Week 10: Rovescala

Sunday:

Took the train as usual to church. Some kind of attention warning was given out not sure what was said fingers crossed it wasn't too important! The two sister missionaries were leaving as they had finished their missions so new ones next week, they got me to add them on Facebook so we can keep in touch. 

We had a barbecue lunch and after we went to see a castle and medieval village. Which as it turns out wasn't medieval but built by a duke in the 18th century it is very nice though. 

Drove back and had an early night.

Monday:

In the morning Alessandra and Stefano had to go to Milan for work so I stayed back with the kids. What a fun morning that was. Refusing to do homework, fighting with each other. Fede wanted to start with summarising chapter 2 not chapter 1 in his excercise book. All in all I was glad when their parents returned. 

Tuesday:

Rainy and cold so spent a lot of the day inside eating and watching movies. 

Wednesday:

In the morning me and Fede played spies which involved turning the sofa and table into a tent/prison and me getting shot at a lot and killed. After lunch me and Bea went on a bike ride and picked up Alice and Sofia then we all rode in the pick up up to the motorcross pitch to see Fede ride. 

Thursday:

In the morning we went to look around Pavia. It is a little bigger than Piacenza but still quite small. At least it stayed sunny. In the afternoon the girls came round again and we went on a bike ride around Scazzolino together. Then when we came back we walked into Rovescala to take ice creams. A tiring but fun day! 

Friday:

In the morning I tidied and hoovered up my room. Fede and Bea argued for a lot of it. Tried to coax them into English no success. Sofia and Alice came over to play but left quite soon as their aunt was coming to take them to Pavia to see a butterfly exhibition yuck! After lunch Fede and Bea wanted to go on a bike ride but I said not until they had both done some English. Fede started and then refused to finish so in the end only me and Bea went. After that Bea went horse riding and Alessandra dropped me off at McDonald's where I could use the wifi to google my family and Jemima was there so I got to speak to her too! 

Rovescala has a festival this weekend which I had forgot about until I went to bed and I could hear the singing. Tough nights sleep. 

Saturday:

Pretty much spent the day on no sleep. After not being able to drop off until the band stopped singing I was awoken again by thundering rain at 4 in the morning. Scared of water coming in under the balcolny door I picked up everything attached to the floor of mine - shoes and suitcases - and put them on the other side of the bed to be safe. Luckily it stopped after a bit and I managed to get some more sleep. Today was another weird day yet again noone wants to do any English so I am bored. Can't go out because it's cold and wet. The only exciting thing is the bicycle race going past. 

This afternoon the showers drain decided to stop working and it up chucked water all over the bathroom floor. Alessandra after mopping it poured some acid chemical thing down it to dissolve whatever was blocking it and it smelt horrible it really made you feel sick. 

In the evening we went down to Rovescala again for the festival. They had a live band...with an accordion. Let us now say I hate that instrument with a passion! One song MAY sound good played on it but a whole nights worth was awful. Still it was a fun night free food and music and it didn't rain. 

Week 8: Return to the hills

Sunday:

I think this was the first sunny Sunday we have had all summer. It normally rains. I went to church discovered that the trains I normally get back are cancelled due to the summer timetable so I had the option of waiting two hours after church finished for the next train or leave early...I left early. Alessandra picked me up and then we went to see Fede and Stefano race in a motorcross competition. Though actually none of them ended up racing because it soo began raining heavily and the pitch was too dangerous to drive on. 

Monday:
More homework with Fede much to his disgust. Though we managed to get through quite a lot of pages. Played some board games too.

Tuesday:
More homework and board games. We also went to Voghera to the huge supermarket with shops and went shopping. I bought some flat shoes from H and M. They are peach with scallopped edges, very nice. I saw some Vans in footlocker but decided against them, Bea bought some black Nike Air Force. Which are apparently the height of fashion but as Alessandra said they look like orthopedic shoes.

Wednesday:

In the morning Alessandra and Stefano needed to go to Milan for work so I stayed back with the kids. We did more homework and games and watched t.v. In the afternoon when they returned we went back to Voghera because Bea realsied she had bought the wrong shoes. She meant to get the low nike air force and she took the high ones. So I went with them and decided to take the Vans! I got red ones and they are very comfortable.

Thursday:

We went to the Lake of Garda to visit the sister of Alessandra and her family. Also Alessandra's father and wife were there and her brother and his wife and her aunt so it was a little family get together. It was a beautiful place and the weather was good. We ate dinner at a restaurant, walked round the lake and spent the afternoon in their large outdoor swimming pool which though unheated was still warm nice. Me and Fede had races and a competition to see who could hold their breath the longest. 

Lago di Garda

Meal at the restaurant

At the Lake

The outdoor pool. I'm in red at the front. 

Friday:

A sleepless night led to a trying day. I managed to coax Fede into completing four pages of homework and the reading of two pages of the English book. I also read some more of Alice in Wonderland with Bea. I played monopoly with Fede, twice. The first time I was winning until he swept the board clear of all the houses and figures. He wanted to play again and this time he won with 562,500 lira. We spent the afternoon in the pool. And it began to thunder in the evening. 

Saturday:

Today Bea went horse riding and Alessandra dropped me of at McDonalds so I could use the wifi to update my blog and email people hooray! I bought a chocolate frappe it was very nice.

In the evening a family, friends of Alessandra came for dinner. We had a barbecue it was very nice. And the smoke kept the mosquitos away from us.