New Year's Eve

It started with a fancy dress

a fancy, surprise present - just specially picked out to go with the dress

a very dapper boyfriend

an elegant setting

and LALA MCCALLAN!

Lala is one of the most amazing performers and artists I have ever seen and she has quickly become one of me and Andrea's favorites. She has an increbile range of over three octaves and can seemlessly switch from singing soprano to tenor. It is my absolute favorite part of the show when she performs both the male and female parts of songs such as Barbara Streisand's "You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore" and Andrea Bocelli's "Time to Say Goodbye". It is stunning! Andrea and I always end up staring at each other, with mouths gaping, in disbelief. It is not any less impressive when she sings opera!


She has a wonderful and funny presense on stage that draws in people of all ages (the crowd on New Year's Eve was mostly comprised of older people and they loved the show!). Her costumes and wigs are quite the spectacle as well. All of her dresses are designed and made especially for her except the black one above which is a replica of a dress Marilyn Monroe wore.

And this is the man behind LaLa

He and his partner write, produce and take the show on the road all around the world. They are truly a wonderful and creative couple. I take my hat off to them for being able to do everything it takes to put on that show (think wig and costume changes, corsets to give a man womanly curves and make-up to hide stubble) and to still be talking to each other and very clearly in love at the end of the day.


In addition to LaLa, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner accompanied by interesting and diverse wine pairings. I was a little nervous to see goose as the main course but I was very pleasently surprised as soon as I took my first bite. It was all the flavors of duck but without the greasiness. The flavors of the bird were complimented perfectly by the earthy lentil ragu with which it was served.
The night was magical and elegant and it made me feel like a princess. It was a very special treat and a fabulous way to start the new year.
Happy 2011! May it bring to you exactly what you have wished for.

Bologna's Lights

I am always amazed by the enchanting display of lights the city of Bologna puts up for Christmas. There are so many lights! Around every corner and down every little street there are a different size and shape of lights. It feels truly magical and special.

One of the two towers all decorated in its Christmas best...the towers are always amazing and a true symbol of Bologna but when they are decorated with the lights they are even more special because from all around the town you can glance up and see the lights from the tower.

Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone had a lovely celebration with their friends, family and the people they love.

Decorations

This was the first year in a long time that I had a Christmas tree. It was fun to decorate it and it brought back memories of childhood and searching and hunting for the perfect branch on which to place each ornament. This guys branches proved to be a little tricky because most of them face up, instead of out, but I think he turned out pretty cute, even if a little Charlie Brownish. Also, here in Italy they do not sell cut trees like in the US so Andrea has already been scouting out places where we can plant this guy when we are done with him. (And yes, that is our pizza dinner all ready for us on the table - after literally hours of decorating I was hungry!).

I don't have a tree topper so I improvised with this little guy. I think he worked out pretty well. Also, notice Andrea's, very patriotic, Christmas Eve morning surprise.

We bought this ornament earlier this month at the Christmas Market in Innsbruck. It is the first ornament I have here that has a special story and meaning behind it.

This guy is another purchase from the Christmas Market in Innsbruck. He caught my eye immediately on the first night we were there so we brought him home and we call him Furry Santa.

We have, somewhat unknowingly, become cup collectors and although it sounds kind of dorky and weird I really like it. The mugs, with the exception of the one from the Sagra Del Tartufo, are all from various Christmas Markets we visited this year and last. It is one of my favorite things, to go to a Christmas Market on a cold night and get a mug full of steamy Vin Brulee (mulled wine) and walk around the snow covered market admiring the decorations, ornaments and other goods. It always makes me feel as though I am walking through the pages of a storybook.