My wine aroma box or new "sniffbox"...

...needs a nice purse, just now I drag it with me in my blue IKEA bag, but a fabolous box like that, needs a beatuiful purse. Next free day (who knows when that is) I dedicate time with my sewing machine, fabrics and will create a purse for it. Actually the "Sniffbox" is a big success on my tours. Since I got it as a birthday gift in early April from my life partner and my "mother in law", I take it on my full day wine tasting tours and the response is just a success! I'm very glad that I can bring wine now in another and maybe more playful and interesting way to my clients. Our allfactoric sence is an amazing thing and even I learn every time something new about my own.

*****

Lately I saw one of the most stunning sunsets in my life. Lucky me I had my camera with me and could shoot some nice pics. One of them is here, hope you enjoy it as I did! Remember that there is a Copyright on it!!!




Cari saluti!

Christina

all green here

Jepp, 'cause something like Spring finally arrived. Lucky me, desperating was in standby for this event. Today was declared in "the day of doing nothing" which was survived by hanging around in the garden, joyned by my three dogs (did nothing as well) and is finishing in still "doing nothing" followed by a stiff drink and a TV movie.

I'm busy in these weeks with tours and bringing fab wine to my friends. Oh and yesterday I visited a friend in Montespertoli which does right now the 7th and final level of Shiatsu. It was very cool to meet the group and particluarly my teacher Patrizia and reminds me, that I will finish next year in August. Means to study beside my tours and not waisting time.

And here for my Swiss friends: "dibidäbidibidäbi lupf dis Bei"!

carissimi saluti a tutti!

Christina

... und plötzlich ist Frühling...

... und ich habe mich MONATELANG nicht mehr gemeldet hier. *Schäm* Naja, jetzt aber dafür wieder. Und richtig, der Frühling ist hier, so richtig schön und satt, Zeit um den Garten auf Vorderfrau zu bringen, den Gemüsegarten zu bearbeiten und neue Blumen zu pflanzen. Aber auch Zeit auf einer Weintour eine ganz coole Neuigkeit einzuführen! Auf der Ganztages Weinverkostungstour kommt neu meine Aromabar für Weine mit. Darin finden sich 60 Aromen mit den Grundessenzen für sämtliche Weine und bis jetzt waren meine Kunden sehr begeistert. Endlich müssen sie sich nicht mehr vorstellen wie Erdbeere oder Schwarze Johannisbeere oder Leder riecht, sondern können direkt die Nase ans Fläschchen halten und schnuppern. Viele sagen, dass ihnen diese Art der Weinverkostung die Welt des Weins ganz anders zugänglich mache. Toll oder?!

Leider reicht die Zeit nicht, um dieses Erlebnis auch auf der Halbtages Weinverkostungstour zu haben. Darum muss also, wer in den Genuss der Aromen kommen will, die Ganztagestour buchen. Was sowieso besser ist, nicht weil ich mehr daran verdiene, sondern weil man gemütlich die ganze Palette von Weinen, Essen und Genuss unter einen Hut bringen kann. Plus natürlich viel mehr von der Landschaft sieht, weil es nicht nur 2 sondern 3 Weingüter sind, welche wir besuchen.

Ich bin jedenfalls ebenso begeistert wie meine Kunden von meinem tollen Geburtstagsgeschenk, denn die Aromabar ist ein solches.

cari saluti!

Christina

It's the now which counts

I'm really wondering how time is passing buy! Lighttime or something similar. I'm here, realising new things for the upcoming season (some neat things for the wine tasting tours), did some small changes on my websites - have a look! BTW: Prices will remain the same as last year and some new things like discounts for groups from 3 up to 6 people will hopefully surprise you!

Today I removed the whole Christmas decoration, listening to the newly discovered "Andrews Sisters" whoever knows the "Puppini Sisters" will love the first mentioned. It's just swinging, boogie woogie and good mood music. Which I guess in our time we go through, is something we need desparately. We shouldn't punish us, but do everything to be as happy as possible in what we are doing right now. Useless to mention that we will not be happier once we get that million €/$ or once we live in the expensive house we can afford one day. We have to make everything, to live in this very moment happy.

It's a long time my way of thinking, but since Gary my friend Tracy's husband died accidentally, it's something I just know is the only thing to do. It's the life from each day we have to discover, to live and to go through. And it should be our "mission" to be happy and sattisfied in the very moment we are living, not speculating that we would live better only once we have certain things. It's the NOW which counts. Which at the same time is the step stone to the next day.

Don't want to be too melodramatic but just a hint for the new beginning of a New Year. Which I hope you started glorious and happy :-)

And to make your day happy, here a flying angel I've got in December!






carissimi saluti and hope to see you soon!

Christina

December is here!

... and on the 1st December I traditionally decorate our house. I guess something I brought from Switzerland, where it is tradition to decorate in- and outside the house to make everything look pretty. I generally torture everyone around me with Christmassongs, while I'm decorating and at the end of the day, no one can stand the songs anymore.



Italy is not big in decorating, since a few years one can admire Florence under decoration as northern countries (Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Scandinavians, USA and Canada etc.) are used to it, there is even a very small Christmasmarket (Christkindlmarkt) on Piazza Santa Croce. But of course nothing regard to German and Austrian Christkindlmärkte! But Italians are really great with the "Presepe" the crib. It comes in all sizes, materials and with living people as well. That's why it's easier to find all stuff to do the crib, instead of decorating Christmaslike. Thank's the Universe that there is an OBI (a german based do it yourself market) where I bought already - month's ago now - the stuff I needed.



But now something totally different: weather! I don't know who of the readers here know T.C. Boyle if you know him, you may have read "A friend of Earth". I read it a long time ago, but weather now is so disturbing strange, that I'm often reminded on what he wrote. Constantly rain, nothing dries, thunder- and lightning storms etc. Well friends, since a few weeks now it rains constantly, thank's to our very efficent stove the washed clothes dry in front of it, without that it would be a problem (as we do not have tumblers here, due to very expensive energy! And the electricity in our house would turn off, it turns off if I have the dishwasher and the washingmachine on the same time on). Since a few nights we have heavy rain storms, thunder and lightning included! And that in winter. A bit scary I must say.

But beside this, life is good. Uma's poisoning signs are gone, she's fine now. Dado's eye healed from the cat's scratch and Milou's eye healed from Dado's bite. I would like to have some winter tours but obviously people do not really travel now. In fact, Florence is almost empty of tourists. I made myself a nice Christmas gift, the M.A.C. store here in Florence had a Make up seminar which I booked myself in, cool to draw in your face with this products and penciles, which by the way are very good but very expensive! The amazing capable Carla, originally from Southafrica guided us (5 girls and 1 boy) through "how to get from shabby to amazingly good looking". Next time I would like to have an advanced seminar, as I know how to make up since I'm 14, where I started my first contact with Theater make up. A girl never can't have enough colours to play arund with I would say.

Well, nothing more to say for now, but will be back. As usual!

cari saluti

Christina

Kino wie in alten Zeiten!

Dienstag Abend waren wir im Kino und zwar nicht in einem neuen, modernen, mit THX-Digital Soundsystem und schräger Fläche oder gar moderner Sitze (mit Getränke- und/oder Popcornhalter). NEIN! Wir waren in Greve im Provinzkino und Leute, das ist wie zurück in die Kindheit geschmissen zu werden.

Es gibt Parterre und es gibt Empore, unten flach, oben Treppen, es ist kalt - weil kaum geheizt - die Stühle sind eng, man kann den Kopf nirgends anlehnen und wenn man das trotzdem tun möchte, fällt man mit dem Hintern vom Stuhl (ja auch wenn er fett ist wie meiner). Die Leinwand ist hinter einer Bühne montiert, es gibt mindestens 1 ganz kurze Pause, in welcher die Filmrolle gewechselt wird. Also alles noch ganz von Hand, eben so wie früher.

Werbung gibt es kaum, nach 10 Minuten hat der Film begonnen, übrigens der neueste von Woody Allen "Vicky Christina Barcelona". Den man sich selber anschauen muss um sich eine Meinung zu bilden :-)

Aber zurück zum Kino. Ich bin mir ja gewohnt ins Vispathé nach Sesto Fiorentino zu fahren, 16 Kino in einem Komplex, mit Bar, Snackcorner, riesiger Lounge, bequemen Sitzen und meistens überheizt. Der Stuhl vibriert mit wenn es ein Actionmovie ist und man kann flätzen wie man will, der Hintern fällt nie vom Stuhl (nein auch nicht wenn er fett ist wie meiner). Nachteil dieser Aktion ist immer die Fahrzeit, weil wir 1 Std. fahren um ins Kino zu gehen. Nach Greve sind es nur 20 Minuten und ein Parkplatz findet man um 21.30 (das ist der Beginn eines jeden Films durch die Woche) auch direkt vor dem Kino. Nachteil des Kinos in Greve ist wohl der Preis: 7.- €! Im Vispathé bezahlt man 7.50 durch die Woche, 5.50 am Donnerstag und wenn man ein Abo hat (wie wir, sind es 5.- pro Film). Ich dachte mir, dass das munzige Provinzkino ohne Komfort um die 4.- / 5.- Euro liegt aber nicht Preise hat, wie ein Kinokomplex.

Trotzdem: ab und zu mal ins Provinzkino ist lustig, man schätzt den Komfort eines neuen Kinos und solange es ein Film von Woody Allen oder ähnliches ist, dann geht es. Bei Actionfilmen würde ich dann wohl eher zu Hause bleiben.

cari saluti!

Christina

P.S. die einen Novello von Carpineto hat und den mal öffnen sollte.

Olive oil and disc dog

So, November is here, it's a bit too warm when the sun is shining and if not, it's ugly and wet. But that doesn't hinder the farmers around me to harvest there Olives, which this year seems to be a good one. I'm very curious when it's available and I can do a classical "fettunta" white tuscan bread, toasted, with a rub of fresh garlic, a bit of salt and the fresh pressed olive oil over it. Ahhh!!

And sportswise I started to do disc dog with Dado, the youngest one. He LOVES frisbee and so I thought to get some fun out of it for both of us, ordered a DVD from Karin Actun and Christi Campell about Dog frisbee and how to, some pup discs from Hyperflite and we started! What to say: it's totally cool, Dado is very good in catching the frisbee and I have to learn how to throw the different styles. One day we will be good :-)

have a great day

Christina