We're Off

After decades of not being off this continent it was a bit surreal to become so quickly immersed in other cultures and languages. Flying with Lufthansa we were spoken to in German right from Vancouver. For me flying is never a pleasant experience and even more so when it is 10 hours long. But with two very good meals, some wine and a couple hours sleep, the trip passed. Our row mates were two young women doing very different trips. One was a career navy officer stationed out of Victoria going to walk the Pilgrim's Camino Santiago de Compostela. The other was going to bike ride Italy's Amalfi coast south of Naples with her father.

Travelling with only carry on luggage we were able to move through Munich airport smoothly for our connecting flight to Genoa. A short one hour flight, a 30 minute taxi ride and we arrived at our lovely hotel in Rapallo overlooking the Mediterranean. We are in Italy!

After a quick lay down on our beds with our feet on the wall trying to get rid of the swollen ankles, we asked our hotel consierge for a recommendation where to have a light dinner nearby. He sent us to the Trattoria Genovese di Motta Caterina where we had insalata with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, the only dressing they use, Pansotti, which is large ravioli with walnut and pine nut sauce, and a half liter of wine which cost little more than a bottle of water. I was not really too hungry so while I took a few moments to let the ravioli settle I painted my salad. Our waiter was delighted and took my journal to show the other staff. It was a totally enjoyable way to begin our stay. We have until 4:00pm tomorrow til our tour starts and we meet the members of our group. After dinner we walked through some of the streets close to our hotel unwinding before we try to sleep.

 

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Back to Blogging

I have got away from recording my days. It is somewhat difficult to write about everyday living when you have been so inspired from seven months of living on the road experiencing new places, people, and lifestyles. I must have my blogging juices percolating with Italy pending. I am starting a new journal for the trip. It is alway intimidating to fill the first page so I have done a wash of colours that I feel represent the Italian countryside and the limited amount of gear I am taking. It has been quite a challenge to reduce to one carry-on suitcase after being able to take everything I want in the RV. I am packed and ready to go.

 

 

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Going to Italy

I'm not sure where all the weeks have disappeared to but I now find myself with one more sleep til we fly to Italy. Lynn has already left Piers Island and is slowly working her way up Island with a planned eta in Union Bay about 1:00pm. Friends, Warren and Judy, will stop for a quick visit tomorrow and then take Lynn and I to the airport on their way to visit with family in Comox.
Flight out of Comox is 4:00pm, then a 6:40pm flight to Frankfurt Germany, an hour til the flight to Genoa, Italy, then depending on whether or not we can still walk, talk and think after an allnight flight we can take a train or a taxi to our hotel in Rapallo. Many thanks go to Lynn (and her travel agent) for putting this itinerary together while I was busy crossing Canada and the US last winter. There really isnt any wasted time on the route and we arrive with a free 24 hours to get over jet lag before our Italian "Blue Walk" journey begins with a dinner/wine get together to meet our tour guide Carlo Roberts and the other members of the group for this first week.
Our last evening is quiet which is important for us...pork tenderloin, mushrooms, new potatoes and carrots...pretty basic but tasty. There are mixed emotions when one is leaving and one is staying behind. If I find I am able to do this kind of trip it will open up a new set of travel opportunities for us together. We have spent several vacations in Mexico, many years traveling the US and now I think we will look at shorter trips to unique places...there are always alternatives. When one door closes another door opens. We are looking forward with anticipation.

Colour coordinated Piscean travel mates. Ready to go to Italy.....

 

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Easter Weekend

Thank goodness for internet connections so I could share in all the excitement.

A very good haul in Campbell River. The girls look like Easter treats themselves in all their bright Easter colours...interesting the different smiles of excitement between a six year old and a ten year old....this picture just makes me smile too, even though I didn't get any chocolate:(

Quesnels Easter Bunny loot....what else is in those balloons beside chocolate eggs Meg?

What's left of Sherry's Easter Sunday lunch...Sketchbook Skool's "paint what you eat" always works for a picture......a day of quiet comraderie as we painted and Bob tied flies.

Stella...Momma can we have a talk?

Meg....sure, what is it Monkey?

Stella....I really, really love chocolate. I am a chocolate lover!!!.

When she was told she couldn't have any chocolate before bed, she replied......then I will dream about chocolate and strawberries.

Goodnight.

 

Jackie boy has no idea about the Easter Bunny this year.....as Stella says....he's in jail....no place is safe from his inquisitive explorations, soooo he is "barred" from the kitchen for his own safety and parental peace of mind for a few moments til he moves on looking for something else to get into.....face of an angel or.......?

Last but not least in the list of grandkids.<3

Five of the best there is. Lucky me:)

 

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Busy, Busy

The weeks are just flying by. It's Good Friday and four weeks til Italy. I have been working through two art classes, drawing in Courtenay on Tuesdays and Sketchbook Skool online on Fridays. It's a lot of inspiration and each course asks for homework:). I am totally committed to doing my journaling and now am excited to get back to water colours for the sake of painting itself.

Sherry is doing the online Skool too, and today's instructor inspired her to paint him...a beautiful capturing by her of a gentle man.

One of my blog books was damaged during shipment. A call to the company, Sharedbook.com, with a few pictures and they are reprinting the book at no cost to me. I appreciate that kind of customer service.

April has certainly been a mixed bag of weather. We are now looking ahead to a week to ten days of wet weather. Our lawn is growing like crazy so we are keeping the lawn people cutting it for the time being. Too many other things going on right now.

Happy Easter to everyone....

 

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My Blog Books

I received my two Blog Books today. I am so excited and glad that I did this. I put a lot of time and effort in recording our journey and it is so rewarding to see it all in print. My only regret is the learning process I went through. My iPad crash, lack of internet availability in Manitoba, not knowing how to add pictures ....all these things made it a little difficult. But the end result is still wonderful.

 

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Blogging from Home

Yesterday I finally completed my task of putting our trip blog into book form through Blog2print. It's been a very busy two weeks and slowly the to-do list is getting somewhat shorter. Taxes are completed and because of pension splitting we will both get a refund.

I received emails and tracking numbers so I can follow my blog books They have left New York and I may have them this week.

Had a nice lunch with Judy, Vicki and Coreen at the Coachman in Campbell River. Always have the same thing...Teriyaki chicken on spinach salad...Yum...

Today I finished the cleanup after our furnace caught fire on Thursday. All bedding has been washed and all the floors mopped and washed. So lucky we were home and awake when it happened or the outcome could have been a lot worse. As it is we didn't even file an iinsurance claim as the furnace repair was lower than our deductible.

Six weeks til Italy. Everything is pretty much organized. I'm going to do a little splurge on myself and get a pedicure and a facial to give myself a cleanup after the seven months on the road. A hair cut and a few last shopping items and I'm good to go, or as good as I can be.

The days go by so quickly. It is hard to believe we have been home for three weeks. I am enjoying my drawing class and on Friday Sherry and I started Sketchbook Skool, a six week online sketching, journaling course created by Danny Gregory and Koosje Koene. Sometimes it's overwhelming but mostly it's very inspiring. I can't imagine not having journaling, sketching and painting in my life. The creative force has changed the way I look at everything in and around me.

 

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