Day 303

While I'm writing this, I'm out with the family in Sardinia. It's beautiful here, if not a little too warm today! We've been here for a week now, and every day has been filled with hot sand and long swims in the sea. My feet have been burnt by the sand and climbing over rocks; my skin has been bronzed (and also a little burnt!) by spending just that bit too long in the sun - watch out, by the time I get home noone will recognise me!
Speaking of going home, I have just over a month left in Italy, and then it's back to Wales for whatever adventure meets me next... who knows where?! There's a lot of thinking to be done, but realisitcally, once I've got a bit more money I'll take a look at America without the Disney - that's the only problem with having spent 10 months in an American church; practically all of my favourite people from Rome have actually been from across the pond! Another big thing is that next week marks the end of my teen years. I ended my childhood in Kenya, and now I enter my 20s in Italy. It's strange, but it sort of takes the excitement out of a birthday. But that's a part of growing up right?!
Seeing as how this blog post seems to have taken a downward spiral away from what has actually been going on, let's see if I can pull myself back out and tell you!
All week has followed the same pattern; breakfast on the roof terrace, cream and costumes, beach until lunchtime, lunch, coffee/ice cream and relax and attempt to keep cool, beach until dinner time, shower, kids' dinner, adults' dinner, dishes, and sleep! And sleep before midnight is pretty necessary because everyone is so tired from the heat and diving and swimming so much, that if we don't sleep, then everyone gets rather frustrated, and that's no fun for anyone!
We had a great day yesterday though - we hired a motor boat and spent the whole day driving to different parts of the coastline, stopping, swimming and exploring for a while, and then moved onto another place and did the same. It was wonderful, and beautiful, and everyone was in a good mood. By the time we got back for dinner, I think we were all a bit pink, and definitely windswept and salty!
Tomorrow two other families arrive, and I start sharing my room with another au pair, so guaranteed I'll be rather frazzled from a lack of alone time, but it's sure to be fun (even in a crazy, busy, noisy sort of way!).
Anyway,
Ciao!

Pictures in Pisa and Viareggio

Day 273

Over the last month, a lot appears to have happened, even though I feel like nothing has!
I know I said that I'd start with Sunday in my last post, but quite frankly, day-by-day account writing is not what I want to do! Mum and Dad stayed for another whole week due to a fire at the airport, and during that time more exploring was done, meals eaten and fun had. My favourite evening was where the three of us ventured over to Trastevere at around 9:30pm and had a meal with a bottle of rosé at Carlo Menta, and didn't end up leaving there until they closed at midnight; it was perfect, and relaxing, and just the best time.
After that there's been a butterfly release, birthday parties, picnics, days spent at church, nights spent watching films!
Bekah and I went to Pisa a couple of weekends ago. It was lovely just to get out of the city for a day! Pisa is a small place, and unless you want to really go exploring and visiting museums and whatever else, it can be done in half a day. I'm glad we knew this and planned ahead for it, because it was very wet there when we arrived, so we saw The Tower (y'know, the one that leans? *side point, it's a lot smaller than expected, and doesn't really lean that much*), took the pictures, ate a Burger King, bought hoodies and got back on the train. And from there we went to Viareggio, a small beach town not far away. It's a nice place, although I bet it's crazy full of people on a hot sunny day. That Saturday, however, was like most British summertime beach visits - cold and drizzly and followed by a hot drink in a cafe! The day was wonderful though, and when we got back to Rome, Bekah's roommates had just started watching Eurovision, so we got to join in with that!
M turned 4 last week, and her big party is next week I believe, but of course we had a small affair with her class and a couple extras in the apartment.(!) It was really rather crazy, but I think the kids enjoyed, and we sang Happy Birthday in at least 5 different languages, which is always entertaining! After everyone has left, things calmed down and the family and I went out onto the balcony for aperitivo and prosecco, while F played football and M painted my face (...and my neck, and my chest, and my shoulders...!), so that was definitely a good way to end the day.
Monday and Tuesday of this week, the kids were off school for the Festa della Repubblica. On Monday, G, F, M, and I went to Fregene, a beach an hour or so's drive away. We ate fried octopus, spaghetti with seafood, played in the sea and in the sand and had a beautiful, stressless day. On Tuesday, we had another one of those, except it also included B, and we all went to a friend's house for a pool and barbecue day! And to top it off, when we got back in the evening, we had gelato for dinner!! Days like these two remind me how blessed I am to be with this family, and make the stressful, crazy, busy days worthwhile - Happy 9 Months, Rome!
Ciao!
P.S. I know my date count has gone wrong... not entirely sure when I started miscounting the days, but an app I'm now using has corrected me, so hopefully it'll be okay from here on in!

Moena Pictures 27/03/15 - 12/04/15

Day 247

It's the first day of proper hot weather today, and by that I mean it's 28 degrees and I'm very envious watching everyone in the pool - submerging in water would be perfect right now! Not that I don't like this hot weather, it would just be nice to have a little refresh sesh! Also, side note: I've been in Rome for 8 months today!
Mum and Dad arrived late Tuesday afternoon, and since then we've had the best time together. I've shared my most recent cold with them (it was like my body said, "Zoë, you've been healthy for two weeks straight now, so I think it's time for an illness to keep you on your toes.") which isn't the greatest thing on earth, but at least it's only a cold! We went out for lunch to the best pizza place with Clare, Eliza (Clare's sister) and Jesse (Eliza's boyfriend) in Trastevere on Wednesday. That was super lovely, finally getting to meet them and have our families out together, especially as we don't know when it'll happen again! (That's a rather sad turn this has taken! On a more positive, the pizza really was fantastic - we went back today for more! If you want to check it out the pizzeria is called Dar Poeta, and Fun Fact: it's the same age as me!). Thursday, Mum got to come to bible study and meet the women who've played a very important part in the last 8 months here, and then we had the best take away pasta for lunch (the name of the place I can't remember now..) and I took both parents to Latte for late night gelato *we really need to get back there before this Thursday*. 
Friday saw the beginning of May, and a public holiday for Italy, so needless to say everywhere was rather busy! However, very kindly B and G gave me the day off, and they spent their day with the kids, and I got to spend the whole day with my parentals, just walking here there and everywhere, looking for caches around St Peter's, eating sandwiches, and quite frankly getting rather chilly! (It's amazing how much the weather can change in just a matter of days!). On Saturday we visited the Protestant Cemetery; the most beautiful and peaceful place I've been to in a long time, and especially in Rome. It smells incredible from all the flowers and the trees provide enough shade to keep it all at just the right temperature. And there's a cat sanctuary there, so that makes it even better! Oh, and to add on top of that, Keats and Shelley are buried there, and I'm sorry, Sally, but at that moment in time I had to google to check what they'd written...oops! 
Anyway, that's that for now, stuff will probably happen in the next few days, and I'll try and remind myself to start with Sunday in the next post and follow on from there!
Ciao!!

Day 237

Last weekend the family and I took the long *long, long* journey back to Rome from Moena, after being there for two weeks including a two day interlude in Treviso with G's parents. I loved the experience, and the fresh air, and the sun, and the early nights. But I'm very much glad to have been back to normal routine and Rome weather! Seriously, every day has been a shorts and vest top day (even if Italians give you the look of shame while they're bundled up in their scarves, jackets and boots. I mean honestly, when it's upwards of 22 degrees outside, who really looks the fool?) so you never know, by the time I'm home this summer I might -for the first time in my life- be tanned! 
I really do love Moena as a town though, it's quaint and pretty, and it just has such a friendly feel to it. It helped that B and G know so many people there too, and because I had the chance to meet a lot of people before Christmas, I was welcomed even more warmly. And while I can imagine going back at some point in life, I can't picture myself going on a skiing holiday to ski again. Don't get me wrong, I really, really enjoyed it, but it was only at the end that I was gaining my confidence, and even then it was incredibly exhausting and stressful. (Worrying about breaking a bone the whole time probably wasn't helping my mental state; maybe I just need to get over that before going again!!). The scenery was beautiful though, and the silence you get in the middle of a snowy mountain is unlike anything else. That became especially clear on one occasion where I had gone for a walk while the others were skiing. I'll upload the pictures from that walk soon, but those two hours alone to walk and meditate and praise were the best, and the gnocchi ragu I had afterwards really topped it all off! 
On the whole I'd say I'm more of a beach/sea person, and so last Saturday was great. Bekah, a few others from church and I went to the coast and spent the day on the sand and playing volleyball in the water. It was so much fun, and coming back late in the evening to be offered BBQ, salad and gelato by B and G and their guests topped off the whole day very well! (They were all very surprised that I "took the bath" *went in the sea* but I mean, once you've swum in the sea at Aberavon, you can swim in the sea anywhere!)
Mum and dad arrive on Tuesday, so that's rather exciting, and I'm sure I'll have something to write about!
Ciao!!

Day 217

It can't be April already can it?! Ooopsies, where does the time go? Because I can't be bothered checking back as to when I last wrote we'll just assume that it's been far too long and I'm going to have to cram in rather a lot and probably not do details all that well. I should be sorry, but at least I'm posting for you all! 
At the end of February I met a couple of really rather lovely Americans, both of whom have long since left, but the couple of weeks we had together were some of the best I've had. Having met them at church their company and conversation was a blessing, and I gained (and know I will gain) so much from their friendship.
I've had more time and availability to build on already existing relationships with people over the last month too - I've been to the Colosseum and Forum twice with several different people, tried out restaurants that before I'd only walked past, consumed more than my fair share of gelato and coffee, visited a cat sanctuary (it's amazing, I'd want to live there if it weren't for the smell and y'know, the small issue of my allergies!), and discovered a love for pool and skiing (neither of which I'm very good at yet!).
Last week (ish) Clare and my best friends from home came to visit, and seeing how as a foursome we got on so well was amazing! It just proved how similar Clare and I actually are! Conversations flowed, and a lot of laughter was had. And while we walked and talked mostly in pairs, the pairs were completely interchangeable. I think a group holiday or trip somewhere is a definite necessity in the future! (It's already decided that I'll be going to Canada at some point!)
Last week I had to say goodbye to Laura; an au pair friend from church who's become a very good friend of mine. We've shared many an adventure and sleepover, and bible studies without her will be strange - it'll just be myself and Bekah! Sticky and Slacker won't have Sicky to complete their trio...(it's an inside thing..!). I don't like all of these Americans coming and going from my life. Y'all need to not live so far away and have eternal visas!! But because you don't, and because you seem to each be from a different state, either please all come and visit Wales (which you should now be able to point out on a map) or I guess I'll have to road trip around the USA. The former would be greatly appreciated and welcomed please. 

I realise I've rambled about nothing and everything for the last age, and told you practically everything without any details, but all of you reading this (and by all I mean my parents and Hannah, because you're the only ones who nag me if there's nothing up!) read only because it's written by me, and not for the pure genius which is the quality of content! 
Anywho, I'm sitting out on the terrace of a restaurant on the side of a really very snowy mountain freezing my nose, fingers and toes off writing this. No, the weather in Rome hasn't gone totally haywire, I'm on Alpe Lusia in Moena, and it's not as sunny as it has been for the last week. I went a bit pink in the sun and snow yesterday! Last Saturday I went on skis on snow for the first time, and even though I was struck with a stomach bug for a lot of this week, I'm enjoying the experience, and haven't hurt myself on the slopes yet!
It's just started to snow, and I think the family will be arriving soon so that I can go skiing just B and I, so I'll wrap it up there. Happy 7 Months, Italy, and Happy Easter!
Ciao!

Treviso and Venice Pictures

Treviso

Venice