Happy Thanksgiving!

We celebrated Thanksgivign at our house. I had to order the turkey in advance only a couple days before, he said he got the smallets one which was 13lbs. It looked pretty big to me and it almost didn't fit in the oven! Here is the table set up for 11 people.

Gimmy cutting the turkey, I never got a good picture of the turkley when finished because I was cooking like a mad woman but I can tell you it was very good and looked perfectly roasted ;) It took almost 5 hours to cook, and everyone said they liked it. I admit, was pretty pleased with my first turkey. 

Our guests getting ready for the meal.

Sisi, with Auntie Allison (my American friend) 

and Allison's mom (who was visiting Allison in Florence from Texas), Gail.

Gimmy still cutting the turkey and Nicola checking it out.

All of our friends at the table with all the food covering every bit of table. We had the turkey, stuffing, wild rice dish, glazed carrots, green bean caserole, sweet potatoe casserole, and the Waldorf salad. For desert we had my Aunt Sue's ~famous~ pear pie, chocolate/coffee date cake, and chocolate gelato pie. 

We ate a lot. 

After dinner entertainment by Sisi

Sisi with her Babbo

The turkey at the end of the night...we had left overs for about 6 days. We had fun, but I did miss all my family back home thinking they were probably all cooking like mad too. Haha! Until next year! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween

Happy Halloween! Sisi dressed as Tinker Bell. Last minute I hade to add the white pants and sweater to the outfit because it was pretty cold. 

I made all of our costumes...Gimmy was Capitan Hook and I was Peter Pan.

I took Sisi to St. James ( American Chruch) where they held a Halloween party for all the American/Italian kids. Sisi is still a little young but she seemed to have fun with the kids, coloring and eating some snacks. 

The next day we went to my friend Allison's house for a Halloween dress up party, this is us all ready to go.

Tinker Bell and her magic wand!

Tinker Bell and Capitan Hook 

At Allisons house:

Freddy Cruger, Dorthy, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Capitan Hook

Oh, Dorthy! 

Dorthy and Freddy

Gimmy trying to calm Sisi because she was really terrified of Angelo's mask and hat... He actually was really scary! Poor thing!

Sisi really didnt like Angelo's costume, but when he took off the mast it was like nothing ever happened.

Sisi and Giacomo, his parents were dressed up as Devils but I didnt get a good photo of the costumes.

Peter Pan

Playing Left Right and Center ( a funny little game)

Sisi and Giacomo, so sweet!

Visiting family in Umbria and EuroChocolate Festival

We went to visit Gimmy's Aunt Giudita in Umbria, she lives in a little town called Torgiano and is about 2 and a half hours away by car. We took one stop in this cute town on a lake ( Lago Trasimeno) called Passignano.

Passignano

The two island in the lake, one called Isola Minore and Isola Maggiore

Sisi and Gimmy on the pier

Looking towards the town center ( see the tall tower)

One on the "doors" to the town.

Torgiano

Torgiano is a very nice town and also very small. It's center consists of only 3 very short main roads. 

Gimmy's family lives in one of the oldest palazzo's in town, they own the entire top floor of the building and have two terrazza's. 

This one is the terrazza on top of the roof and has an amazing view. Since the weather had already changed, they were not using the outside because it is much too cold.

Gimmy and his cousin Antonio

View from the terrazza, looking toward a nother little town called Bettona, you can see it on top of the hill and with a tower.

Perugia and Euro Chocolate 2010

Lucky us, the weekend we picked (randomly) to go to Perugia was during the Euro Chocolate Festival!

One of the doors into the city center, this one is called the L'Arco Etrusco ( Etruscan Arch)

View of part of Perugia city.

The front of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo.

Some people climbing up a giant chocolate bar ( I did not do this....)

You can see some tents set up (all selling chocolates...)

The big building in the back is the Palazzo dei Priori

This is inside an Italian theater, there were special vendors for chocolate here and they displayed the chocolates in glass cases like jewelry...

Gimmy and Antonio admiring the pieces for sale.

Yummy and pricey!

In this theater is where we found Cosijns Sushi Dessert Belgian Chocolates. They put together an assortment for us so that we could try all the things they had on display. They were sooo good! They didn't look like sushi as in fish, they looked like chocolate and candies but arranged as sushi is... thus the name, but really good flavors, we were very surprised. Here are 2 photos I found from this website of the chocolate. They said you will be able to buy this chocolate in the U.S.A. in a few months.

Toblerone stand

It were so many people it was hard to get good photos of everything that was going on. It was mostly just tent after tent of chocolate and crazy people bustling everywhere trying to get free samples.

Can you guess what this is? .....

 a chocolate kebob. Yes, we tried it and no, it was not great.

The building is part of the duomo and you can kind of see the Maggiori Fontana 

( round structure in the lower center in front of arches)

Me, Sisi and Gimmy and the Chocolate festival, happy to have some chocolate to try at home

 (after lunch)!

More architectural scenes of Perugia

Assisi

I really liked Assisi. There was just something about this little sacred town that sits on a hill.

Basilica di Santa Chiara

Chiesa Nuova

Chiesa Nouva and the home of San Francesco's parents.

Piazza Del Comune and the Torre Del Popolo

Inside the church in the Piazza Del Comune... and Sisi

Products Tipical of Umbria

Antonio, Sisi and Silvia walking down Via San Francesco to the church of San Francesco

Basilica Di San Francesco

The view from the Basilica

Via San Francesco and the reasturant/bar (behind Antonio and Silvia) we went to to after our visit of the church to have some tea and cookies. (it was COLD)

You are not allowed to take photos inside the basilica of San Francesco but this is what it looks like. Very amazing! Found from this website

Sisi and Silvia

Antonio and Gimmy having tea.

The street that goes from the main square to the Basilica of San Francesco

Walking back to the car, you can see the Basilica of Santa Chiara.

Bettona

Another cute little town on top of a hill, 

you can see this town from the roof top terrazza of Gimmy's Aunt's house.

View from Bettona