4th December 2009
From South Africa to Livorno to Australia

Anel and Giovanni Giusti, from South Africa to Livorno to AustraliaJust over a year ago, the Giusti family arrived in Livorno from far-off Colesberg in South Africa to start a new life here. Anel and Giovanni moved to Livorno with their three children Giovanni, Imola and Iva, to fulfil a dream they have always had of coming to live in Italy.

18th September 2009
Livorno's School Children Broken in Gently after a Three Month Summer Holiday

Last Monday school children in Livorno (and most of Italy) went back to their classrooms after a break of more than three months. It was a particularly painful return to school due to a drastic change in the weather, the hot summer temperatures we had enjoyed here in Livorno up to Sunday turning overnight into torrential rain and thunderstorms, with the thermometer plummeting by more than 10°C! It was a fitting start to a new school year.

16th June 2009

I'm back again after several months of never finding the time or the inspiration to write my blog. I hope that I will have more of both from now on to make more regular posts!

Bobo Rondelli at the Teatro Goldoni in May 2009I love music, and I’m always on the look-out for new cds, new bands, new music to listen to. Every year I adopt a ‘cd for the summer’ which is often something that I discover during my usual fortnight in England in July and import to Livorno to play over and over again for the remaining sunny weeks. However, this year I think I am going to be exporting a cd from Livorno and taking it with me to the UK.

It's Bobo Rondelli’s latest album - Per Amor del Cielo - which I bought  this morning and have been playing over and over all day, in my car, and later at home. I love the new direction Bobo has taken, so different to his upbeat, quasi-punk  music of twenty years ago. His irony is still there, but he has mellowed, creating an album that is immediately likeable.

6th January 2009

I have several reasons to rejoice today. One very simple one is that I have just received a gas bill for ZERO euros. That is an absolute first, but I am suspicious!

Heart-lifting was the sight of the first Mimosa blossom this morning while I walked penitently around Montenero (trying, in my tatty tracksuit bottoms and trainers, to avoid the stares of the fur-coated church-going ladies). Spring in the air already? The mimosa is always the first to brighten up the early grey days of the year, but I have never seen one this soon before.

22nd August 2009

In addition to spending a lot of time in front of my portable computer, I also tend to drink a lot of coffee. Inevitably I sometimes do both at the same time. This week I found out that this is probably not a good idea.

Taking a break from the cooking the other day, I sat down to check my emails, coffee in hand. Not just a small espresso, but a whole mugful! I don't know how it happened, but after only a sip or two, I managed to tip the mug of coffee all over my computer, hitting both keyboard AND screen and immediately putting the whole machine out of action. Panic. 

9th September 2009

8 Sep 09 Flames and smoke from Calci, on the Monte PisanoI took these photos from the car on our way back to Livorno last night, on the main Florence-Pisa-Livorno (FI-PI-LI) road. The smoke rising from the hills behind Pisa - the Monte Pisano - came from yet another of several fires that devastated huge areas of woodland in the Pisa area yesterday. All the fires are thought to have been caused by arsonists.

18th January 2009

Football Pitch with a View, Capoliveri, Elba, Province of LivornoIt goes without saying that football mums have to go to football matches to support their young players. I am no exception. When I found out my nine-year-old was playing on the Island of Elba this weekend my first reaction was to groan, knowing that the day would entail lots of travelling. 

17th February 2009

I am thoroughly intrigued by the ‘hit counter’ that I recently added to Livorno Now. In fact, I’m getting quite addicted to it.  I opted for what they call ‘stealth mode’, making it all sound very sneaky and secretive,  but this just means the counter is invisible to all except me. I did this so that people visiting the site in January this year wouldn’t think I’d only had a handful of all time visits and immediately think it was a worthless site!