A colorful affair!

Flora Micali's (Carlo's Mom's) 60th Birthday was the actual occasion of this family gathering in St. Petersburg this year. It was a colorful affair in every sense of the word! We dined at an Azerbaijanian Restaurant with the craziest-most colorful interior I've ever seen, which could only be topped by the variety of dishes and courses of food we were delighted with!!!

Russia - Differences and Similarities

We are back from our 10 day trip to St. Petersburg, Russia and I wanted to share some impressions and snapshots from our time there. Carlo's brother Luciano lives and works in St. Petersburg where he married his russian wife Anna last November. (See earlier posts.)

This trip marked our second visit and just as the first time, this time we also were fascinated by the 24-hour hustle and bustle of this very lively city.

Upon our arrival at Pulkovo Airport at 1 AM in the morning we were glad to meet up with our hired driver who struggled to load all of our luggage into a very old Lada. I ended up sitting in the back with one of the suitcases next to me. The very first thing I saw - gleaming like a beacon in the night- after leaving the airport was a KFC sign! Yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken next to the airport!
Just as in America, one big box store followed the other... The very wide highway was flanked by gigantic, beaming & newly built car dealerships sporting names like Volkswagen, Land Rover and Volvo.

This part of Russia is undergoing a building and economic boom which you can see and feel on every corner.

Huge cloverleaf style overpasses recalled driving on Houston's or Dallas' busy highways.

Once we checked into our hotel next door to Luciano's house, we decided to go for a snack at one of the 24 hour Sushi Restaurants which recently opened on Nevsky Prospect-then main drag of the city. By the way-almost in any restaurant or cafe you will find extensive selections of sushi and sashimi...at very good prices.

There we were: 2 AM in the morning, drinking draft beer, eating sushi and being waited on by waiters who were attentive and quick!!!
From our upstairs vantage point we could take in the flow of people strolling along the sidewalks on their way home or to another restaurant or club.

Around 3 AM we finally decided to turn in for the night and give our tired bodies some needed sleep. Our minds and hearts were teeming with life and anticipation for the days to come though...

Below some signs on Nevsk Prospect...

Olympics in Russia...

Dear Friends!

Greetings from Russia!
Currently visiting with Carlo's brother in St.Petersburg, Russia we cut off from any English language coverage of the Olympics... a bit weird to wake up in the morning and listen to russian news and coverage of the events in China.

The city is full of light and life though - with many great restaurants serving sushi at all hours of day and night.

A definite highlight so far has to be the ballett performance of "swan lake" at the Hermitage theatre on Monday night.

Russia is so much more like America than many other European countries and we are always amazed at the feeling of an "anything is possible" atmosphere and impression of spaciousness here.

Big cars, big streets, big beautiful buildings and lots of women in high heels. Lots!

We don't have access to the internet during the day, so I will write more once we are back in Munich. :)

All the best, Ines

Gearing up for Oktoberfest!

O.K. to so some it might be silly, but if you live in Munich you can't help but love the 18 days of Oktoberfest - which actually take place mostly in September due to the "lovely" German weather... :-)

After having experienced our first time in 2007, Carlo and I decided to not be caught in jeans and T-shirt at the festivities this year!

Carlo got a head-start with a bargain-priced super nice buck-leather pants (Lederhosen) and a nice pair of suspenders!!! (See photos)

A few days later I followed suit and purchased my first dirndl! Some of those outfits were priced at 900EURO!! I have to say that's a bit extreme and mine was much more affordable.. Pics to come!

Finally!

Since last Wednesday, Carlo and Ines are officially engaged!

It's a very good feeling knowing you have found the person you want to share every moment of your life with.

The "standesamtliche" or "legal-wedding" at city hall will take place on December 6th, 2008 here in Munich. We are planning a bigger celebration for next year and will share more info as we go along.

Cheers!

Sardinia! Amore mio!

Well, once again Carlo and I headed south to Sardinia! This time for 10 days, which was a fantastic getaway from the daily grind in Munich. We fell in love with this area last year and knew we wanted to return for longer.

The crystal clear waters, blue skies, wild, beautiful landscape were wondeful!
We took a day-trip to the nearby islands of Maddalena and Caprera. On Caprera we visited the house and tomb of the Italian Nationalist Guiseppe Garibaldi. He was an instrumental figure in the unification of Italy. Here, along its shores, we also discovered some of the most azure water on the entire trip. On Maddalena we came across a flea-market where you could buy cheeses, fruit, sandals and everything else you could imagine. We ended up purchasing two tablecloths and Carlo had to drag me away before I bought more! On the way to Caprera which is connected to Maddalena by a VERY narrow, wooden bridge, we spotted a herd of sheep dozing in the hot afternoon sun. It was nice to see them as we had been enjoying some of the wonderful sardinian pecorino cheese at our dinners.






On our way to the islands La Maddalena and Caprera...

Sardinia - Rena Bianca

One of the nicest beaches with the cleanest water and softest sand was near the town of St. Teresa di Gallura on the northern tip of the island.

We visited on a Sunday and the beach was pretty crowded but nevertheless, the water was fabulous!

Sardinia #6 - Hotel Le Dune

Our hotel is located on the top of a cliff overlooking "isola dei gabbiani" (Island of the seagulls). The view from the hotel "terrazza" is a real treat even when there are storm clouds on the horizon, as there were on our last day...
The beach arching into the peninsula is a haven for all windsurf and kitesurf enthusiasts. Carlo got in some good hours on the boar..

Sardinia #5 - Agritourism

Dinner at the Agritoursim was a really neat experience, especially since the view was amazing and some very cute animals were greeting us upon arrival..

Sardinia #4 - SelfPortraits

Ok, the every-present sel-portraits have to find their place somewhere...:-)
Along with a few other silly shots...