Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We had a wonderful Christmas.... more to follow.

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Pesta-Palozza!

Wow, I've been so busy with Christmas stockings and packages for the troops with my "Aunt Nancy USA" project, and my SendOutCards home business, that I didn't get around to updating this blog when our tourist season ended!  ;)

Rick Brosch came by for a week --  but, as has happened a lot this year, he didn't get good weather.  :(  Still, we always have fun when he is here!

Over-lapping a bit, the Pestas started arriving:
Melissa and Dutch arrived on Friday (and stayed at Carolyn's)
Leslie flew in from Florida Saturday morning, Rick flew out mid-day, and Penny and Carl flew in Saturday night!  WHEW!

And again, in spite of the crummy, wet, weather, we had fun.  Even spent two days at Legoland and "Brick or Treat" there on Saturday night!

Watching the Michigan v Michigan State football game with Rick(s) in Pacific Beach

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More fun with visiting friends!

Ray and Sharon are friends from Michigan (Ford) who have retired in Las Vegas. After a summer of 110 degrees for months, they were looking forward to a few days in San Diego to cool down a bit.  We promised them cool ocean breezes.

Well, after the coolest summer in San Diego since 1933, we are having a heat wave this weekend!  It's in the 90's here in Vista, which is actually still pretty nice.  We hung out by the fire pit last night with glasses of wine and a full moon.  Awesome!

Today we did the Hwy 101 tour: Oceanside Pier (and yes, Ruby's for burgers), then the coast, through Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, and down to Torry Pines Golf Course.  

Now for some football, cold beer, and just chillin' out.

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Alice in Wonderland!

Alice Simioni is here from Castelfranco Veneto, Italy! 

What a sweetie!  I'm having a blast showing her the best of San Diego, hitting all the parks (Zoo, Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld, and Disneyland!)  We're eating 'amburgers & fries, pancakes and French toast.  Watching "Gone With The Wind" and "Centennial". 
Rick is even allowing the Disney Channel while Alice and I sing songs together.

San Luis Rey Mission

Del Mar

California Simionis BBQ

Corn on the Cob American Style!






Our hot tub and pool






Wild Animal Park

We got together several different times with her Simioni relatives in Laguna Nigel.  It still amazes me that Castelfranco Simionis live that close to us.  I wrote down all the names Olga Simioni remembered, and we'll work on more later. What a fun family!

Alice tried to help Rick with his Italian lesson studies, but I don't think it helped!

And our "Princess" got her crown at Wonderland:

We met crazy Fausto too!  He came for our BBQ and also went with us up to Laguna Nigel for the day we had to return our Princess.

Alice: we are sorry you had to leave and look forward to your return to Wonderland!  <3




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Welcome Back Art & Kathy!

It was short but fun, as Art & Kathy came back to Villa Simioni!

Art had a conference in San Diego, but we got them here 4 nights and 3 1/2 days.  While we didn't get our best San Diego weather (it was cooler than normal and overcast from the marine layer in the mornings) we managed a trip to Temecula Wineries.  

LaJolla glideport by Torrey Pines, a trip down the coast on Coaster train, and then a visit with Kathy's MSU college friend Patti.

Well, Patti's family was wonderful!  We were taken for a ride around San Diego Bay on their boat, ate a little dinner and laughed for hours!  We were all a little surprised when Bill let Rick drive the boat... well, when he had him pull it right into the marina!  Rick was a bit relived when Bill took over at the end!

Thanks Bill, Patti, Kelly, & Jason!

Best of all may have been Art & Kathy's repeat gift of a carryon bag full of White Castle hamburgers, and two 5 pound frozen blocks of National Coney Island chili!

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Simioni del Mondo! It's a small world after all!

 Mattia meets Veronica in Greece..... OMG!

We are back in the USA for just a few days when Mattia Simioni writes me from Greece where he is working for the summer.  He is from Rick's father's hometown of Castelfranco Veneto.  

He tells me this story:  At his hotel a girl checks in who ends up working with him.  Her last name is Simioni too so they start up a conversation. She live about 2 hours from his town.  She happens to mention that she had recently met some Simionis from the USA who came to visit.  

He replies:  You don't mean Nancy & Rick Simioni do you???  She says "YES!!!" And he tells her how we had just visited HIS family!

In Greece!  It IS a small world after all!
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Leaving Italy

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Returning to the lakes: Maggiore & Como, with Lucas & Elena

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Florence

Michealangelo:

Pinocchio was everywhere.  Rick finally asked, in some basic Italian, why.  Well, it turns out the author of "Pinocchio" lived in Florence.

Speaking of books and Florence, we both read the true story "The Monster of Florence" by American author Douglas Preston.  It was very very interesting.  The book ended up being more about the legal system in Italy, and, relates directly to the Amand Knox case.  Read it all the way through if you can.

With the very narrow roads, some trucks are as small as motorcycles!


The Florence Duomo

http://goitaly.about.com/od/florenceitaly/a/florence-duomo.htm

And, a little side trip to Pisa (we just had to!)

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Bologna with Cippi

Rainy Rainy Rainy.   dang.  enough already!!!

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Lucas, Elena, Sergio... Simionis By The Lakes

 

We have visited so many fabulous places with Elena and Lucas.  Here are a few more.

and then to Lucas' cousin Sergio's.  Cavona is the smallest village I've ever seen.  Very old, and really spooky in a thunder and lightening storm!  ;)

and then, this little village of only 200 people has this museum:

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Bello Asolo

We took an afternoon trip up to this little, beautiful, mountain village.  The "Giro d'italia" would be coming through a few days later.

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Cittadella/Salvatronda/Castelfranco.... Birthday/Anniversary....

May 5 - Cittadella - Carlo/book/simioni strada with Gabriele

Simionis everywhere!

May 6 - priest: found desiderio(s); train to Treviso
Birthday party!

A good old-fashioned, down the basement, loud and fun birthday dinner with 6 homemade pizzas and 3 other Simioni families!
We may be related to the former NHL player Mario Simioni!

May 7 - castelfranco mercato; cemetary; back to emanuele's for dinner

No relatives here that we know of.  They move the bodies after 30 years!


May 8 - Basso?   dinner at Gabriele's?
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