Ciao ancora bella Italia!!!

It's so lovely to be back in Italy and see all our wonderful family and friends. We managed to get through all the flights and the 4 hour drive from Rome to our new "home" smoothly. On arrival, we got fed up to the eyeballs with delicious food- even though it was only a drop in visit to the family.... yuuummmm!

Adam has conjuncivitis & finally yesterday started new antibiotics. We were getting a little worried about what it was as it started in Tanzania and the first lot of antibiotics were not working. Thought we'd better check that he hadn't picked up some exotic disease as a farewell souvenir! After much hassle he got seen by an Italian eye doctor in emergency at a hospital an hour away, kindly driven by our especially wonderful landlords. The local eye doctor was on holidays & it was so difficult to find another. Also, it had gotten to point where Adam couldn't see enough to drive! I'm not covered by our insurance to drive here as we're too stingy to cough up the ridiculous amount of extra euros it takes to have an "additional driver". Of course Adam didn't want to put anyone to the trouble of driving him so stubbornly kept refusing offers of help for 2 days. Our cousin Andrea was away, I was not "allowed" to call our other relatives etc, etc. In the end, our landlord just stood on our doorstep with his keys in his hand & said " Come" to finally get him to go! They don't speak English so Adam couldn't wriggle out of it any longer. I am getting lots of Italian practice as they live next door over a small fence. I stayed home with kids as it was 8pm at night and an hour drive each way & like all emergency departments, an unknown waiting time once you get there. Hopefully he'll be better soon. I stayed home from Italian school but will go back today.

We look a bit like a freak show actually as Adam looks like Egor with a p**** red, swollen eye & face, all of us are covered in red welts from 30-40 mossie bites each (care of Italy not Africa thankfully!!) & Zoe got one on her eyelid which has swollen up & half closed her eye too! The mossies here are ridiculous... & we were worried about Africa! Have repellent, nets & those plug in things but we are obviously irresistable!

Everything else great.... The gelati alone makes it all worth it! It's just beautiful here at the moment (...not that its ever not!!) as the fields in Tuscany are full of sunflowers and its warm and sunny. I went to Italian school & had the most wonderful unexpected surprise. My friends Jozefa, Kumiko & Lui were all still there & I have my same lovely teachers just for opposite subjects. When I left, we were all planning on heading in different directions but for various reasons, everyone is in Florence again at the moment. It was a wonderful, teary reunion. Felt just like the good old times. The teachers are also lovely & feel like a family. They have been emailing me in Africa! So thoughtful given how many students pass through the school constantly.

We caught up with Stefi & Anja, the kids' kindy teachers, at the playground but kindy is still on holidays. Tonight we'll visit a different one for Zoe as whilst she can go back, really she's too old. Mostly 2 year olds there. Zoe , consequently is feeling very important that she is a "big girl now" & keeps telling Zac! I am flat out studying and practicing on trial exam papers for my Italian Language Diploma. I'm a bit terrified by what I have taken on. It's good for me though.

We are having fun exploring our quaint new "home" town, Incisa. It's in the Chianti region of Tuscany again, 30 mins south of Florence. Tough!! We have a nice, light and roomy apartment but we are super close to all the neighbours. That's going to takes a bit of adjusting to. Might have to gag our noisy little muffins! Thank goodness for double glazing! We were all entertained for ages by an enormous digger at the end of our street picking up rocks larger than the Fiats on the street. This weekend there is a medieval festival in the area, complete with a jousting competion!!! (Never thought I'd get to use the quote from the Castle "$** for jousting sticks...Tell 'im he's dreaming" but now... who knows!). Of course, Sunday it's lunch at the D'Uvas! We are sooooo spoilt. It's not Fathers Day in Italy on Sunday but we will pamper our poor Egor anyway. Bye for now, Love the freaks in 8b! xxx