Making me happy this week....

Things that made me happy this week:

1.My sister staying with me at the beginning of the week (see this blogpost)

2.Having a final coffee with B at the cafe that has become our local.

3. the sun coming out and the presence of blue skies!!

4. the song 'Mr Blue Sky' by The ELO

5. Tea afternoons with Laura in our favourite cosy little cafe in town.

6. the Fairy Lights adorning my apartment

7. L (the younger boy I look after) dancing round the kitchen and

8. Planning day trips and cycle rides for when Danielle comes to visit! (10 DAYS!!)

9. Pizza Night at the best place in town.

10. Going on a sunday afternoon 10 mile bike ride to the river with the host family as the sun shone, seeing the alps in the distance as well as all the towers of the city and even finding some little cats nestled in the mounds of hay.

11. Completing the mother duck mission for my dear friend Lici (She set me the challenge of taking a photograph of me and the kids in a mother duck like procession on bicycles!)

12. watching MammaMia again, how I love that film and the brilliant songs, May or may not have sung along at the top of my lungs/watched all the special features....

Love Ellie 

xx

I love my sister.

My sister is the best, sweetest, kindest, most hilarious, beautiful girl I know and oh how I love her so. I was so happy that we got to spend the last few days together, as she came to Italy for a visit! We spent the weekend in Bologna (along with Mama - who took all the photos above and was also a brilliant travel companion) chasing sunsets, sleeping in, eating our weight in delicious authentic Italian food, climbing mountains and towers, chatting into the early hours and  laughing a hell-of-a-lot. It was so much fun.

And then, Lula and I took the train through the beautiful snow covered Italian countryside to the little town which I am calling home for the year and she stayed for a few nights. It was so nice for her to make the effort to come and see where I am. She also has the amazing ability to make me feel excited about everything, as well as more creative, optimistic and all inspired. She also makes me giggle so much and I loved the hours we sat in my cosy little apartment tucked up under blankets with the fairy lights on, eating bread with olive oil and chatting about everything. I was so happy that she got to come and experience a little bit of life here, and meet my wonderful host family. The boys fell in love with her and whenever I pick up the little one from school, he now asks if she is waiting outside the door. It's the cutest. 

Thanks, Lulabelle for the fun visit, for enduring the cold bike ride to the river, for your wit and loveliness, for inspiring me to shoo away the January blues and make the most of my time here - people keep telling me it will be gone in a flash. 

I love you and can't wait until you come back/we have Florence adventures together! 

Also, I have never drunk so much tea in all my life than when you were staying with me.

Love Ellie xx