Meeting with Teachers

Simon and I met today with Abby's main teacher, Donatella, and the English teacher, Rafaella. Rafaella works with Abby on Italian about two hours a week while the rest of her class is learning English and religion, organised from the parochial church, and she helped to interpret for us. When we transferred Abby from the European School in Varese to the local primary school, we knew she would face the challenge of learning everything in Italian. But we've found she's also needing to do a little catching up with her classmates in multiplcation and division, while also beginning geometry with them. Fortunately, we've found a good website to help her www.baby-flash.com/geometria.html

Hi Again!

I've been on a prolonged SiChange holiday. First, I discovered that I was rapidly reaching my limit on Blogger because I was posting a lot of photos. Clearly, I was going to have to switch hosts or implement a division of labour between them. I got so bollixed up that I wasn't doing any blogging at all. So, for now, I have decided on the latter. I will have both a blog, SiChange, and a Facebook page. I'd rather have everything integrated, but I haven't figured out how. If anyone has a good solution, I'm listening.

Meanwhile, let me put my cards on the table. There are two reasons I'm writing this blog and maintaining my Facebook page: the first is to write, pure and simple. But the second is to stay connected with my family and friends. The only way this will work with this blog is if you subscribe to it or follow it so that you get the updates automatically. It has become very clear that people are not just going to visit this website without prompting. That way I might even hear from you all occasionally!

Forty if a Day

There's something really nice about living somewhere people can visit on the way to somewhere else. That's how we got a wonderful visit from Simon's oldest friend Mary (Forty) (nee Bland) and her family.

 

 

 

 

Such a Lovely Couple

 

Simon and Wendi together at the villa she, Dan, Ben and Arthur took in Angera.

Our First Visitors -- Wendi, Dan, Ben and Arthur

They were just about to visit us in Australia, when I let them know that...we would be in Italy. So, Wendi, Dan, Ben and Arthur visited us here, instead. They stayed in a villa in Angera with a beautiful view of the lake and mountains. Among other things, we visited Rocca Borromeo -- the ancient castle of the Borromeo nobility -- and the three isles on Lago Maggiore -- Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola Superiore di Pescatore, where we had a wonderful meal of fish -- carpaccio, grilled and marinated. Easily one of the best meals I've had since coming to Italy.

Rocca Borromeo has an extraordinary doll collection which Wendi and I were much more interested in than was Abby.

Isola Madre is special for its plants. I'm figuring out the best way to post those for maximum effect.

Walking on Thick Ice!

We drove into the Alps, stopping along the way for lunch, then continued on to Macugnaga. There we took the chair lift up to Belvedere where we got off and explored.

Into the Net Darkly

We have found an unreliable but temporary solution to having internet at home.
So, weather permitting, I can get online which is making a big difference in my quality of life. In addition, Simon has endowed me with microphone, headphones and a new webcam, so Skyping is on the way. Looking forward to being more in touch.