q at her house.

Christine, proud owner of this lovely maison!

Fresh sardines, with OO and fresh rosemary from the garden.

Orange infused wine

After lunch, we went for a walk around the area. Another door for my collection.Spring was in the air and so were the butterflies!

It was still too early in the season to take a dip, but Sophia really liked walking around the edge.

zzzzzzzzzzzzz