They're Back!!!!!!!!!!

Nonna and Pop arrived home looking well rested, happy and a little bit tanned! It's great to have them back. After 14 + hours downloading, formatting and burning photos onto a CD - here are a couple of my favourites. (There were 1001 beautiful photos - but if you want to see all of those, you'll have to head over to Non and Pop's for a slideshow view!!!)

This will be my last post ...

To Nonna and Pop: I'm so happy that you were able to travel to such a beautiful country to see such amazing things and meet with truly wonderful people. It has been a great blessing to me that I can share this experience with you both ... LOVE YOU!

Mountain Favourites

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Wow! What an eventful week! Mother's Day and birthday and being in ITALY!!!

I was able to track down the "Adventurers Travelling Abroad" a few days ago ... there was alot of "I don't know what the country's number is ... I'm just trying to call Italy ... oh ... I didn't know I was supposed to dial that ...." and alot of " scusi, parle inglese, per favore? ... Oh, thank goodness!" But I found them and was able to wish Nonna a happy mother's day/birthday over the phone. I think they're a little homesick and looking forward to heading back soon ...

Things are going well - they are enjoying themselves fabulously. They've travelled a TON and were even able to visit with family. It sounds like a wonderful vacation ... Pop even had a slight italian accent when he referred to the area they had visited as "Dom" (instead of the full "Domodossola"). It was great!

Here's a photo I sent for them over their email -just so they don't get a little too comfy ... :0)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, NONNA!!!

Hope this Mother's Day is a very memorable one for you ... LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU TONS!!! See you soon and

Happy Mother's Day!!

Arrivederci, Nonna and Pop!

Happy 45th Anniversary, Nonna and Pop!

Have a wonder-filled trip ... love you!

The Italian Anthem

This is the Italian National Anthem being sung BEFORE the FIFA World Cup in 2006 (the game hasn't even started yet!!!)


From Wikipedia:
This is the complete text of the original poem written by Goffredo Mameli; however the Italian anthem, as performed in every official occasion, is composed by the first part and the chorus, both repeated twice, then ends with a loud "Sì!" ("Yes!"). The rest of the poem refers to relevant episodes of the Italian struggle for unification and independence

Italian lyrics
Fratelli d'Italia,
l'Italia s'è desta,
dell'elmo di Scipio
s'è cinta la testa.
Dov'è la Vittoria?
Le porga la chioma,
che schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò.
CORO:
Stringiamoci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò.
Stringiamoci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò!
Noi siamo da secoli
calpesti, derisi,
perché non siam popolo,
perché siam divisi.
Raccolgaci un'unica
bandiera, una speme:
di fonderci insieme
già l'ora suonò.
CORO
Uniamoci, amiamoci,
l'unione e l'amore
rivelano ai popoli
le vie del Signore.
Giuriamo far libero
il suolo natio:
uniti, per Dio,
chi vincer ci può?
CORO
Dall'Alpi a Sicilia
Dovunque è Legnano,
Ogn'uom di Ferruccio
Ha il core, ha la mano,
I bimbi d'Italia
Si chiaman Balilla,
Il suon d'ogni squilla
I Vespri suonò.
CORO
Son giunchi che piegano
Le spade vendute:
Già l'Aquila d'Austria
Le penne ha perdute.
Il sangue d'Italia,
Il sangue Polacco,
Bevé, col cosacco,
Ma il cor le bruciò.
CORO

English translation
Brothers of Italy,
Italy has awakened,
with Scipio's helmet
She has bound her head.
Where is Victory?
Let her bow down,
For God has made her
Rome's slave.
CHORUS:
Let us join in cohort,
We are ready to die!
We are ready to die!
Italy has called!
Let us join in cohort,
We are ready to die!
We are ready to die!
Italy has called!
We are for centuries
Downtrodden and derided,
For we are not one people,
For we are divided.
Let one flag, one hope
Gather us all
For us to be unified
The hour has already struck.
CHORUS
Let us unite and love one another;
Union and love
Show the people
The way of the Lord
Let us swear to free
Our native soil;
United under God,
Who can defeat us?
CHORUS
From the Alps to Sicily,
Legnano is everywhere;
Every man of Ferruccio
Has a heart, has a hand
The children of Italy
Are called Balilla;
Every bell ring
Sounds the (Sicilian) Vespers.
CHORUS
They're reeds that bend
Mercenary swords
The Austrian eagle
Has already lost its plumes.
The blood of Italy
And that of the Poles
She drank with the Cossack,
But it burned her heart.
CHORUS

Buona Pasqua means Happy Easter in Italian!

Buona Pasqua!!!!

Happy Easter!

This year we were able to get in on TWO wonderful Easter meals!

Can't wait to hear about all the amazing food Nonna and Pop are going to get in

ITALY!

MEAL #1:
Rigatoni with Nonna's famous spicey sauce ... ohmygoodness YUM!
Roasted Chicken pieces
Perfect Meatballs (That were even yummier the next day for snacks!)
Amazing Cesar Salad
Garlic Bread - can't get enough!
Cherry Pie, Moose Tracks Ice Cream and Coffee for Dessert!
Pop's homemade wine ...

MEAL #2:
Escargot Stuffed Mushroom caps with ASIAGO cheese! (Even the kids LOVED them!)
Antipasto and crackers ... a favourite ...
Homemade Risotto (Italian Rice) ... we even got to munch on the burnt onions mid-cooking!! YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!
Breaded Cutlets - wow!
Gnocchis and sauce
Great Salad and bread (more carbs!!! I think I gained 5 pounds just this weekend!)
For dessert - Chocolate cake, rhubard & raspberry pie, panetone (italian bread - just a little filling!)
Pop's homemade wine and ...
more COFFEE!

Did I leave anything out?!?! Oh yes ... of course there was the 10 pounds of chocolate Easter candies, jelly beans and hot cross buns that we snacked on in between meals (and after our staple breakfast of eggs/bacon or ham/waffles or pancakes and more COFFEE!)