Rome

We went to Rome for the long weekend. We had to appear in person to apply for bel bambino's Australian passport and used this as an excuse for a mini holiday. It was lovely to visit Rome again, we stayed at the hotel where we met and visited our friends. It was lovely yes, but reinforced the notion that never in our lives do we want to live in Rome with a baby.

When you've lived in Rome like we have and seen it inside out then you don't see the splendour of the Colosseum, rather you see how dirty and dark it is. The Trevi Fountain, always my favourite place, was full of beggars and foreigners harassing us to buy flowers. We didn't go and visit all the sites this time, there was no need. I was last in Rome for a weekend in 2009 and so much has changed or maybe there is so much I have forgotten. The city is dirty, really dirty and there are foreigners galore. Now I am a foreigner so don't go thinking I am racist but I was surprised by just how many foreigners there were. We heard stories that a lot of jobs are being given to foreigners and not Italians since they will accept low wages and poorer conditions.

We got the tram one evening to visit a friend's wine bar. When the tram came it was so full that we had to walk back 3 stops to the start to try and get on with bel bambino's pram. We finally got on and were crushed like sardines while we tried to protect bel bambino from being squashed. If this experience wasn't bad enough, half way there the tram stops and people start getting out. The driver didn't make an announcement, we had no idea what was going on until we learnt that there was a protest down the way and the lines were blocked. A day doesn't go by when there isn't a protest in Rome, but this was about 6pm at night.

Tram after tram were pulling up and spilling out the commuters. It is not as if they thought to notify people before getting on the tram or that they thought of suspending them all together. Instead they sent one bus, one normal bus which is one third of the size of the tram. We didn't even attempt to board as with a sleeping bel bambino it would have been impossible. Finally another bus came and we asked to board before the mad crazed commuters. Permission granted, a warning given to be careful of the mad rush and then the onslaught began. After people being pushed out onto the street and us shoving people away from bel bambino the bus left. Amidst 2 gypsies fighting, the over powering stench of way too many sweaty people in a small space we made it to our friends and the haven of the wine bar.

We really want to go and live in Australia. We cannot think of raising our son here anymore.

Out and about in summer

It's been and still is one long, hot summer. After spending 2 nights at our beautiful wedding venue we set off for a 'honeymoon' with my twin sister, her husband, 2 babies and of course our own bel bambino. As our wedding gift, my twin shouted us 3 nights in Tropea, a lovely seaside town about an hour south from us here in Malito. It was hot, hot, hot in Tropea but we had a good time and bel bambino swam in the sea for the first time. He was a pro and loved splashing his feet around so this summer has seen us going most days to the beach in the early morning or the late afternoons.

It was sad to see my family all slowly leave Italy, we had been spoilt with so much English speaking company and bel bambino got to meet everyone (except my parents) for the first time (since he met them in January when he was born.) It was chaotic having so many people here all at once, but it was great and we look forward to seeing them all in January 2012 when bel bambino, bel marito and I will fly to the other side of the world, not only as a break from the cold Malito winter (it will be summer in Australia) but also to attend my brother's wedding.

Bel bambino will be a seasoned traveller by then, he already has his Italian passport and been out of the country. We are in the process of gathering documents for his Australian citizenship when once obtained I can apply for his Australian passport.  

Bel marito and I have been for an overseas holiday every year since being together, some years I think even more than once. We started off by visiting London in I think October or November 2006, shortly after we got together. then in January 2007 we went to Australia, by December 2007 we were in Portugal, February 2008 saw us in Amsterdam then Fuerteventura in March 2009, at the end of that year we went again to Australia in December 2009 (when bel marito proposed) with bel bambino in my tummy we went to Paris in September 2010...and this year, the first year with bel bambino out of my tummy we couldn't break tradition and not go on holiday, so we went to Valencia in Spain.

 

Now I am back at work planning possibly another trip, before Australia, to maybe London for New Years...we'll see.

Back to blogging

Ahh...tis been a while since my last blog. I have had to revert back to primitive blogging for now since I have some errors that will not let me blog with my usual blog settings. Don't ask what or why as I have no idea, but am happy that after playing around as an I.T tech for days and days finally I can blog.

Before these technical difficulties, I had not blogged as I had been away...in Paris! My aunt was over in Europe for work. She was not coming to Italy, but spending most of her time in Paris and London. Well after living in London and just coming back from Scotland I did not want to go there, so we decided to meet her in Paris for a lovely weekend! It was our first time travelling as parents-to-be, and it was quite an experience. Bel fidanzato and I have travelled a lot - we have slept in cheap hostels, noisy pubs, budget hotels and elegant hotels but we have never travelled 'pregnant' before. I am 21 weeks and the belly is growing by the day. Up to the day we left for Paris I had been feeling quite well, to tell you the truth not even vomited once, that's cause the baby was saving it for our weekend away...



The night before leaving for Paris we had been to yet another one of our friends weddings. It was a wonderful evening but there was way, WAY too much food. We started off at about 8pm and finished dessert at about 1am. There were too many courses and they came out one after the other after the other. I am vegetarian so had a 'special' meal, but there was something that the baby just did not like.



We woke up early the next day and I felt strange. Normally I would have jumped out of bed, excited that we were going to Paris, but I felt sick. I got changed, but had to sit on the bed most of the time as I was so tired, even brushing my teeth was an effort. I didn't want to worry my bel fidanzato so told him to meet me at the car. Well, I was a sorry sight when he walked down a few minutes later! Let's just say we made it, but that the poor cleaners had to be called at the Lamezia airport as the toilet was a little too far away, that the sink in the plane from Rome to Pairs got a little blocked, and I welcomed my aunt - after not seeing her for 7 months by vomiting outside of her plush 4 star hotel.


Luckily bel fidanzato and I had both been to Paris before, so there was no 'stress' to see all of the sites. Being pregnant, I cannot walk as much as before, and have to stop often for a rest as I get tired and out of breath. On our weekend away we saw Paris from a different angle - namely the river. I last visited Paris when my twin sister, her husband and I were back-packing around Europe 7 years ago. We had a budget of 35 euro a day - including food and accommodation, so we walked and walked the city until we could walk no more. We are no means rich now, but could afford to splash out on a 12 euro boat cruise!

All in all it was a good weekend - a shame I could not eat for the first 2 nights, but hey if that's the price I have to pay for having a little baby in my tummy then that's fine by me.

Unknown Melbourne

As I was uploading the photos from my camera to the laptop yesterday, I came across some photos of Australia that I had totally forgotten about.

When we were in Melbourne, bel fidanzato said he wanted to go and take some photos in the graffiti filled alleyways.



I had no idea what he was talking about and told him that. He explained that he had seen a program on television which showed an alleyway in the city centre, he thought he knew more or less where it was, but said there were many alleyways like this. I, thinking to be an expert on everything, told him that I of all people would know if Melbourne had hidden graffiti ridden alleyways as I had worked in the city for years and had often gone to bars and clubs hidden away in the dingiest of alleys.



Bel fidanzato was persistent so, one day, armed with the camera, and some water since it was about 35 degrees, we traipsed over to the tourist information.



"Excuse me," I whispered, not wanting to make a fool of myself asking about non-existent graffiti alleyways, "but have you heard of an alleyway filled with graffiti?"

"One moment please," said the assistant as she turned her back and walked away (to snicker at me? To tell her colleagues that this Australian with a slightly funny accent was wasting her time...

This is Australia however and if Australians could be summed up in one word, it would be helpful.

"Here you go, this is a map of the city centre with all of the graffiti alleyways marked on them. X here is the most well known and then there is Y and Z too. Have a nice day!"

What the....they had maps just for the graffiti alleyways??? Bel fidanzato started to annoy me with his rendition of 'I know Melbourne better then you routine' but thankfully I found out that I was not an ignorant fool who had walked blindly around my hometown for years...I had been in those alleyways many times, but when I used to go down them there was no graffiti, well not like there is today.




So ha! I told bel fidanzato as I walked off to see the first alley...I cannot be held accountable for not knowing tourist sites of Melbourne that were done after I left the country!

The underground town

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It has once again been a while since my last post as the bel ragazzo and I only just came back from a weeks holiday by the beachside. So much has happened since I last wrote!! Let's just say the year ended very well...more then well - it was the best ending I've had to any year thus far. More information about that to come.... plus also I shall be telling you where in the world the bel ragazzo and I are going very soon as we only have 11 more days left in Australia!

Here are some catch up photos of what we have been doing since I last wrote. We left off in the Australian outback, and we are still in the Australian outback as we stay over night in the opal mining town of Coober Pedy.





A fantastic place, unlike anything else I have ever seen. The majority of the population live underground since it gets so hot in the summer time. We slept in an underground bunkhouse which was so exciting!








We had a tour of an underground house (not a real house, but an example of what a real house looks like.) The temperature is always the same inside these houses, so regardless of the time of year, you only need to sleep with a sheet on. Now is that cost cutting on bills or what!







We had a tour through the opal mines and even tried our hands at digging!

Leanne in the outback

It has been some time since I last posted! All is well and the bel ragazzo and I are still in Australia. We have just come back from an outback adventure into the hot centre of Australia! I know that December with its scorching summer is not the best time to explore the central deserts of Australia...but beggars can't be choosers as they say.



We left Melbourne and caught an early morning 2 1/2 hour flight to Alice Springs which is some 2200 kilometres from Melbourne.



This was my first trip into central Australia and we were very excited! The colours of the desert are amazing. The sand is such a deep, dark red - we've never seen anything like it.



We took a very, very long day trip from Alice Springs to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas.) Uluru is some 450 kms from Alice Springs and we started the day trip at 5:45am and did not get back until 1:30am! It was worth it though.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta - which are both rock formations and sacred Aboriginal sites - are in the world heritage national park. The name Kata Tjuta is aboriginal and means 'many heads.' Have a look at the photos and you'll see why.









The Olgas are about 30km from Uluru and is made up of 36 rounded domes with the tallest (Mt. Olga) being 200m higher than Uluru (that's 546m).

When people think of Australia, they surely think of the big, massive rock smack bang in the centre of the desert. It is an odd site after travelling on the flat, straight roads for hours and then suddenly this giant rock looms up in front of you.
The rock is actually a sandstone formation and stands 348 m (1,142 ft) high (863 m/2,831 ft above sea level) with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures 9.4 km (5.8 mi) in circumference.





These are some ancient Aboriginal paintings that are on Uluru.







We ended this long day by sipping a glass of champagne as we watched the sunset at Uluru before starting the long drive back to Alice Springs. We did snooze for most of the drive, and only awoke when the bus hit a kangaroo! When the sun sets, the kangaroos come out and when you are in a big bus, speeding along a deserted highway then it is inevitable that you will see kangaroos...and very probable that you will hit one.