Thursday, December 9, 2010

A Bumblebee, a Grandfather and a car

Not all three were together at once but they all featured in our busy week-end last week.


Matilde was on stage at the Warner Theater in Washington Ballet's Nutcracker as a bumblebee last Saturday. Despite her very brief appearance on stage, there have been several months of week-end rehearsals run with military precision. The professional ballerinas and the flamboyant artistic director  created hours of fun and entertainment for the aspiring little girls. There are some 90 kids from the ballet school in each show (and there are five different casts). Parents have lived in fear of getting a rehearsal time wrong, let alone being late or forgetting one. Meanwhile Matilde is in awe of the big boss in charge of the Nutcracker running up to him and hugging him - to which he replies "ciao bumblebee Matilde!"


Matilde is at the beginning of the second act, as the sugar plum fairies are finishing their dance and there is a slight change in the music, on skip these four little blue and yellow bumblebees, to much laughter from the audience. They then proceed to wiggle their bottom (their stingers!). Hilarious. In my unbiased opinion I would have to agree with the Washington Post's review:

The students from the Washington School of Ballet are delightful, and there is no end to their cuteness. 


We had seen a preview performance at a small theater in South East Washington during the Thanksgiving week-end but last Saturday the theater was packed, the full set was up and the excitement backstage was palpable. I volunteered to help keep the younger ones entertained while they waited for their turn to get dressed and made up - an ulterior motive to get a photo. And here are some.
bumblebee make-up




the bumblebee dressing room.


Meanwhile out front was Grandfather Peter, loving every minute. Grandfather-of-the-year award truly goes to Peter. Despite the snow in England he had flown in the night before to see his granddaughter on stage (and returned to London on Monday). More impressive still, he had only got arrived back in London from a trip to India the day before that. Between them, Peter and Janie have seven children and ten grandchildren who reside in Scotland, England, Frankfurt, Australia and Washington DC. Between last week-end and the end of January they will have visited them all, in all of those places - some of us are lucky enough to receive a royal visit twice! 


patiently waiting backstage for their moment!
There are about four more shows in which Matilde stars. The Italian grandparents will have the pleasure of watching our prima bumblebee at Christmas.


And the car? Well in short, my mommy-van is no more, it was sandwiched between an SUV and a Fedex truck from behind on Saturday morning. The girls and I were very shocked but we are now totally fine. All those times I have sounded like a broken record "have you got your seat belts on?" were worthwhile. And as a result, I may never have to say it again, they are now very quick at fastening their belts.


As we approach the Christmas period we are grateful for many things. 2010 has been a good year. Isabella's health remains stable, she is full of energy. Her hair is growing, thick strong and very blonde. Both girls are doing well at school and are very happy. We have had some wonderful adventures this past year: skiing, Disney World and our European extravaganza. I am sure that 2011 will bring new adventures and surprises. Until then we are happy to celebrate the season with friends and family here in DC. The next MRI will be the end of January. We will update you then, if not before!


With very best wishes to you all.
Buon natale,


Emma & Gregorio. xxx

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Rock Stable!

These were the words that Dr P told us in the corridor this morning. "Don't worry, the MRI looks great. Sit down, I'll be in to talk to you and see Isabella in a minute" Complete relief, breathe, whip out the iphone to update everyone, but sadly I forgot to charge it last night, hence the delay in the update!  The tumor is totally stable, her neurological tests and her eye tests were all completely normal. They reconfirmed our opinion "Isabella looks great!" So we are off for another three months when we return for the next check up. And another piece of good news: Isabella's weight gain has slowed down and she has grown in height. Our hard work on this front has paid off.

We were sorry to discover today that one of the lovely nurse practitioners is going through a similar experience with a newborn baby girl. The short exchange of words was very empathetic and Isabella gave her an enormous hug. Being in the clinic it is hard to see some of the other  children who are worse off than Isabella. We are lucky and are thankful that Isabella reacted so well to treatment and we have enjoyed 2010 without further treatment or great worry. With each MRI we wonder when this will all change.

We have said it before, but the staff at Children's are amazing, they truly know how to manage us all. It was a routine check-up but needless to say, we were very anxious to hear the results. Gregorio only got back late last night and despite all your questions of concern I could not bring myself to contact the hospital for the results without Gregorio around. So we were grateful to immediately hear that all was OK.

It was good to see everyone in the clinic but as we told them all "life has been great, given that we haven't seen you for four months!" They understand. Even Dr Baldy the clown came by and specifically went to find his fellow baldy friend, Gregorio. A quiet smile and "it is really good to see you!" was very touching.

Back to carpe diem in the Impavido household and we are truly busy having lots of fun.  We are gearing up to Nutcracker performances, end of term performances at school and so much more.

I might not write until the next MRI at the end of January ...but you never know....so in the meantime Happy Holidays to all our friends near and far.

Love,
Emma, Gregorio, Isabella and Matilde. xxx

Friday, October 29, 2010

MRI and Halloween!

A blog has been brewing in me for several weeks and now as I sit at Children's Hospital waiting for Isabella to emerge from her latest MRI there's time to think and reflect once more. I find reading difficult on these days.

Isabella was obviously agitated (though I am not sure why) last night and fell asleep in my bed, but this morning she was pleased to receive words of encouragement from PapĂ  (who is currently on mission in Peru) and a hug from Mati when she woke up (yes she also joined the bed during the night!) At the hospital this morning there was quite the welcome from the MRI team.







...interruption. It is a little surreal here in the hospital atrium cafe, the nurses are all dressed up as witches, pumpkins, cowboys, Michael Jackson, you name it and Ghostbusters is blaring out!! Ten years on the Halloween phenomenon is still overwhelming at times...

Back to radiology. They were so happy to see Bella and wanted to know all about her holiday this summer and showing her around the newly expanded MRI wing with a great view down to the Capitol. Bella was singing and dancing songs from the upcoming school pantomime of Puss in Boots. As she was given laughing gas she was telling riddles. At the last minute she shouted out the answer before she fell asleep. The nurses were in fits of laughter. She should be out soon and we will get the results next Thursday. That day we'll be seeing the oncologist, neurologist, endocrinologist and opthalmologist. Get the gist? After a four month break from hospital visits we are pleased to get all appointments done on one day. 

Proudly showing off
her homemade sushi
Meanwhile there's always plenty to keep us busy. The girls have been enjoying their half term break. Emma D has been here to entertain, she is always very welcome! What they haven't done with paper, glue and paint, I don't know. Not to mention the cooking: flapjacks and lemon curd and even sushi for supper one night. Our camp creativity director even insures an English education - tea parties complete with cucumber sandwiches AND history lessons. Yesterday, Emma notices a bag that I had picked up at some travel fair, with Henry VIII on it and asks the girls if they know who he is. They proceed to learn about all his queens, divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Emma was then turned into King Henry with beard and they were each a queen. Mati was, needless-to-say, the one who divorced and survived!

Some of the prize winning pumpkins
At this time of year we've also had much preparation for Halloween, including the annual visit to  Cox's Farm. When I picked up a coffee earlier, I was pleased to see the Brain Tumor Institute had won the pumpkin carving contest here at Children's. We still need to carve ours.  We have various parties and trick-or-treating lined up this week-end. The girls are going to be vampires. I said I'd be a legal alien, my fully-fledged American daughters don't understand the joke!

A fun time is always had by all at
Cox's Farm, including me!
Other exciting news: Matilde is starring in the Washington Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. She is absolutely thrilled and prances off to all the rehearsals every Saturday and Sunday with a big smile across her face. Of course she has a major role as a prima bumblebee.

Nutella is part of the Cox's Farm
annual picnic outing!
This past month we have also been learning to ride bikes (for obvious reasons this went on hold for a couple of years). Those of you who've been there will know what a sense of achievement it is learning to ride on two wheels, and not just for the kids!

We'll let you know when we have news of the MRI, probably not till we visit the clinic on November 4th. Finger's crossed for the all stable. 

Happy Halloween!

Emma, Isabella, Matilde and Gregorio from Peru. xxx

PS I have almost finished uploading all our summer photos, for those that are interested!


Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Bunches


Last week we passed the second anniversary of when Isabella was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It is a day that Gregorio and I are unlikely to forget. Thankfully, Isabella is bouncing around a happy eight year old full of energy and the only thing on her mind that relates to the past couple of years is how quickly her hair is growing back. Well it is growing back thick and fast and much to Isabella's delight last week we got it into two bunches.


We have been back a month and are slowly adjusting to all that the 'new' year entails : school, homework and lots of fun after school activities. Isabella's latest passion is Tae Kwan Do. While Gregorio and I have been adjusting to regular work hours, cooking (yes did you realise I didn't cook for two months, how fabulous is that?!) and home renovations and dealing with a car that keeps breaking down.

Next MRI will be at the end of October. we'll update you early November.
Love,
Emma and Gregorio. xxx

Friday, August 27, 2010

And finally to Mallorca

Mallorca provided the perfect end to our Grand Tour. Throughout our trip Matilde has asked "where do we fly to next?" And we would reply what our next port of call was and then went through the list of remaining places. When we listed Mallorca she would ask "and what about Spain?" Having been reassured that Mallorca was part of Spain her next comment was "oh this holiday is too short!!"

Indeed in no time at all our holiday in Mallorca is over. It was a wonderful week filled with some lovely meals and relaxing on the beach. On our last day we discovered the perfect beach  - hours of fun jumping the waves with beautiful sand underneath and clear blue waters. Grandpa Ross had promised the girls lots of fish - but they wanted to catch it themselves. Gregorio was aghast when they appeared with a fishing net each (a whopping 2 euros). However, he soon realised that a small investment provided many hours of fun. I am pleased to report (as Isabella will no doubt tell all) that they did catch a couple of fish (you might have needed a magnifying glass to see them) and several hermit crabs. Not to mention all the jelly fish. Talking of which, Matilde was stung once in Greece and Isabella twice - how she was stung on her face, we are not quite sure but maybe she'll learn that you don't need to inspect absolutely everything up so close.

We leave the warm (well very hot) mediterranean skies for a final day in London where we are told they are building up to a classic British bank holiday week-end - grey skies and cool weather! We will fly back to Washington tomorrow, Friday night. We are not sure how big the pile of post will be or the state of the jungle in the back garden, but we won't have long to find out. Saturday morning we are off for a 60th anniversary week-end with my office and on Monday school begins and so back to reality. 

We have had a truly memorable summer. The highlight has been the quality time we have spent together filled with new experiences and discoveries. Some of the obvious ones we have already mentioned but there were the entertaining ones too. The revelation that some public loos are little more than a hole in the ground led to new skills and lively debate about whether it was better behind a tree in the forest or the public loo surprise. What I love about children is the excitement and enthusiasm with which a new discovery is shared. I can't remember who saw the topless lady first on the beach but the scream "LOOK, a lady with naked boobies!" was heard by many.

We will have taken 7 flights, we have stayed in ten different homes/hotels, visited four countries. I dread to think how many miles we have covered or how many trees we should be planting to offset all the carbon footprint. But these statistics don't matter, we have enjoyed seeing our family and friends in Europe. We have enjoyed the slower pace of life, the sights, sounds and foods of the places we have visited. However, as we have reported, we have also missed some of our creature comforts - namely reliable air conditioning and services when you want them. We are so used to shopping (for food particularly) when you want it. And then there was the speed (or lack of) internet connection; not to mention the internet helpline who's advice over the phone was "if you go on-line you can add money to your internet account" They seemed to have failed to grasp that we were calling for help as we couldn't get on-line. These are really minor inconveniences but they have brought home to me that when (if....) we ever move back to Europe it will take some readjusting. Meanwhile we are on our way home and the villa in central Italy remains a dream....

I had hoped the girls would be writing more in the blogs but we were too busy finding snails, catching fish, eating gelato and so much more. They religiously kept their diaries for the first six weeks though they increasingly became a list of visits punctuated by a list of what we ate. We are certain though they have many happy memories that they will recall for years to come.

In terms of Isabella's health. She is looking great, her hair is thick and curly and bleached blond by the sun and sea. The next MRI will be in October and we will write more then.

Lots of love to you all,
Emma, Gregorio, Isabella and Matilde. xxx

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Mountains, polenta and chamois.

We are nearing the end of our stay in the Alps in Piedmont. We have had a very relaxing and refreshing time. If the month of July was off the charts in terms of heat in Italy, August was another story altogether - in northern Italy at least. As I mentioned, we landed in Milan to 20C - a pleasant respite from the heatwave in Athens. 

And in our two weeks  here we have seen all temperatures - hot sunny days, overcast days, pouring rain and on Monday, Gregorio, Janie and I were at 2,400 meters and not at all prepared for the wind, rain and even freezing rain. We swear it dropped below zero. We could not feel our hands, we walked as fast as we could. Never has a cup of hot chocolate been so appreciated when we returned to civilization!

We have wandered through mountain pastures filled with wild flowers, awe-inspiring alpine vistas and fields and fields of cows. The sounds of running water in a stream close by, or a waterfall beyond and cow bells ringing intermittently but little else. It has been idyllic. We have enjoyed some lovely walks and savoured picnics of local cheeses and salami while taking in the beautiful scenery, or pausing in a refuge for a rewarding bowl of polenta. The girls, much to Gregorio's pleasure have used their hiking boots and proved themselves good walkers. The 12km walk  above Mont Cenisio nearly finished them off though. They were fascinated by all the "Bonjour's" along the route, as many of the walkers were from just over the border. We did even go over to France one day and relived my youth and indulged in a chocolate liegois and a bottle of orangina.

We have seen marmot's but the highlight for Gregorio was spotting a chamois on our truly memorable walk up the Colle dell'Assietta on Monday. While for the girls it has been a relaxing couple of weeks, when they could play and run around. They enjoyed the company of Lala and Betta who came up with Lele and Marina from Rome, being spoilt by the grandparents and also searching for local wildlife. We had quite a colony of snails at one point!

Despite the pouring rain and pretty awful weather this past week-end we also had fun taking Peter and Janie around the local napoleonic forts, abbeys, towns  and picturesque scenery of the valley. Thankfully our final day was picture perfect. We even got Peter to do a bit of walking - it was probably the promise of a glass of red wine and some cheese at the end of it!

And in no time at all we have packed up our bags and are onto our final destination - Mallorca to visit Grandpa Ross for our final week. We will return to DC via London next Friday and back to school on Monday. Gregorio claims he could continue this trip, but I am mentally ready to return  - the emails about the start of school are streaming in and I am already looking at September after school activities and ordering new school uniform on-line. The power of the internet, if only it were a bit faster here in the mountains.

Hope you are all continuing to enjoy your summer. 

Love,
Emma, Gregorio, Isabella and Matilde. xxx

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Kalimera, kalispera, kali-whatever!


Isabella wanted to see the Acropolis and so we worked an EasyJet Rome-Athens flight into our itinerary and arrived last Friday afternoon. As we were driving in the taxi from the airport to Athens, Gregorio and I were watching the dry, barren landscape and wondering if we would have the energy to visit the acropolis in this heat. Isabella, ever the wise older sister announces “I think I will have to ask Eleni to explain the Greek alphabet to me”. Little Mati, sucking her thumb, pipes up “but there are some letters the same. Look, there’s an M, but what’s that O with legs?!”

We visited the Acropolis on Saturday morning, and I know I have said it before on this holiday, but it was hot and I mean seriously hot in Athens. We hopped from one spot of shade to another, walking at the pace of snails. Each time our dear friend Eleni, an expert on all things Ancient Greek, talked about the Acropolis, how it was built and told the girls about Greek gods and goddesses. Isabella knew all the myths Eleni mentioned. I was impressed. Despite the heat, Isabella seemed to be loving every minute. It was an absolute pleasure to see her enjoying the visit. Matilde did not seem to be taking so much in, or so we thought. But later in the Acropolis Museum, when we were watching a film about the Parthenon she said “we saw that this morning with Eleni, pointing at the metatope corner friezes.” Isabella’s comment on the film “why are we watching this, Eleni already told us all this?!”

Not only were we restored in the museum with food and air conditioning but we had fun meeting up with friends from Washington DC. After the museum, we quickly slipped into the Greek way of life and returned to our hotel for a siesta and remerged about 6 pm for a swim prior to going out for dinner. We found a delightful taverna in the plaka area and collapsed into a deep slumber around midnight.

On Sunday we took the ferry from Piraeus to Aegina, to visit Eleni and Themis’ family home. The port is filled with fishing boats and lined with tavernas and small shops and stalls, many selling the staple crop of the island, pistachios. It is not a big tourist island, but rather a retreat for the Athenians, very relaxed and simple. Nonno Themis (a big italophile) met us at the port with his ‘Bentley’ and took us through the pistachio and olive groves into the hills above the port to their delightful home that he has created. Here we spent four very relaxing days.

Eleni and Themis were quickly adopted by the girls as their Greek grandparents; the girls played with the dogs, picking up Greek phrases very quickly to call them or using greetings such as kalimera (or ‘kali - whatever’ said Matilde). They spent an afternoon learning the Greek alphabet with Eleni and even told me to put the volume back up on a Disney DVD they were watching – even though it was in Greek.

We enjoyed the fruits and vegetables from the garden – plums, figs, zucchini and of course olive oil.  It is amazing how delicious a tomato can taste with a little oregano, olive oil and feta cheese. Not to mention the octopus and fresh fish.  We also dined at lovely tavernas, one was literally on the beach and another in a beautiful tree filled courtyard – both filled with local Greek people. Eleni and Themis, the perfect tour organizers, (I work with them when sending groups to Greece) knew exactly what to order so that we tasted the best dishes.

Eleni gave us a tour of the island of Aegina. We saw the Temple of Aphaia and discovered the best beaches , needless to say they were filled with crystal blue waters. Isabella and Gregorio enjoyed jumping into the sea from the rocks, Matilde and I are more sandy types; me, so I can slowly wade out to deeper water while Matilde likes to sit on the shore and create a mermaid castle.

If Athens had been hot, it is hard to find a word to describe the heat in Aegina.  It must have been at least 40C. The cicadas were singing all day long. Gregorio commented, "how do they have the energy to make that noise all day long?!" Thankfully the evening provided a little breeze. We retreated indoors for siestas in the afternoon and ate dinner around 10 pm.  We slept, ate and swam. What more could we ask for? It was a truly relaxing week. We are now back in Italy in the mountains in Piedmont.  When we landed in Milan it was 20 C. Quite a change.

Overall it seems to have been a very successful week in Greece, though Isabella did comment that she was disappointed there weren’t a few more ruins everywhere. Perhaps she is right, but we also decided that the acropolis in Athens was the highlight and we weren’t going to push their energy too far by trying to see more. We will return.

On arrival in Italy, we drove to Susa, where Gregorio’s father’s family is from, yesterday evening. Gregorio spent many summers as a child here and has happy memories. Yesterday was the Feast of the Madonna di Rocciamelone. There was a big procession through the streets to the Cathedral last night followed by fireworks. The girls were asleep but we sat on the hill outside the house and enjoyed a wonderful welcome back to Italy.

Tune in next week to hear about our walks in the mountains.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Under Italian Sun

Our stay in Florence was fairly brief and our touring plans less ambitious. In the heat the list got even shorter. A dear friend and local guide gave us a short tour that included looking at a very large naked man. Matilde walked around David several times observing his nakedness. When we visited Piazzale Michelangelo the next day they did spot a replica of the very same naked man, so something had gone in!

We spent time with i nonni and enjoyed some delicious Tuscan food. We had originally hoped to visit Gregorio's aunt, a lovely lady and mother superior in a convent in Florence, but sadly she passed away just after we arrived in London. We all visited her grave, so there have been a lot of questions about death and Matilde is now counting the number of nuns she has seen on this trip.

The most exciting thing about being in Florence for the girls was that we were given two rooms in the hotel - and they were on their own without mummy and papa'. Oh the excitement of it all. They enjoyed unpacking and packing up their stuff all on their own. They even made their own beds in the morning (not something that always happens at home). And not to mention the baldachino above their beds.

From Florence we wended our way down into picturesque Tuscany where the air was fresher and the evening breeze was refreshing. We stayed in a delightful agriturismo just outside Pienza. The girls were able to cool off in the pool and we wandered the hilltowns close by in the evenings, taking a passeggiata with the locals prior to dinner. The highlight for Isabella was taking a cooking class with papa and several other guests and the owner of the agriturismo. They made a serious amount of local pasta, including pici and several different sauces, not to mention crostini toscani. At the end of the morning we sat down to a lovely lunch under the cool arches of their veranda looking out over the Tuscan countryside - it was picture perfect. The girls ate and then went and jumped in the pool with the teenage daughter while we lingered till late in the afternoon enjoying the food and their own wine.

And finally our road led us to Rome. We managed to catch up with a number of friends and family in and around the city.  Including 'i cugini', pictured here with the girls playing Italian card games. On the Sunday evening, when cars are allowed into the city we did a whistle stop tour; given the continuing heat and the girl's weariness for walking to see tourist sites it seemed the best option. We were able to tick off the most important sites of St Peter's and the Colosseum. Another morning was spent walking around seeing the Pantheon and Piazza Navona and of course picking up a gelato at Giolitti. Gregorio was very proud to show his girls around Rome - had we had more time or energy we would have seen more but we know we will be back. On our final night Gregorio and I enjoyed Rigoletto at the Baths of Caracalla. It was quite a spectacle - not least watching audience who were dressed in anything from shorts and t-shirts to full blown evening gowns. When the lights finally went down at 9:30 pm (for the 9pm start) there was this mad dash to an empty and hopefully better seat further forward. It was rather amusing, especially when the ushers tried to stop this last minute shift around.

It was a good couple of weeks in Italy and I think the girls have lots of memories that are still being digested. Every day they learned something new, including the morning papa' had to renew his identity card. The girls were fascinated that complete strangers would start a conversation straight away while waiting in line.

As we left Rome it was raining slightly. Tune in next week for news from Greece!

Lots of Love,
Emma, Gregorio, Isabella and Matilde. xxx

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Venetian Fireworks.





Our Italian journey began with a bang. We spent 5 magical days in one of my favourite places - Venice. The girls were very excited having heard so much about the city of water from me. And for me, it was like going home. Quite literally. I had found an apartment on the internet and chosen it for its location. When we arrived I was transported back 17 years to when I lived and studied in Venice - I had only chosen THE apartment I lived in. Only now, it was all renovated, had good windows, air conditioning, a dishwasher and a washing machine! What a coincidence.

The highlight of the week-end was by far the Festa del Redentore and I might add it is what shaped our itinerary this summer. The church of the Redentore on the Giudecca was built by Palladio to give thanks that the Venetians had been saved from the Plague. Every year - on the third Saturday of July a bridge of boats is traditionally built across the canal of the guidecca. Today the bridge is a more solid construction that is set up temporarily for the feast and connects the Zattere to the Giudecca. 

Gregorio choosing fish

La Salute illuminated by the fireworks.
On the Saturday night Venice lays on the most spectacular firework display in the Bacino di San Marco as part of the festivities. All terraces, restaurants and vantage points are booked up (despite the premium they charge for the evening). We decided to do it the Venetian way and hired a water taxi with our friends. Having feasted on a seafood extravaganza (courtesy of Gregorio and our early morning visit to the fish market at the Rialto) we boarded our boat. Our driver, a Redentore veteran, told us it was early at 9:30 pm to head to the bacino and so gave us a beautiful tour of Venice by night. There is something special about cruising down the Grand Canal in your own boat with hardly any other boats around. We were overwhelmed upon arrival in the bacino - it was filled with boats of all shapes and sizes. I had expected a lot but not the party atmosphere. We moved from the small family boat gatherings to the pirate ship. Then there were the disco ships (the girls' eyes were out on sticks at the flashing vibrating scene) to the fishing boats partying away and finally the seriously rich yachts moored up near the Giardini. I am not sure if it was the heat or tradition but there were also people taking a dip in the water. It doesn't look the cleanest stretch of water at the best of times...

It was still too early to hang around so we paid a visit to a gelateria - also a tactical pit stop (note we were drinking like camels given that it was reportedly 40 C that day and there was no loo on board). At 11:20 pm we were racing down the Grand Canal with all the last arrivals to the party, including a few gondolas.  A few moments later a couple of warning shots were fired and total silence and darkness descended on the city. Venice was ready for the show to begin. And what a show we were treated to. Forty minutes of pure magic.
There is something amazing about being in such an open space with fireworks raining down on you. The scene was Turneresque:  the foreground was filled with the silhouettes of people and boats and then bursts of light and colour beyond. There were loud cheers and applause as the effervescent sky faded to night, and the boats started to file home - priority given to the gondolas, followed by the smaller boats. The party boats and fishing vessels disappeared out into the lagoon, perhaps to party on, take a dip in the cleaner waters of the Lido or head off for tomorrow's catch. What a night. Truly memorable.

But this was not all that we did in Venice.The girls had a five star experience. It was a week-end dedicated to the arts of Venice. We visited the 17th century weaving looms of Bevilacqua and admired the beautiful velvets and damasks they continue to make for the Vatican, Royalty, White House, rich and famous. They were materials fit for princesses, we decided and there was a lady with a spinning wheel. From there we spent an afternoon decorating our own Venetian masks in a small workshop surrounded by magical creations by the master, while listening to Vivaldi. Outside the window gondolas glided by. The quality of our decorations was impressive, we learned how to use paint, brush on gold leaf and age the masks. 


On our final day we visited Murano, where the glass is blown. I contacted one of the less commercial factories and the current owner (grandson of the original) let us in. I had a moment of panic when I wondered whether bringing six young kids to a glass factory and private museum filled with priceless pieces was one of my wisest itinerary decisions. But all was well. The owner gave us a tour of the furnaces and explained the process and then the kids were allowed to blow their own piece of glass. What they will really remember about this visit, however, was trying on Cinderella's glass slipper in the museum. The owner told them they should come back in about two years and it will fit - needless to say my feet were too big!

We also enjoyed some fantastic food - more seafood than you can imagine. I am sorry to say that I have discovered that the Maryland soft shell crabs are not a patch on the baby Venetian "moeche". We managed to retreat to the island of Torcello for a very leisurely lunch on Sunday, while the kids played hide and seek in the rose garden - here  the air was a little fresher. We did so many more things but we have now moved onto Tuscany and our Venetian thoughts are now swaying in the breeze with the cypress trees. 

More soon!
Love,
Emma and her Italian family xxx

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The fun continues in London


The English holiday is coming to an end, as has the amazing warm weather. It lasted till almost our last day. But it wouldn't be England without a little drizzle!

Isabella announced that the highlights of the holiday so far were seeing Bjorn, her baby cousin (who is rather adorable) and going to Borough market on the South Bank. We visited the market last Friday.We started the day with a delicious English breakfast at Roast and then wandered around all the market stalls and sampled their wonderful wares. Pure heaven for us foodies. Isabella listed all the foods she tried in her diary

"we went to a market that was selling international food. It was a beautiful day, and the food they sold was wonderful. I tasted: parmigiano, pate, chorizio, ice-cream, baclava, scallops, oysters, pasta, olives, raspberry chips and cheese."

She had great fun chatting up the stall holders and discovering they were Italian. The looked astounded as this blonde haired 8-year old asked them in perfect Italian if they could explain the difference between the two parmesans they were selling.

From there we had a delightful stroll along the South Bank past the Tate Modern, wobbly bridge and The Globe on a seriously hot day (we missed our air conditioned life in DC!)

Matilde told us that she was enjoying her time in  London. However, she is extremely disappointed, as she had really wanted to see the Queen. "why did she have to go to America, she has servants who can do all the work for her?!"

We have managed to catch up with lots of friends and family but sadly not enough time to see all. We have been to the Tower of London, we lost many hours there, but not our heads. The girls were fascinated. And Sheila, we went round on the moving walkway many times past the crown jewels so they could be sure they had the correct number of crowns listed. Matilde decided that the Queen must have a VERY large dining room table, otherwise how on earth could she fit all those golden plates and bowls on there. Let alone lift that big punch bowl that can hold 144 bottles of wine.

We spent a day at the British Museum, were we donned our activity back packs and headed for the Greek galleries. The girls had to dress up as Greeks and then we learnt about Greek games, clothing, gods and so much more. Isabella is a little concerned that those marbles we were looking at came from the Parthenon in Athens...

Tomorrow we head to Venice to join some British friends from DC and also some Roman friends. We have lots of fun activities planned, one of the highlight will be the fireworks in the Bacino di San Marco on Saturday night for the Festa del Redentore. Stay tuned for next week's installment!

Lots of love,
Emma, Gregorio, Isabella and Matilde. xxx

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

London calling

We have been having a thoroughly English time - filled with glasses of pimms, servings of summer pudding, roast lamb and mint sauce, lunch at an English country pub and strawberries with lashings of cream and a cup of tea.

Matilde has been writing her diary. Here is an excerpt (I have copied her writing exactly):

Sins we got here in London we went to the park and had a ice cream. The next day we had lamb for lunch on Tuseday we are going to go to bucingham palice and sea the Queens gards. To go there we are going on a dubool decabus. Tomoroo Daddy and Isabella with me and mummy we are going to go to the London I. ....our bedroom was butufull wen we got here...and we will have a nice day towmorow. And the adar days it was funy beacus in the nitte I got my pen and book  and rote in my book and we played a lot.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

All Stable, Europe Here We Come!

Tuesday's MRI revealed that the weed in Isabella's head is still stable. This is extremely good news, we depart for our European Grand Tour with peace of mind tonight. Gregorio also showed our book to the doctors and nurses and they were thrilled. We are hoping that we might still find a way to get it published and more widely distributed to other families going through something similar.

We are off to London first, followed by Italy, Greece and Mallorca. The girls will be blogging, so check back here on a regular basis to see what we have been up to. Matilde has been telling all she is going in a gondola in Venice. Isabella is looking forward to a cooking class in Tuscany and Gregorio has his list of London restaurants and pubs he wants to try out. Not to mention their new hiking boots that they will try out in the Italian Alps. Above all we are looking forward to slowing down and spending time with family and friends on what will be a truly memorable summer.

Needless to say the excitment has been building for weeks. We have been kept very busy saying goodbye to friends who are leaving DC, enjoying the end of year festivities at school and Isabella's birthday celebrations this week-end. A fine feast of bruschetta, spedini di gamberi, grissini con proscuitto, linguine (fresche) col pesto (fatto da loro), cupcakes and fruit dipped in chocolate sauce was enjoyed by the happy band of friends. They chopped, mixed, cooked and savoured every mouthful (during preparation and at the table afterwards!) Gregorio and I were exhausted and a little overwhelmed by the pile of things to wash up, not to mention the eggs that had been cracked everywhere and the flour and sugar that lined most surfaces and the floor. A very tasty birthday indeed.

Football fever has been very high at school in support of the World Cup. Isabella revealed her true identity when she broke down and cried that Italy was out. Matilde has gone off to school today proudly wearing an England shirt (thanks to our Spanish friends) to participate in the Year 1 end of year World Cup football match! Sadly none of our teams are still in so we will revert back to our favourite sport and will be cheering for the English lad down in SW19 - GO MURRAY, you can make it to the finals this year.

Have a good summer.
Lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Race for Hope

In 2009 we were soaked by the rain, this year we were soaked through for another reason. In the space of about 48 hours DC went from winter to mid-August - 90F or 30C and VERY humid. It was seriously hot as we gathered with Team Impavido on 12th and Penn Ave at 8:30 am on Sunday morning. We were greeted with a loud cheer by our dear friends and family all proudly wearing the team t-shirt. This is most of the team, some were still pinning on their numbers as this picture was taken!

The day's events began with a tribute to all Brain cancer survivors - they paraded down Penn Ave in their yellow t-shirts to the front of the start line. Isabella was in the front row striding with great determination and pride. True to her name, Miss Fearless! There was not a dry eye around.

The race went well. We all completed the 5K course - some running and some walking. Despite the heat I ran faster than last year, though I am a little stiff today! Our oldest member and star global charity fundraiser in the family, Janie was the first to finish in our team. Isabella was determined to complete it too and ran across the finishing line with a big smile. Matilde, walking with Peter, announced on several occasions "this is the most boring thing ever!" I think she was fed up she had lost track of everyone else in the team and all she could see was a sea of sweating unknown people, 10,000 to be precise. But she, like Isabella felt a great sense of achievement on completing the race. See the certificate that Isabella produced for herself at the end of the day below.








Participating in an event like this is very emotional. There is a strong bond between everyone going through or knowing someone who has gone through a similar situation. As Isabella sat and rested after the event, a teenage boy came up to her and said "high 5, buddy!" He then wanted to know how long she had been a survivor and discuss tumors. We discovered that he had been treated by the same doctor. And as if on cue, out of the throngs of people, appeared the lovely, calm Dr P. Isabella was pleased to catch up with him on a day like this, here they are together.

We were thrilled to have such good friends and family with us. We are truly grateful for your support to us the past couple of years but also your generosity to such a vital cause. As Dr P says on his team's page and they announced at the beginning of the race, "we will not rest until we find a cure!" Near and far you have donated your time and money. We are around $5,000 for our team so far but the donations are still coming in and can be accepted for several months to come. A huge thank you to Susan, who ran her own charity race a couple of weeks ago (but 10K or was it more?) in Belgium and has raised nearly $2,000 for the cause.

And here is Uncle Billy  with some of Team Impavido. He spent the morning trying to promote the book I have written about Isabella's story. It has been beautifully illustrated by Marie-Isabelle, we hope to publish it for other children and families in a similar situation.

After a very hot but wonderful morning we returned home to a celebratory BBQ (using Gregorio's new machine) with all the team and their families.

Thank you for all your support.
Love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx

Thursday, April 22, 2010

All stable

We know many of you have been waiting to hear the results of the latest MRI. Well it is good news, the tumor is all stable, no change. Full steam ahead with our plans for this summer!

Many of you know that waiting, or rather patience, is not one of my fortes. So each time an MRI looms there is a certain tension and a total inertia to do,  decide or plan anything. Thankfully (well perhaps that is not the right word) an unpronouncable volcano in Iceland decided to cause havoc to European airspace this past week and the fall out has kept me extremely busy, dealing with stranded travelers in London and Amsterdam. Quite incredible that a volcano in this day and age provided non-stop bloody fun,  to quote a friend and former colleague in the business! I am pleased that the latest challenge to the travel industry is coming to a close and our home life will find an equilibrium once more. It is bad enough with the iphone buzzing on Gregorio's side of the bed at all hours, with the latest revision to a proposal!

We are very grateful to all those who have sponsored us or are joining us in the Race for Hope on May 2nd here in DC. See one of the postings below for full details if you haven't yet donated to the valuable cause to find a cure for brain cancer.

More news at the end of June after the next MRI. That's all for now, Gregorio says I have gone too cerebral!

Lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio xxx

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Where Dreams Come True

We are on the final leg of our journey home from Disney World in Florida, after a truly memorable week all round. The Make a Wish people built up the excitement prior to our departure with weekly cards and information on the different parks and things to do. We have been looking forward to the trip for many months, the last two had been particularly intense. Firstly, the girls and I had a wonderful week's skiing in Park City Utah. Gregorio, unfortunately, broke his shoulder on day two of the trip. It was his first ever fracture but he was more pained by the fact that he could not enjoy the fabulous snow and extensive pistes in the Rockies, something he had longed to experience. Then I left for Athens and Siena (hey, it was work!) The girls tied Gregorio's shoe laces and helped him get dressed, he insisted on driving his manual golf cabrio and somehow he managed single handedly for a week. And before I returned, Gregorio set off around Europe to right the world of its financial woes. The 4th March was our tenth anniversary, Gregorio celebrated in London and I with the girls in DC. Their comment on us having reached 10 years of marriage: "so?" Indeed, I am told ten years is only tin.

Anyway, back to Disney, we were in much need of a change of pace and scenery. At 6pm last Friday we were picked up in a seriously large black limo. Did you not hear the screams?! The squeals of delight from Isabella and Matilde were hilarious. Let the records also show that the driver said to me, not once, but twice "is that all the luggage you are taking, I have never seen a family travel so lightly! (I know, I know Gregorio this was not the case on the return). Once inside the limo the girls insisted on sipping a glass of water from one of the champagne flutes. It was a great way to start the week and an indication of the VIP treatment we were to receive.

We were taken to Union Station, as part of Isabella's wish was to travel by train. What an adventure. We boarded the Silver Meteor bound for Orlando and quickly found our two roomettes on either side of the corridor, they were compact and revealed an efficient use of space, to say the least. Penny, I don't think the decor or menu in the dining car has changed since we toured the US by Amtrak twenty years ago!

By Saturday lunchtime we were in the Sunshine state. We were met and taken to Give the Kids the World Village. This resort is used by many Make a Wish families visiting Disney world. However, it was spring break and there was no room for us, so we were accommodated at the Polynesian Resort in the Magic Kingdom. We had the perks of Give the Kids the World (eg VIP treatment in the parks, free ice cream in the village all day long) and the convenience of the Polynesian - the best of both worlds.

We spent a full day in the Magic Kingdom experiencing all the classic rides and shows around Cinderella's castle. Isabella's status got us into and onto everything without any waiting. Magic. There was much hilarity when Papa was squirked by the camel during the flying carpet ride. We watched and participated in several parades. The floats were bright and colorful, bedecked with balloons and all the classic Disney characters singing and dancing away. I don't know if it is Disney's ability to create the feeling that a dream can come true or knowing why we were there, but on a very overcast day, Gregorio and I had our sunglasses firmly on during the parades. The highlight of this day was a visit to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where a fairy godmother fussed over little princesses, doing their hair, make-up and nails and then showering them in sparkles before spinning them around so they could look in the mirror at their transformation. Matilde was, as we knew she would be, ecstatic. "This is the best day ever".  The real joy was watching Isabella. She was given the royal treatment and had three people tending to her. She apologised for not having enough hair to work with and them her story. They added hair pieces and lots of razzamatazz. An enormous grin spread across her face when she saw herself. "I still look the same with long hair" She was so pleased, she could finally believe that she will have long hair again. Priceless.

At Seaworld we fed various animals, but the highlight was feeding the dolphins. Isabella shouted out "this is the best day!" (so far...) We also watched a beautiful show featuring dolphins, acrobats and parrots. Next stop: finding a real pearl in an oyster. Yes, this was just the beginning of the shopping....At the Animal Kingdom we went on safari. Even Gregorio, who has been on a real safari, said it was done amazingly. Admittedly you probably wouldn't see that many animals on a real safari in a whole day, let alone thirty minutes. The final and perhaps the park enjoyed most of all was Epcot, not least because there were fewer people. The science and technology displays were interactive and educational. Fascinating. We then proceeded to walk around the different countries. A series of replica buildings filled with restaurants and shops selling all sorts of wares from the various countries proved to be a fascinating (and expensive) journey around the world.

We began in Norway. I would not be deterred by the impatience of the rest of the family and eventually we were given the last table inside the Royal Palace, where we mingled with princesses. Matilde's face on learning that we would be seeing Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Belle and Aurora was magical. Matilde was so excited she couldn't bare to waste too much time at the Norwegian buffet table, for fear that she would miss the princesses. They moved around the banquet greeting little princesses with hugs, signing autograph books and giving them a hug. Every little girl's dream.

From Norway we went to China, where Matilde gained a little chinese silk dress and we watched an interesting film about China with amazing landscape scenes. We wandered the souks of Morocco filled with jasmine sense, where the girls had henna decoration painted on their hands. In Japan, Isabella tried on a kimono and chose several pairs of chopsticks. Recently Isabella has gone mad about sushi, she had it three or four times this week alone. "Papa', questo e' il giorno piu' bello di tutti!" Under the arches of the Doges Palace in Italy, the girls were commented on their Italian and Gregorio was congratulated as well for teaching his daughters Italian. At the end of a very hot day we arrived in England, where Gregorio marched us into the Rose and Crown pub and ordered four lime and sodas. Stu, behind the bar asked where he was from (when Gregorio speaks English, his accent is still more British than American). "I'm from Rome, but she's local" he said, pointing at me and the drinks were on the house.

In between all this park hopping filled with fun we also enjoyed some good food from around the world, did you expect anything less from this family? We ate Asian, African, Hawaiian, Cuban, Norwegian and enjoyed Polynesian entertainment at dinner one evening and had breakfast with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto. We also found time to relax and splash around at the pool and the girls were happy with the simple things like colouring Disney characters in the lobby or helping  the lady to make real flower Hawaiian lei.

We concluded our magical week watching the firework display in the Magical Kingdom eating candy floss (cotton candy, zucchero filato). Life doesn't get much better than this. We are extremely grateful to Make a Wish for making a dream come true, a magical week for the whole family.

Tomorrow the fun continues with Easter Egg hunts and festivities. We then have lots of fun things to look forward to this spring including the Race for Hope on May 2nd (see previous blog for more details). We are very happy that family are flying in to participate in this event with us. Then there are birthdays and getting ready for our big European vacation this summer.

Isabella will have another MRI on April 21st, we will update you if there are any changes. In the meantime, we wish you all a Happy Easter / Buona Pasqua.

Love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx

PS: Yes, Gregorio's shoulder is nearly better and he is in training for the race on May 2nd!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Race for Hope



Calling all supporters, runners and walkers!. On May 2nd we are participating in the annual 5K Race for Hope, here in Washington DC to raise money to help find a cure for brain cancer. 

Our personal story
Our daughter Isabella was diagnosed with a brain tumor (Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma) in September 2008, age 6. Thankfully she was basically asymptomatic. She underwent 14 months of chemotherapy with strength and courage. The tumors shrank and are now stable. She has now been off treatment for 10 weeks and we pray this will continue to be the case before there is any change and we have to consider further treatment.

The facts
Everyday 9 children in the US are diagnosed with a brain tumor. Twenty years ago the diagnosis of a brain tumor was virtually a death sentence for a child. Because there was very little research being done into the disease, most treatments were ineffective or harsh, and most children did not survive to adulthood. But in 2010, 3 children diagnosed with a brain tumor in the US will transition to survivorship everyday. There is hope.

Many are excited about treatments currently being researched and developed. They expect to see advances in several areas: less traumatic surgeries, new chemotherapeutic drugs and combinations of drugs that effectively could replace surgery and radiation therapy, chemotherapy with fewer side effects, treatments that marshal the body’s own immune system to kill tumor cells, and gene therapy. Researchers are developing new therapies that will extend the lives of many (adults and children) affected by a brain tumor and will ultimately lead to a cure.

We know there are many valuable causes out there, so we are truly grateful for anything you can donate towards finding a cure for brain cancer. Please consider supporting Team Impavido on May 2nd in the Washington DC 13th annual Race for Hope. 

Donating on-line is a very easy process, but let us know if you have any difficulty. Go to www.curebraintumors.org and search for Team Impavido or click on this link:  http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=1490&team_id=34940

With many thanks,
Emma & Gregorio

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Port out, snow continues

This morning at 5:30 am Gregorio took Isabella to the hospital for surgery. It was pretty cold and icy out there. Gregorio and I were comatose at that hour, Isabella was alert and excited, she was getting her port out. A quick bit of shoveling to clear the tracks from our driveway and they were off. All went smoothly and they were back home having breakfast by 11.

Isabella has been relaxing at home, watching the TV with Mati - no school for both of them again today. No school tomorrow either, they haven't been at school since last Thursday and the way things are going it is unlikely they will be going back this week and then it is half term!

In case you missed the news, Washington DC received an historic amount of the white stuff, as predicted last Friday and Saturday. Somewhere in the region of 25-30 inches. We have dug ourselves out but the roads are still a mess. And now as I write this, the next snow storm has begun, a few hours later than they advised but it is set to snow till tomorrow evening and bring a mere 10-20 inches this time.

Sunday and Monday were beautiful sunny days. We had lots of fun playing in the snow. Needless to say lots of cooking and eating has been going on the past 5 days, think we deserved it after shoveling 2 feet of snow and walking up our street (hard enough without snow!)

Lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx

Thursday, February 4, 2010

All stable, life without chemo is good.

We met with the neuro-oncology team at Children's this morning and were told that last week's MRI showed that all is STABLE, the port is coming out, we are free of chemotherapy for the time being. A huge sigh of relief. 2010 continues to be a good year.

After a neurological exam, the doctor showed us the scans of the brain and spine. Isabella said she wanted to stay and look. She pointed out to her neurologist "that's my brain stem, that's the cerebellum, my eyes and the optic nerves, now where's the tumor?" We laughed, she's going to be a doctor. Then he pulled up some scans from the July MRI to compare how things had changed in six months, at which point Isabella announces "oh this is SO boring, I'm off to the art room!" She had the information she needed, the port is coming out.

Gregorio and I discussed the future. They repeated what we have been told before. It is a slow growing tumor so we hope to buy as much time as possible before we reach the last resort: radiation. In the meantime there would be more chemotheraphy as an option, depending on when regrowth happens or hopefully new drugs that are in trial, would be available. We were assured that he would get us to or bring the latest treatment to Isabella, whenever it is needed. He is a world renown neurologist but also incredibly down to earth and a support to Isabella and the family this past year and a half. He did point out that they've been hoping for a breakthrough with new treatment for about 10 years and they are still waiting for it to happen. However, it is true medicine is making tremendous advances.

To this end, we have chosen to support Brain cancer research whenever possible. We have decided to run again in the Race for Hope in Washington DC on May 2. If you go to www.CureBrainTumors.org you should be able to find our team. Let us know if you want to join the team - in reality or as a virtual runner or donate what you can. We know there are many valuable causes out there, not least the poor survivors of the recent Haiti earthquake, we are grateful for any contributions you can give. I have also written a children's story about Isabella's journey which a lovely friend, who's family know all about brain tumors, is kindly illustrating. The aim is to help other children going through similar experiences and ultimately give money to brain cancer research. If nothing else it will be a beautiful book for Isabella to remember what she has been through.

Since Isabella finished treatment she has gained strength, her hair is growing thicker and a sense of total serenity has descended on the household. It has been a happy month, none of that sinking feeling when we wake up on Thursday morning. It was very sweet at supper this evening when Gregorio says "a toast to life without chemotherapy" and Mati says "don't mention that chemo stuff, it makes Bella feel sick!" She was happy to understand that we were done with chemo.

Tuesday they will take out the port and then no further worries about fevers and having to run to the ER and perhaps more importantly we avoid a monthly flush of the line and all the anxiety that would cause Isabella. Thankfully we managed to have the port accessed and flushed while Isabella was sedated for the MRI last week so avoided all the drama.

The next MRI is scheduled for April 21st. Before that, we are off to Utah for a week's skiing. We are really looking forward to it, not that we haven't done a lot of skiing locally for the day in the past couple of months and have been getting a fair amount of the white stuff in DC. Two snow storms in the past week and a major snow storm forecast to start Friday at noon - so much so Gregorio's office will be closed and so is school tomorrow. Guess my free day to run around and do errands is out the window! I managed to grab the few remaining things on the supermarket shelves this evening. It is always so amusing to watch the panic buying up at the stores prior to a snow storm. So we are all set for a week-end of cooking and eating in the Impavido household between sledding and snowman making. Then the week before Easter, Isabella's wish thanks to Make a Wish is being granted, we will travel to Disney world in Florida for a week of pure fun.

Fun times lie ahead, not to mention the planning of a European trip this summer. More news at the end of April.

Lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx