Part 7 Wrapping up July 2017, making room for 2018

I apologize for those who read my blog and are not great doglovers. Maybe you'll leave me now, because I cannot avoid to write and show pictures of our dogs, that grow up so fast and are occupying us almost 24/7 in these first months of their life with us. Mid July they are 4 months old and we can tell their world is getting a bit larger than just us. They are starting to venture out a bit on their own, so for us it is time to decide where the boundaries are. We are most busy finding enough time and places to give them a good workout. What better place than the river to let them swim and chase balls and sticks. It sure makes them tired enough to have a little nap before starting to race again. They have also figured out the woods are full of wildlife, so regularly we loose them chasing a deer. Or they will smell a cadavre somewhere and come back with the leftovers of a deer's leg. We do have wolves after all, and what they leave is a treat to the dogs. Smelly, but satisfying (free according to the Lion King ;-)). At least we don't have to worry about 'brushing their teeth'.........

July is also Lex's birthday month and this year we celebrated his and our friend Kasia's son Tomek together for the second time. 50 years of age difference doesn't mean anything when you can enjoy a small party together. As I was still in the iPhone photo stage I only have these very grainy ones, but they evoke the good feeling of the evening nevertheless.

In the studio the floors are being put in and the bathroom tiled. It is starting to look really nice and I am getting excited about what's next.
Outside the front and between the house and the studio we have been living with a 70 cm wide patio and otherwise a messy area, undefined and ready to be upgraded. I have been imagining a nice terrace for a while, mainly because in the morning it is the ideal spot to have a coffee in the first sunrays, and by the time it gets too hot the sun has disappeared behind the house. We throw up some ideas with the builder and before we know the whole aspect of the front has changed! I am over the moon. The man is a genius. In the spring we will have greenery along the stairs too! Can't wait to put in flowers.....for now it serves as a rescue area for plants that suffered from the heat and drought.

We venture out with Boris and`Lola to new areas again and their stamina grows, so does ours! As young as they are, they don't easily get tired. But when they do......................they love the ride back in the car. 

Meanwhile I am fighting an infection in my wrist, very painful, which gets exacerbated by a wasp sting in the same wrist...........not sure what the message is there........so for the first time in many many years I am on antibiotics. Fortunately a type that my body accepts, so that is the good news. I soon start to feel better and ready to welcome our first group of American guests. A full house with three couples, so the breakfast table is full every morning and the house gets very lively. We learn a lot on what can be improved, at the same time at the end of their stay they leave happy. 

And then the little things that seem big or the other way around: Lex gets his first haircut in ages at a proper hairdresser. A few less than desirable experiences in the Middle-East made me his private hairdresser for many years. This time he decided to give it another chance and it turned out well! I am happy because now he doesn't have to wait until I am in a cutting mood.......whatever that may mean! 

Part of the American group accompanying us on the morning doggy walk

On the 16th of July I am photographing the wedding of two people that have become very dear to us since we came to Marradi. Andrea and Donatella, cook and waitress at the most beautifully located restaurant in Marradi: http://lacolombaiamarradi.com/. I felt honoured to capture this important day,  tying the knot after being more than 30 years together. A beautiful gathering of friends and family and the most emotionally moving low-key wedding at the restaurant they have dedicated so much time to make sure anyone who comes to eat, leaves happy and well-fed with dishes made with love. It was also an opportunity to see our (young) mayor at work, whom we admire very much for how he has pulled up Marradi for the better in the past four years of his appointment. It was a beautiful day well spent.

How to get to the ring? 

The kiss

Daughter of the groom looking on

Cutting the cake with granddaughter Arianna

Mayor Tomasso Triberti (left) with the groom, friend Filippo and bride.

The rest of the month was mostly filled with taking the dogs (and ourselves) to the river and receiving more visitors. It was a pretty hot summer for this area. Temperatures around 35 C were no exception, so everyone was rediscovering the option of cooling off in the river. We love it, it is like a little spa in the middle of nature, for everybody to enjoy, with waterfalls for back massages and all. Obviously we took all our visitors there too, besides going for walks in the mountains, which we tried to do in the mornings to not get overheated. Our son Joren and girlfriend Willeke came over for several days, before heading off on a camping trip to Pompeï and Puglia......they have seen more of Italy than us by now!

Joren loves rugby shirts

Looking out from the Tre Fratelli, protruding rocks above our house

Our Canadian friend Roy spent a few days with us, while on a waterpolo trip to Hungary. Very good to catch up after several years and we missed his wife Karen, who stayed at home to take care of their two dogs Lola and Zoë, that by then had reached an age where they could not be left alone. Kudos Karen! We'll for sure see you some other time.

Guestroom ready for the next visitor 

Hiking before lunch at http://lacolombaiamarradi.com/

Overlooking the valley towards Brisighella 

On our walk I harvested some elderberries, but they were few and dry as it hasn't rained for months despite the occasional dark skies.

Meanwhile there was the occasional dinner/day at our Marradi friends' Gianni and Cinzia's property up in the mountains. Meeting up with the Samorì family is always very enjoyable.

Mater familias and granddaughter Diletta in conversation. 

I found time to go check out some options for my future studio......at Ikea, even though a long time ago I promised myself to never go there anymore, but hey, sometimes they have some neat things at decent prices!
And of course good food is always a big part of our life. Every now and again we even meet (Dutch) tourists in the village and if they like they idea we'll show them around and advise them on where to eat well, provide a little promo-Marradi. At home we enjoy Lex's cooking skills a lot!!!

At the very end of the month our Dutch friends Jan and Hanneke arrived for a few weeks. They have been instrumental in designing and building our kitchen and from the beginning have adopted Marradi as one of their favourite places to come down to. It is always a joy to have them around for a while, in fact they have been here so many times in a row, that the summer is not the same without them. Here is to longlasting friendships (with Jan more than 40 years!).

Next Part 8, Wrap up of August 2017.......