Hong Kong, France, Italy, England: Bologna

Friday, 16 September 2011

Bologna - Thursday, 15th Sept

We were all up pretty early, with the boys heading off on their bikes (with Mitch) to their International School. Jayne went to her Italian class, and the girls and I hit the streets. It's very hot! I bought a couple of summer dresses, to better cope with the humidity. Very amusing shopping with the girls. If they'd had their way, I'd have tried on everything in the shop.

Lunch in Piazza Maggiore, and then home to meet up with Mitch & Jayne. The girls and I went along to pick up the boys from International School and met a lot of their new friends, as well as Jayne's. Off for a swim at the very posh sporting complex, with extensive waiting list, that they managed to get themselves in to! Jayne driving with great confidence on the other side of the road, and straight through the main gates of the park, through children and bikes, families playing, where cars clearly weren't meant to be. The children all falling about with laughter in the back seat and even more when she hightailed it across the lawned park land to get around the other side of a barrier, and to the pool. Very funny.

Then home again before heading out for a fantastic dinner just around the corner from where they are living in Santo Stefano. Tagliatelle al Ragu Bolognese - had to do it, and the girls agreed that Bolognese in Bologna was pretty good.

I've been seriously impressed with the efforts Mitch and Jayne have made to settle into Bologna. Their group of friends are really lovely, the boys are very settled and happy, they know how to get around town really well, their apartment is fantastic and Mitch has also found himself an art studio around the corner. Jayne's Italian is really coming along - I think Mitch is going to find it very hard getting her to come home. It's been really lovely to see how they're living here. We've had a fantastic time.

Tomorrow we're catching up with another very good old friend of mine from 20 years ago, Giovanna, who is coming across from the East coast with her children, then off to Florence in the afternoon.