Wrapping up January 2017, Welcome 2018

We wrapped up our second year in our home in Marradi. As an experienced expat I know it takes time to settle in a new place and make it home and your own. Usually the second year I start to feel more comfortable and more familiar with customs and habits. This time it is no different, some naturally occuring ups and downs and getting used to a different stage in life, new challenges to face, adjusting to a changed perspective. So here it goes, a summary of 2017, to appreciate the changes and be grateful for what is, so we open up for what 2018 will bring us.

We entered January in the company of long time friends and some newer, while bringing light to the birth of 2017. I created a 'gratitude' jar to remind myself to regularly be grateful for what is.

The weather was cool but nice, so work continued on creating a future studio space for me in what used to be the hay barn. It is so exciting to see it come to life, thanks to the design work of Joren and the collaboration with our builder. In the mean time I put together some backgrounds to use in my makeshift bedroom studio, while Lex helped me keep them upright by fixing feet.

We took the opportunity too to spread some cement on the drive way to prevent it from becoming an ice skating track like last year in case of frost. And just in time before January remembered being a wintermonth after all. 

Lex supervising the road construction ;-)

Time to enjoy some fresh mountain air, morning coffees in a warm room with our Omani still going strong cat Sushi, and enjoy the seasonal Festa della Befana (6 Jan). Like every Festa in Italy, good food, drinks and music are warming hearts and minds.

In the second week I flew to London for a workshop with a NZ photographer and get together with a group of 10 photographers from the US, UK, Holland, Switzerland, Canada and Italy. We met in 2016 in Paris and decided to spend two days shooting and learning in a beautiful Victorian home in London. We built friendships, connected, played, laughed, had our hair and make up done and learned a lot giving each other the glamour experience we offer our clients. It was sooooo good to be with you Bianca, Miranda, Geneviève, Sonce, Tathiana, Lisa, Marco, Eveline and ofcourse Sue! 

Lex met up with me after the conference. We took the opportunity to visit and catch up after long times with some dear friends and ex-colleague of Lex in Cobham. It was great to reestablish old ties and share so many interests, from geology to guitar playing, creating art, enjoy the outdoors and good food. It was great to be with you Jan and Liz! 

Coming back to Marradi we were greeted by Winter in all its splendour! Lex had wisely parked our 4x4 down in the valley, not realizing that in case of snow the car would be covered too!! Our neighbour took us to his home, called a friend with a snow plough to uncover the road to the house. At 10 at night we walked in the dark to our warm home! After a good nights' sleep it was time to uncover the car and discover the beautiful snowcovered landscape surrounding us. 

The surrounding region had to be explored! Around every corner there is a new beautiful view. We realized how grateful we should be to have neighbours and friends that come to the rescue when necessary, when we explored on a covered trail what it is to walk in 50 cm of snow! It is undoable, without 'ciaspoli' (snowshoes) that is.......how little do we know after 20 years in warm countries, hahah!

Passo della Sambucca

Some days our cat Sushi will follow us, without us knowing, especially when the sun is out. Until we hear a distant meow. After a while she will show up, snow or no snow! Pretty well adapted desert cat she is! We are starting to believe she is happier here then she ever was in her home environment! 

.....and then to come home to a warm chair and freshly baked apple pie! Or just snuggle up with the boss!

While I was already in London, before the snowfall, Lex went for a hike to the Acquachetta. A beautiful trail that we have walked many times in all different seasons to the waterfall, where apparently Dante visited regularly to get inspired. When Lex was there the waterfalls were all spectacularly frozen. I really wanted to see that too, even though there might still be quite a bit of snow up there. And so we went. At first we doubted we would make the whole track, but we did!!! I was mesmerized by the view of frozen water that runs in huge amounts in the spring! Mother Nature at work producing art! 

Ofcourse we need to eat, so bread, water, salami and cheese are in the backpack to feed the hungry stomachs.

To wrap up January my female friends took me for the first time to an Italian Outlet mall, while the male halves enjoyed themselves with what they do best.
I mainly looked and contemplated on this place looking so alike to some malls or quarters in the Middle East, that I revisited my opinion on Middle Eastern modern design........we truely are a global world. I enjoyed watching fun designs of simple articles like rain boots, how they can be fun and charming, and picked up a golden laminate dress for my studio for little more than a few cents. It was sale season after all!

And to top it all off I was sent a series of beautiful portraits by a friend photographer shot while in London. Celebrating every age is our motto! It was a great experience to be at the client's side of the camera! 

To be continued....before this January ends! Promise to myself, and to you who like to read our story!
I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!