Hair!....CUTS!

My friend, Rosita, is my personal hair dresser. Ti piace? (Do you like?)

Before...

After!

Can you see the expression on Sisi's face? (excuse the binky)... very cute!

End of October

This was the "opening day" for the new pedestrian only area near the Duomo. There was a camera crew for the news and there were many people from the city to see what was "going on in town". This area is always crowded with people, whether it be tourists or locals, but it makes a nice change for NO cars!

Sisi loves this game!

Little bear!

Sometimes it just best to let it out!

Eating chocolate...

Visiting Lucca and the Sea

Lucca!

Lucca is a very cute and small city. It is completely surrounded by these huge walls. A much more humble city than Florence but this place has a lot of history!

Thank you http://www.italianvisits.com/ for this photo of the walls!

Church of San Michele

The the square of Church of San Michele, the white tent to the left is an ice rink for the holiday season.

The top of San Michele

The old and new bell system.

Walking..

Inside one of the many churches in Lucca

Along the canal

One of the doors into the city

We had made it to the sea, the boat was still in its spot. Semi neglected, but so were the other boats ~ winter~. Then we decided to drive down the coast to Forte Di Marmi to get a snack at Vale, where the best little baked bread rounds.. like a small pizza dough -just the dough- they are called schiacciatine.

Thank you http://www.italiancase.com/ for the Forte Di Marmi photo!

This was just before Gimmy made this cute little car turn into the moster when he put an euro in it...pour Sisi took some time to calm down from the crying.

The schecciatine

We are all eating the same thing. There were many tables out, all filled with people and everyone eating the same schiacciatine. Everyone. Apparently, Vale sells other items, but this is the most popular.

On the pier

Sisi's 1st Birthday!

Number 1! What a year for little Sisi! We celebrated the birthday the day before on the 4th to have a joint party with Gimmy's mom, Sara. Her birthday is the 4th and it was a Sunday so we could have a few more people come by to share the day.

I made a Mexican lunch of shrimp and bellpeppers with red rice in tortillas with avocados and limes and for desert I made chocolate cupcakes. I think the Italians liked it ;)

Cupcakes!

Mario and Gimmy enjoying the cupcakes!

Sisi and Gaia, they both have their pointer finger in their mouths! Gaia is 2 months younger than Sisi but she is a big strong little toddler. She is already walking and she knows what she wants! They are so cute together!

The party!

Me and Sisi with Gaia and Roberta.

Playing with Mario.

Blowing out the candles! Sara turned 78 years old, we decided to get the numbered candles insead of the small ones ;)

Sara, cutting her birthday cake. it was a semifreddo ( not quite gelato but similar) of strawberry and lemon, yum!

With the Godmother, Teresa.

Sisi and Gaia

Gaia is afraid of Gimmy's beard and would cry whenever he got too close to her.

Sisi (and me) opening her presents.

Sharing toys...

Gaia and Sisi both wanted the pink phone, whenever Sisi had it in her hand Gaia would go and grad it! Sisi was not sure what to do since she is not so used to this type of play.

On the next day, Sisi's real birthday, was the day she started walking on her own.

We went over to Pizzo to have a tartuto (gelato).

We let Sisi try it, but I dont think she likes it much. How is that possible?!

Going to the sea.

It was too cold for a swim but we let Sisi play in the water around the rock like she loved to do in the summer time.

Little climber!

The next day we went to see the new park they just opened in the city of Catanzaro. It is a huge park and they were still working on it then we were there. It was a great park with lots of pathways to walk, ponds, play areas for kids of different ages, a skate park and they were building a ice rink.

One of the ponds with some swans.

Back at Nonna Sara's house, dancing with Babbo.

Sleeping next to Mamma.