Pizza and Sunsets.

It has been quite a slow week this week, plans kept getting cancelled, the snow was a non-event, and sadly, our trip to Venice didn't happen. But we did manage to make it out for Pizza mid - week, and realised that we were all from different continents. (Europe, Africa, North and South America) We ate the biggest most delicious pizzas in town, giggled a lot while trying to take Panorama photos on B's camera, attempted to speak Italian and caught the attention of the whole restaurant when we asked the owner to take a picture of us. It was fun.

And then, later on in the week, I cycled down to the river. It's so calm there as the sun sets and the people stroll by as the lights come on. It's beautiful!


Excited for: Going to Bologna for the weekend! Meeting my sister and Mama there! Yay for reuniting!

Love Ellie
x

Making me smile this week.....

1. Coffee mornings in our 'local' where all the Italians sit around and drink their coffee watching the world go by. We have our own little corner where we drink our cappuccinos and plan day trips to far away places and anything else on our minds.
 

2. Sitting outside eating Gelato when it's -6 degrees outside. Logic right there.

3. Meeting up with my new Italian friend and going to the cutest little cafe that has 40 different kinds of tea and serves them in little tea pots and it has sofas -the first coffee shop I have found in Italy that has sofas! Cherry Blueberry Tea is my new favourite thing.

4. Also realising how much my new friend and I have in common, she is so lovely and we chatted for hours while sipping our tea. It was lovely.

5. The fact that I am going to VENICE this weekend. Only for the day but still, so exciting. I secretly hope it snows and we can't get a train back home, then we could stay for longer, I want to eat Gelato and watch the lights sparkle on the water.

6. Koala bear hugs from a certain five year old.

7. Blue skies + Sun in January . I never fell over when I looked out my window.

8. playing football at the park with the boys in the rain. It was funny.

9. Planning adventures with Mama and Lula when they come to visit next week. So excited!

10. The fire that is always on in my host family's kitchen. so much warmth.

What has made you happy this week?

Ellie xx

My Happy Place.

the most gorgeous of sunsets.

watching the sunset with my favourite people. 

perfection.

seaside.

beach sittin'

sunset on film.

stargazing on the beach.

is Suffolk in the East of England. We swim in the sea, we stargaze on the beach, we eat local plums, we ride bikes and make silly silent films, sunset walks are daily and wellies are the footwear of choice. It is perfection. I have been going since I was a child and lots of family live there. I love it.

Making me smile this week....

This week, I have gone back to Italy after spending three weeks at home with family and friends for Christmas/New Year, it's a bit of a change, and I wasn't really looking forward to coming back (because home is where its at) so am making a conscious effort to note down the little things that are making me happy in order to appreciate things more.

the view at sunset from my host family's terrace.

1. Seeing the sunrise on the way to the airport in England.
2. Being greeted with grande abbraccio's (big hugs) and Peccatino's (little kisses)  from my two little Italian boys - excuse my Italian spelling. And also the happy greetings from my host parents.

the boys and I in the autumn.

3. Riding my bike again, gosh I do love my bike here! (and yes, there is a little seat for a 'bambino' on the back!)

my Italian bike. 

4.Making a friend in the English section of the Italian bookshop, we chatted about books and agreed to meet  up for chats and coffee in the near future - yay! Plus, she was an au pair in Ireland a few years ago so speaks perfect english and knows how it feels to be an au pair and was just genuinely lovely.
5. The fact that my camera does Bokeh (blurry light effects) - so exciting + trying it out all the time.

6. Editing the wedding video I filmed a few weeks back, I'm so excited to share it with the happy couple and hear what they think.

a still from the wedding video.

7. Wearing flowers in my hair every day, I love it, it always makes me feel cheerier. Except when my dad commented: 'I think you have a leaf stuck in your hair." - oh Papi

flowers in the hair. 

8. The market, happens twice a week in this city and is so easy and close and they have fresh delicious fruit + bright flowers and sell everything imaginable that you might need.

The bi-weekly flower market in the main square (maybe I can find some for my hair here?)

9. The prospect of one of my best (+craziest) friends coming to visit and/or coming to Italy for adventure travels together! Yayayayayayay!
10. Listening to a lot of Lucy Rose, her voice is so gorgeous, go check out her music, pronto! I suggest: 'bikes', 'Middle of the bed' and 'Shiver' - they are my personal favourites.

I just need to remind myself that I am very lucky to be living in an Italian city and travelling around such a beautiful country + staying with a lovely host family. Being away from home is difficult, but it isn't forever and I need to enjoy myself and go on adventures and learn Italian all while looking after the sweetest of boys. I've got it pretty good, I do believe.

what made you happy this week?

Ellie xx