Running down the hill to the bus in my usual rush this morning I came face to face with a beautiful deer, antlers & all! What a magnificent creature! Felt like I was in a fairytale. Adam had a much less pleasant experience with a huge wild boar whilst doing some cross country running through the Chianti hills here. Scary stuff! Certainly got him running a little faster! He's training for the Florence half marathon Sunday! Just turned 41 & the fittest he'...

The kids have had their first week at their italian kindy! Its a gorgeous little kindy/ playgroup & they've have loved every minute. Adam has gone with them this week but gradually popping out for longer blocks to transition them staying there alone. Dad struggling with this process far more than the kids though who are in 7th heaven. A little heart wrenching for me too not to be there but I got to go to a trial session before we signed up so at least I know...

Hard to believe we have been in beautiful italy for almost 2 weeks already. It is everything we hoped for & more... well except for the week of continual rain. But if you have to be wet & cold, its a beautiful place for it! Our family have been incredible and filled our tummies with mouth watering food, lent us bags of warm clothes, & toys & helped with everything from mobile phones to playgroups & medicine. After 6 weeks of relaxation in the...

From our house, we can SEE snow capped mountains but we had missed snow where we were staying by only a week. So disappointing for the kids but on a practical level, very lucky as the steep, windy little road up to our "castello" was undrivable in the snow. Already you can only get up this road if you're in first gear. Anyway, despite it being a 4 hour round trip to Tuscany's only ski field, we were determined that the kids see snow for their first time. (Well f...

Cellai, Italy. 15 degrees, clear blue skies and sunshine! I cannot believe that we are finally in Italy !!!! My dream come true! We are staying in the Chianti wine region in Tuscany in a rennovated 10th century castle called "il Castello". It's just 20 minutes south of Florence and it is so beautiful- we feel like we are living in a Tuscan coffee table book! Every window, even the one from the toilet looks out onto rolling hills or olive groves, rustic stone h...