More Photos

The End of our Dream Trip!

Well we have ended our trip on a high not by staying our last night in a 5 star hotel in Incheon Korea. We had adjoining rooms (Kids in one room parents in the other!) Had a fancy toilet that had a warm toilet seat, and a sprinkler for your front and back bottom. Kids thought it was a real novelty, trying it out more than once! Have to say Mike and I tried it too just for the experience, caught the family moment on Video...might show the Kids on their 21st! Watch out Catie and Zane ... good threatening evidence!Dinner, Breakfast and Lunch on Korean Air at the Hyatt Regency! Impressive!!
Our last bit of shopping in a Korean Shopping Centre called E-mart!! Bought some Fun gifts. Flight back to NZ great and now back home and to reality.
Was our trip a dream?............... If so ...... Man What a dream it was!!..........Certainly wouldn't mind having that dream again!!!

Now a few Thank you's.........

Thanks to those who followed my blog and made comments!
Thanks to my Italian family and friends for making this trip an amazing experience
especially for the kids!
Thanks to the MacMillan for having us and for a great time!
Till our next trip


Ciao e baci

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre
5 Quaint walking villages built inbetween rockfaces on the Mediterraean sea. Wow....... what an experience! The Med was warm, snorkled, lots of fishes...great marine life. Will post photos soon. Did a boat cruise between the villages to Porto Venere and to three 3 Islands. Great weather!! Definetly recommended it!!
Milan was our last stop in Italy and we spent two lovely days with Emma our Italian student. Did some sight but also did lotsa shopping!! Milan is the fashion capital of the world so clothes, jewellery, shoes we high on the agenda!
Great fun and a great way to end the trip. Some sad good byes, tears and heart strings pulled!!
Now back to Korea........

France and Monaco

Wow what a great four days with the Macmillans! We went to St Guihem Le Desert, a gorgeous medieval village,had a French lunch of Goat cheese salads, Boeuf bourgeon and crepes! then we headed to a train ride in the mountains over looking vineyards, French villages and forest. We also went to the Mediterranean sea where the family except Suzie indulged in a swim! Indulged in another gorgeous lunch of French food, seafood this time as we were on the coast.These frogs sure know how to cook! On our last day went shopping in Pezenas where Mike bought Diesel jeans. The afternoon was spent at a new shopping centre where again Mike was spoilt with new clothes!! The last evening a baby sitter was booked and the King Macmillan adults went for a scrumptious dinner at a gorgeous French restaurant! No frog legs or escargots on the menu but raw marinated duck, rabbit, rack of lamb,quail,goat cheese wrapped in filo parcels soooooo Devine!! Lots of wine and Laughs! Dessert was equally as tantalizing with creme brûlée and ice cream! On Saturday we left Roujan and headed to the French Riverera, Eze, Cannes, Nice,and Monaco. Zane and Mike in awe of the Ferrari's, Porches, Lamborginis and Rolls Royces. Arrived back in Italy on Sunday evening and dined at the medieval city of Borges on the Liguiran coast. On Monday when headed to Genoa and a violent storm hit and what should of taken us 45 minutes took 3 hours! Rubble over the autostrada and flooding rain. Finally managed to get to Genoa train station and headed to Vernazza Cinque Terre. This is one of five villages set on the rock face with the Mediterranean coast on one side. Tomorrow we start our three days of walking from village to village along walking tracks in the National park of Cinque Terre. On Saturday we head to Milan, which brings us to the last leg of our adventure!! Wow what an amazing trip this has been, already planning our next trip!

France to Cinque Terre Photos

The Sordello's family and Roujan France

Two days ago we arrived in Roujan France at our friends the MacMillans. What a lovely feeling to be amongst friends. A few drinks and some R and R just what the Dr ordered after some weeks on the go.
Have done a train ride in the mountains and seen some medievil villages. Been to the beach and indulged in some French cuisine. BLISS. Kids having a ball, the hightlight of their trip!!! Some photos to follow............

Family time

Hi again from up at 1000 metres up the mountains of Italy. This is where most of my Italian family live. If you have been to Switzerland you will be able to imagine what it looks like, an alpine resort with flower boxes in the windows, gorgeous homes with wooden shutters.....so picturesque. Seeing family again after 20 years has been amazing...very emotional but good fun. Lots of laughs, good wine and food!

The Italians sure know how to entertain! Being fed constantly! Mike and kids struggling as no English spoken by my mountaineer cousins! Hence I am speaking and translating, a job as I am sure you can imagine I am very good at! The jaw is going at 100 million miles an hour. So much to catch up on!!

We Went to Gardaland with the kids yesterday. A theme park here with lots of roller coasters, rides, entertainment etc.... Catie (and Mike) are the dare devils and went on everything even the blue tornado roller coaster,which is the scariest of all the rides!
Zane (and I) were a little apprehensive to say the least,not sure what he expected but like his mother a little nervous about most daredevil rides. We went on most to show we could also participate, but with our eyes closed tho!!

We have also been to Verona to Juliet's house (as in Romeo and Juliet) and wrote on her wall. Have visited a number of medieval villages and had lunch with cousins at the castle restaurant! On Saturday we are off to Lake Garda and Como. I hope George (as in George Clooney)is ready and waiting for me and not been held up by filming! He has a holiday home in Como so I will be keeping my eye out!! I will post some more photos soon.

Ciao e Baci from La Bella Italia!

Photos

Venice

Hi from Venice.
What an exhausting few days but worthwhile!Feet ache and knackered.
We went Walking around Venice, got lost but was an experience in itself. Got to taking water taxis, traggetto etc.. to save our feet on day 2.
Bloody tourists everywhere!! St Marks square and Basillica were great and went up the bell tower (the campanile)just in time to have our ears blasted from the bells donging on the half hour!! Awesome experience tho and could see for miles. Went to the Ponte Rialto and Rialto markets, Bridge of Signes and Dogge palace. Gondalas Galore, bloody rip off as usual. Food good but pizza and pasta getting a bit monotonous, so had seafood platter last night for a change,calamari scampi prawns and fish, chips and salad. (Beats cooking I must say!)
On to Padova tomorrow to see our Italian exchange student (Emma) and her family and then on to my family in the mountains (Montangna) LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THEM AFTER 20 YEARS! Ciao for now and Baci

some photos for you

Photos of us in Italy on face book as having difficulty putting them on blogsite
will keep trying

Under the Tuscan Sun

Wow what a great few days. Weather gorgeous and wonderful for tripping around. Cooler nights and mornings and stunning days of 25c degrees.
Been to San Gimagnano with it's 12 towers,Voterra, Florence for a walking tour, Siena and tomorrow Pisa, the beach and finally Florence again to go the Uffici museum and the Accademia gallery to see David by Michelangelo. seeing lots art and churches, feeling very holy indeed! Had wild boar for lunch with pasta and made PIGS of ourselves. been relaxing at our farm stay with the odd vino by the pool under the Tuscan sun. can't get over the CRAZY Italian drivers!! Shame how run down Italy is and I don't mean the ruins. roads bumpy and in need of repair, graffiti, rubbish on ground and telecommunications difficult!! won't complain about NZ again!! Finding my Italian rather useful in not getting ripped off!! Kids in awe and Mike enjoying the Italian BELLAs looking but NO touching!! Ricky you must come hot chicks and lots fast cars

Contact number

If you need to contact us our number is 00 39 3807716274
To email Mike use suziek@hug.co.nz
Ciao

Tuscany Italy

Hi there!!
Finally have managed to get onto a computer!!!We have had a few amazing days in Roma Wow the sights incrediable, ruins ancient, drivers crazy, food exquiste!! Saw Roman Forum,Palatine Hill,Colosseum, Trevi fountain, Spanish steps, Travestere, where Romans typically live, not may tourists, Campo d fiori markets, Vatican City, Tour of Vatican museum Sistine chapel, Last judgement works by mad Michelangelo, went to the Cupola top of St Peters Basillica. Out of this world.
Picked up car, a Merc station wagon, got all the extras, auto and black! Mike in heaven!! Drove to Tuscany where we are staying on a Olive and Winery making farm. Pool, vino, sun what more could we ask for!! Kids and Mike well. Enjoying the Gelato, pasta, vino. Utter BLISS!!!Weather magnificient. Will post photos ASAP when we can work it out!! Off to Florence today San Giaminano, Siena, Lucca etc.. over the next few days

Seoul Korea

Hi guys My first posting from Seoul Korea!!GREAT flight very impressed with Korean airlines. Kids were FANTASTIC. Amazing how a square screen entertains them for 12 hours!! Zane in heaven! Wow what an experience, from rainy, cold Auckland to 29c degrees, humid and sticky!! Love being in shorts and a Tee. Arrived 6.30pm last night and got to hotel at 8pm.(11pm NZ Time)
Traffic chaos, sqillions of people and Neon lights galore! All knackered
AWAKE 4.50am!! (7.50am NZ time) Out sightseeing at 7am! Seen 2 palaces, been to market and now off to Seoul tower and night markets!! People gorgeous and very interested to talk to us. They love the kids. Food different but tasty. This sure is the life!!

Auckland New Zealand to .............