Pisa and Chiavari

This is a cool photo of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

I like the above photo because the photographer has straightened it out and it now looks the way it was intended. I don't know why but I had once assumed that the tower leaned because of some natural cause that occurred after it was built. When I learned it was that way from the get -go I found it amusing. Isn't that like so many things we have all done? You start something and it isn't quite right but you keep going in hopes that it will not be that noticeable. After the fact you realize, whoops, I should not have been so lazy. I should have just taken it apart and started over. It teaches a great life lesson, really!

Instead of being straight as they had hoped
it looks like this...
This is a flickr photo as I did not have the
camera this day as Jim had taken it to Chiavari.

From our home base, Camp Darby, Gloria and Jim took the train to Chiavari which is just south of Genova. Robert and the boys spent the day on the base just relaxing, playing, watching movies and having fun. Laura and I went into Pisa to have lunch, do some fun shopping and spend a few hours alone together. Everyone had a fun day doing what they wanted to do.

Laura and I were on a quest to find my Christmas present from Jim~an amber ring. We love it when our guys let us pick out something that we like for special occasions~they love it too. A win~win for everyone. She had remembered that Pisa had a great selection so off we went. I found a really neat one in about 10 minutes so that was fantastic.

Of course it is much prettier in person~
How do people photograph rings anyway?
I must have about 12 shots..none very good.

Jim took this one.
You get the idea anyway!

We loved shopping around and looking at the scarves and leather bags and all the fun things Pisa is known for. We did pick up a few things but the ring was the big find of the day. I have been wanting to get an amber ring for years and years because I like to wear colors that go with it and finally I have the perfect one and it will always remind me of this great time in Italy. We had lunch in a cute little cafe, why is everything so tasty in Italy?? I think it has everything to do with garlic. All too soon we were heading back to the base to do the grocery shopping for the days we were there.

Jim and Gloria had a really exceptional time in Chiavari. This is the town when she was born 83 years ago and had never returned to until this trip. We made arrangements for them to travel there by train and then spend the night. A cousin had given them a contact name for a relative in Tasso and with the help of God and a lot of gesturing and sign language they were able to make a phone connection with this lady named Wilma who is married to a Ferrera. As it turned out Tasso was not a town but rather a spot in the country in the mountains near Chiavari. We knew this is where Jim's grandfather was born and raised.

Gloria at the train station in her home town~Chaivari, Italy

Gloria near the harbor where she was born on the
Mediterranean Sea

Before dinner they browsed through the shops
as the restaurant didn't start seating until 8:30 pm.

Gloria's mom was from Chaivari and she knows she was born in a house somewhere in that town but that is all. They decided to follow the lead on Grampa's side and it was very fruitful. They stayed in a little hotel in Chaivari had a great dinner at a restaurant named Monte Rosa recommended by Gloria's cousins. Since we had made plans to meet them in Cinque Terra the next morning, they decided that the following day (Dec 31st) they would rent a car and go back to Chaivari/Tasso and try to find the old farm house of Grampa Ferrera. More on that later!

Since Jim and Gloria were spending the night in Chiavari, I decided to have a sleep over with Spencer and Ross coming to my room. That way we could have dinner together and Laura and Robert could go on a date to Pisa. I made mac and cheese for the boys and we watched kid videos and we had a very fun time together while mom and dad took a break! Ross decided 3 in the bed would be too crowded so he slept in Grandma Gloria's bed. They were as good as gold! Oh, how I do adore our boys!

Buon Anno In Tuscany

What does one do to celebrate the New Year in Tuscany?
Ahhh, apparently not too much.

Pisa Night Life

Laura and I found ourselves at the laundermat on the base as the sun went down on the 31st, doing four gigantic loads of laundry. The funny part was it was so crowded in the large room we had to stand in line for the washers and the dryers. We made the comment that it seemed we all needed to 'get a life' and everyone had a good laugh over it.

Once we finally finished with the clothes we went home to our hotel rooms and made nachos for dinner. The rooms that we had had kitchenettes and that was perfect as we needed to cook most of the meals to avoid the soy and/or possible peanut contamination for Spencer. The problem we ran into was that the hot plates they use to have had been removed from the rooms, for some unknown reason and only microwaves were available.

So nachos it was and we all loved that, especially the kids. We ate dinner in their room and set up treats and games and movies in our room right next door, so we made a progressive New Year's Eve party out of it.

Not!

We had a fun time playing the new Uno Attack game that randomly spits cards at you and it was pretty funny and lots of fun too. We moved the clock up about three hours, toasted in the New Year with ginger ale, hugs and kisses and the boys were off to sleep at "midnight" as happy as clams.

Ginger Ale!
Cheers to the New as they say in Scotland!
Buon Anno Tutti, as they say here!

The adults stayed in our room for a few more hours and watched some movies set in Italy for the remainder of the evening. I don't think a single one of us was awake at midnight, in fact, I think the whole base was asleep. We did not hear a single group whooping it up, not a single fire cracker, no pot banging....nothing. It was perfect. We loved spending a quiet, simple evening on our four-generation, family vacation, get away!

Packing up~Saying good-bye to Camp Darby

We had a second good laugh the next morning thinking we truly did need to 'get a life!' We packed up and headed north in search of one! Next stop~Verona! Oh my goodness....the good life awaited us there! La Dolce Vita! Happy New Year, indeed! 2010 is looking good so far!

Happy New Year!

Hope yours will be great!