The last golden days of summer. Sunflowers and blackberries | Serole, Italy | 16 – 27 August
Zaven enjoys his Tuscany adventure – train layover in Pisa | 23-26 August
“Zaven take off your mask”
Birthday prosecco and poke | 30 August 2021 | Pavia, Italy
Joe surprised me with a birthday weekend, with Lula, in Varazze. 28 & 29 August 2021
Real. People. Our friends, Elena & Eric are here! Keeping our summertime tradition of bustin’ out of Brallo (setting the tools down and putting on real clothes vs work clothes) and going to Roccaverano for aperitivo. We continued the party in the outdoor art exhibit of Parco d’Arte Quarelli | Roccaverano Italy | 20 August 2021
Beach, paddle board, beer and watermelon. Spotorno, Italy | 17-19 August 2021
Poor Lula, big day at the beach. She is pooped but loves to be by me (and food) at any cost or discomfort.
All of us on the board
Views from SUP
And the lido had sweet potato fries – so rare in Italy – I was in heaven.
Views from the board
One of my goals/ dreams would be paddle boarding with Lula. Well we are half way there. Put the SUP in and Lula just walked right on it. A great Ferragosto at Lido di Mandello above Lecco on Lake Como 15 August 2021
Day 1 | Rifugio Zoia 2021 meters to Rifugio Carate Brianza 2636 meters. Great weather and great views
Punto Marinelli 3200 meters
Eeek! Don’t stand there. 3200 meters Punto Marinelli
Day 2 | Rifugio Carate to Rifugio Marinelli 2813 – since it was a short hike we dropped our packs and hiked up to Passo Marinelli at ~3000 meters and then on to Punto Marinelli at ~3200 meters. I am a sucker for Alpen lakes. Magical, surreal, unreal. Took heaps of pictures of the glaciers before they all melt.
Traditional post trek victory pose back at the car
Day 3 | Rifugio Marinelli to Rifugio Bignamy 2400 meters – we didn’t bring our crampons and ice axes so we had to backtrack to Rif. Carate and then scramble over hellish boulders. We decided to punt on staying a third night in a rifugio and just continue on down to the car.
Great trip to Elba. Loved Sestri Levante and the beautiful Elba beaches and seeing my friend Mara and her bb Bianca and husband Simone. Didn’t get to dive because the sea swells were crazy the day we reserved the boat. But we hit a lot of gorgeous beaches. PS Island people are ‘mean’ they don’t have to be nice and are probably a bit interbred. Isola di Elba | 30 July – 2 August 2021
Marino di Campo, Isola di Elba | 30 July – 2 August 2021
Sansone was our favorite beach. But bananas crowded. We just hung out for a bit before heading back to the ferry.
Spiaggia Sansone Isola di Elba | 30 July – 2 August 2021
Beach Mornings are the best Marina di Campo | 30 July – 2 August 2021
I love this green dress Marina di Campo | 30 July – 2 August 2021
A bit of a rustic walk in but beautiful views and great music thanks to the jivy lifeguards commandeering the tiny beach bar shack. Paolina Beach | 30 July – 2 August 2021
The sea took over the beach. Diving canceled. Photos pre wild waves. Spiaggia Cavoli | 30 July – 2 August 2021
Our expensive (and crap hotel) didn’t have coffee (or in room kettles/coffee makers) until breakfast at 7.30 – thankfully we found a bar that opened at 6.30 and could grab coffees to go for this beautiful little hike to Spiaggia Galenzana about 25 minutes from Marina di Campo. It totally reminded us of the San Juan Islands. Except warm. Without Orca whales. Spiaggia Galenzana | 30 July – 2 August 2021
A little morning beach yoga before hunting for coffee. Marina di Campo | 30 July – 2 August 2021
Catching a breeze on bikes Marina di Campo Elba, Italia | 30 July – 2 August 2021
I love me a ferry ride – from all the ferry rides as a kid to Canada and a teenager and young adult to the San Juans. This was a highlight. Photos to and from Elba. 30July – 2 August 2021
We stopped on the way to Elba and stayed over in Sestri Levante. We had a little apartment right in the old town between the Baia di Silenzio and the Baia di Favole. The owners were so nice and the apartment was adorable and modern. We had our maiden voyage with our paddle board/ Sup (what the Italians call them – short for Stand UP.) It was a blast and so nice to get away from the beach crowd. We just chucked our stuff in a wet dry sack, phones in waterproof things and paddled out to the blue. Sestri Levante Italia | 30-31 July 2021
Zaven went into Milan to catch up with Nicolo, visiting from San Diego, and Francesco visiting from NY. I think I was more excited for him to see his friends than he was. It’s a rare occurrence to get to see loved ones in the flesh these days and I am so proud of this group of young men – they worked hard, they are smart, funny, kind and have amazing careers and they have stayed in touch. Dear friends are cherished. While he was doing that Joe and I found cool solace in breezy narrow pedestrian streets…and drank beer – I am tired of white wine… for the moment. First time leaving Lula at home. We left her with a juicy bone and plenty of water and shade. Giulia kept me updated and there was no barking or crying. Hurrah! Looking forward to going to Elba next weekend!
24 July 2021 | Milano
The Villa is looking so much better without the crap plaster. Check out the progress here
Views from our morning walks and Lula enjoying her garden July 2021 Serole, Italy
We are loving our Spotorno dog beach. It’s close and management (Simone) is super friendly. 9 July 2021
Dog Beach Saturday and Sunday – pretty awesome and makes starting work on Monday tough 17 & 18 July 2021 | Spotorno, Italy
