Tuscany

We are currently at Villa Pitiana and have moved on from Rome. We were in Venice for a while but I havent been able to get to a computer - didn't want to really. Having too much fun.

Venice was nice, and although I hear you saying she doesn't sound very excited, it is not quite like that. I am enjoying my time here, it has been a wonderful experience but now that i have seen all that we are going to see (apart from the brief whizz through Florence on the way to the Tuscan Villa) it is similar to home. Which is good.

Today, we experienced a fantastic day with a chef from the Villa where we are staying. He cooked for us, chicken liver pate, bruschetta, on crostini, wild boar and spinach pasta and the biscotti that you soak in dessert wine - magnifico. A few of us decided to join in and made the pasta, rolled the pasta and also I had a chance to make the biscotti as no others wanted to get up and have a go, silly them. Today also, the others are going to the designer outlets to buy up on cut price Armani, Gucci etc. I decided that writing this blog was what I wanted to do. Last night we had a wonderful meal, a vegetable terrine with cheeses (I kept the menu as it said Del Giorno's on it and we have a del Giorno's in Lincoln), another entree was pasta with "meet" sometimes the translation goes astray, i had a taste of that and it was divine. The main course was braised beef cheek with merlot wine that was to die for and the saffron and pear mousse was laced with rum and bloody hell it was magnifico !!!!

We have been to operas, concerto's, historical places and when I get home, i will make sure that I blog the diary i have been keeping.

Ciao everyone
Shel

Roma!

Here we are in Roma ! What a fantabulous place. I cannot post any photographs yet as it has taken me the best part of 20 minutes to get into this blog! After a very long flight from Singapore to Rome, we finally arrived. First impression of the place (the airport that is) that is was dated and a we bit dingy, not dirty, just dingy. Our driver was there to meet us and off we went. We had that much baggage and the van we were in (9 women with bags) barely fitted. So for the duration of the trip, I was hoping like hell that the bags at the back of my head didnt (no apostrophes on Italian keyboards, that i can find) rush forward if he had to stop suddenly. Safely we made it.

Seeing as we have only just found this internet cafe and that i dont have my journal with me, i will just recall what i can remember and correct anything later...

firstly, we went for a greet and meet on the rooftop of our hotel, then we walked around Rome, taking in a few sights and orientating ourselves. Out to dinner that night and we all crashed heavily (Piazzo Navona was the name of the square where we had dinner, i dont remember the name of the restaurant).
In amongst all the days we have been here, we have visited the colosseum (that place is amazing), the forum, and there are so many squares, piazzas, roads, nooks and crannies that i have to get together with out host to work out what roads we have been on etc. We visited the vatican today and that was un-believable. i cried when we went into the sistine chapel. even though i am not religious, it was just a special place. we were also privy to a private tour of a palazzo ( not to be confused with a piazza and is a REAL palace), where the film roman holiday was filmed (well part of it) and Audrey Hepburn stood on the same steps we stood on. This blog is very brief and not detailed but will go into this all later.

Tomorrow we will be going to Venice and we are all looking forward to rest on the train as we have been going pretty flat out but not exhaustingly flat out. We have been to some wonderful restaurants and eaten some fantabulous food, but i dont think i have put on an ounce as i have been walking soooooo much.

We also have been to pompei and that is amazing also, oh and how could i forget, the amalfi coast, road trip coming up girls, i have found the perfect place, wine, song, and a beautiful beach, hire a villa on the coast and live it up

I have learnt these words that are invaluable
buongiorno - for the morning to 4pm greeting hello, after that it is bueno sera (good evening) bueno notte (good night)
per favore - please
grazie - thanks
grazie millenia - thanks a lot
scuzi - excuse me
and the most important one quanto costa - how much does this cost (HA HA)

we have had a wonderful guide taking us through the colosseum, the palace and today the vatican, Ginevra. Her website is secretrome.com.it (I think) and she is wonderful

Ciao

Shel

10 more sleeps !!!!

... then I will be on the plane to Rome !

Update on the Singing

WE CAME SECOND ON THE NIGHT

WOO HOO!!!

Oh What a Night!

"Late December back in '63..." and the song goes on. But it accurately describes the night I had last night.

Nerves preceeded the event, but a couple glasses of champers and a really great make up artist on hand (and once the first song was over), just made it all good. We sang "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush and dressed in 1940's garb (I wore a very stoic post war depression kinda costume and Ron dressed in army greens), that was a hard song to do but the judges said that we pulled it off.

At half time, all of us singers went to the green room out the back and started singing one of the other numbers (one girl was practicing her next number - "I can see Clearly now") and to hear 20+ voices in harmony, it was so magic. Our Stage Hand Scott, was playing the guitar for us and I sooooooo did not want this night to end.

The next number was "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison and the judges commented on how much Ron sounded like Van Morrison. We even got a 10 from Peter Goers (one of the judges on the night).

Finally, we all ambled out on stage for our group closing number (of course - "All my loving" in the Young Talent Time vain).

I had to take it easy on the drinking because of the 25km drive home and I had Tori with me as well (Bullet is away in Mt Isa) which was a good thing as I could've come home with a nasty hangover.

What I can take away from this is, i made 20 new friends, I had the time of my life, I was with like minded people, I remember how much fun it is to sing, I know that I was born to sing and I have discovered a lot more of myself in the process. Where to now???

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail (unknown)

Hello! Is it me you're looking for???

Yes, I know, I know, naughty me for not blogging for a really, really long time.

Lets start with, I'm going to Italy in 47 sleeps - ARGH, that is really close!!! I am booked with a group of 10 women (whom I do not know) and we are spending 22 days away. Firstly in Rome, then Venice, Tuscan Region and Florence. Nice and easy, all the great sights. I'm soooooo excited.

Keeping this all short, this Saturday, I will be performing in an "It Takes Two" concert (much the same as the one on Channel 7) and have 2 songs to perform. Woo how exciting. Looking forward to being out there again. On the weekend, I had the chance to hear myself for the very first time being professionally recorded (what a spin out), it wasn't too bad either. I originally thought Ron, my singing partner, put on the track with the background singer and he said, "no, that's you" woooooo.

We have lambs again, and I have been putting off telling you about them as the last one(s) perished. Well, Lucy is almost a week old and we found young Bob (but he's a big boy) shivering under a bush this morning and no luck at finding Mum. The one we thought was Mum wanted nothing to do with him, so, here we go again. Hopefully he survives the night. Tori was chasing him around the room just then so he has a little sprite in him. Bob is the one next to Tori, Lucy is trying desperately to steal his bottle. He is only a day or so old and bigger than her.

Tori has been to Adelaide and competed in her first Calisthenics competition and her individual team (there were 2 Lincoln teams competing), got a first, a second, a third and an honerable mention. Think the underdogs and how they can aspire to something magnificent. It blew me away.

Bullet is still travelling back and forth o Mt Isa, and I am unemployed AGAIN. Loving it though. Once I get back from Italy, I will seriously have to look at what I would like to do on a more permanent basis. I am doing a cafe cooking course at TAFE for 12 weeks and maybe (just maybe) would like to open a casual cafe somewhere in a little seaside place, like Wangary/Farm Beach oone day a week. That might be a long way down the track but you have to have goals.

I'm gonna scoot now.

Ciao

Shel

ps. any tips on Italy, let me know. I can send you my itinerary.

Time flies

How do you let almost 4 months pass by without writing a word? Easy I suppose.

Today, our neighbour (about 5kms away) came over for a visit because we had some car parts on the property that he knew about for his old car. And what a treat, he took us for a drive down the road in his 1927 Chrysler (originally a buckboard but turned it into a roadster).

Then, later on, he came back to pick up the parts in his original 1956 FJ ute that he has owned since brand new. So we went for another ride. He also showed us some photos of an old World War 2? Harley Davidson that he restored. Now, here comes the amazing part of the story.

We saw the pictures of them when they were trashed by the EP fires in 2005. The bike was totalled. It was originally done in a blue colour and had an indian looking motif on the tank. He did it back up to original (army green with the Harley Davidson red writing on it). The ute was scorched on one side (the side you can see in this picture). I'm not sure of the details of the Chrysler but I guess it would have been reasonably rough. He has done them all up in the last 3 years. The man must be about 80 odd. What a legend, and the nicest man.