Happy New Year!

In The New Year

Well, time has gone by pretty fast, it feels like the kids started their Christmas vacations a couple of days ago, and now we are already almost through half of January 2011!!  I had promised in my previous post to put up Isabella's Christmas play, but it snowed in Florence like it hadn't snowed in 50 years!  So school was closed and when it re opened not all the kids showed up, since the snow was still on the hills and some areas were not drive able.

The kids had a blast playing with the snow!

The Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore the day after the snow storm.

School starts tomorrow, after school activities start tomorrow, so back the the normal routine. 

Christmas @ Sacro Cuore

It's Christmas time and here in Florence the ground is covered with snow, the Christmas trees decorate homes and the Piazzas and the celebration has begun. It's also time for me to get back to my blog, I have left it abandoned too long. It will be part of my New Year's resolution. Next Tuesday is Isabella's Christmas play so look for an update! Isaiah's poem was a lot longer, but I decided to edit it down for all of you! Enjoy.

Mercato Centrale

The Mercato Centrale is a MUST in Florence!  It is in the Borgo San Lorenzo area and has been around since the 1800's.  You can buy anything from fruits, nuts, pasta, salami, fish, cheese, olive oil.... you name it.  There are also several restaurants inside.  Erica and I almost ate there once but it really smelled like a butcher shop, so we passed and went to a restaurant right outside which was great and very budget friendly, unlike most of the restaurants in Florence!

I try to go every several weeks, more than anything for the experience and getting very fresh vegetables and fruits.

I took these pictures a couple of weeks ago and have been meaning to post them for awhile...

One great thing about this market is that no one is haggling you or trying to get your attention, you sometimes have to actually say excuse me several times before they stop doing what ever it is they were doing and pay attention, once they do though, they are very nice and helpful!

Singing Class

So a little bit of history before I do some esplainin about the title line... The first Opera ever written is said to be called "Dafne".  It was written in the Palazzo Tornabuoni by Jacopo Peri in the 1500's.  It was also performed for the first time in the Palazzo in what is called the "Opera Suite".  Ok, so enough history.... The Palazzo is hosting Amanda McBroom, http://www.amcbroom.com/ see here for more info... anyway, she is a great singer, song writer and teacher.  The Palazzo asked her to give signing lessons to the Members and well, while I am NOT a member!  I happen to be the wife of the Dir. of Marketing, and there was barely an open spot where they squeezed me in!  It was probably the most embarrassing moment in my life, I can truly say I was brought COMPLETELY OUT of my comfort zone!  I sang with her and Mary, both are so talented it is unreal!  We sang Amazing Grace and then The Rose, the song she wrote and that Bette Midler made famous.  I was nervous through out the whole time and still probably 15 minutes later!!!  While it was wonderful,  it was also very hard for this shy girl to put it out there!  I wasn't too bad, I actually got some praises.  Oh, so the room we where in, it has amazing acoustics, which is why the classes took place inside that particular suite and probably why "Dafne" was performed there as well.

FESTA Theater - Florence Song

This is one of the songs the sang and the basis of the course.

FESTA Theater - Florence

Isaiah participated in a Theater class that was based on an idea from Paul from the music group Peter, Paul & Mary.  The group shows kids to stand up to bullying and to basically not judge a book by its cover.  This is a skit they put together.