Tomorrow I'm going here!

For me it's almost vacation time now. I'm working today and tomorrow morning and then I'm leaving for Sweden and Skania.
I'm longing so much now for this:

Our house.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the garden :)

Long walks along the coast and on the countryside

Refreshing baths

and good seafood!

all photos are mine and from the surroundings close to our house :)

Puglia

Lately the weather in the north of Italy is really bad and we are dreaming about a house in the region of Puglia (the heal of the italian boot).
Our favorite area is Salento and we've been spending at least one week there every summer since I met Stefano. It's impossible not to fall in love with the small white villages, the amazing people, the wine, the lovely food and the crystal clear sea.
What's missing is to have our own place down there and dreams have no limits right? I wouldn't mind a Trullo :)

(pictures borrowed from Pinterest)

Skåne / Skania

We are planning our summer hollidays and I can't wait to go to Sweden and my parents lovely summer house in Skåne/Skania (the southest region in Sweden, just north of Denmark). Our house is placed in a a litle village on the north/west coast which is a peninsula called Kullahalvön and it's for sure a small paradise.
The landscape is amazing and the old architecture with half-timbered houses makes every village an idyll. There is allways something to do or see, just jump on your bike or get in to your old convertible and explore this region.
Lots of flea markets, artist galleries, small lokal delicatessen and cafès, sand beaches and rocky shores, small ports with old fishermen and fields after fields with old windmills and since it's not far from Denmark and bigger cities you can allways flee the countryside for more urban places if you get bored :)
Try the lokal dishes like smoked mackerel or äggakaka (lika a thick pankace with salted pork and lingonberries) and take a trip to the famous cafè Flickorna Lundgren på Skäret for a cup of coffee and a delicious pastry.

(pictures from Google)

The Alpines

Today Piacenza is getting invaded of 400 000 Alpines. Every second year? they arrange a big party in one city in Italy and this year it's going to be held in Piacenza, a city of 100 000 citizens (how did they think?). For four days they have blocked the whole center and you can not leave or enter after today afternoon. For them there will be 8000 busses to take them in and out from the city center but for people in Piacenza there is nothing organized... Almost all shops are closing down and even the hospital is closed!!! Instead they've arranged with hospital camps like in wartimes... It will be a great mess this weekend and since Stefano has to use his car for work we will escape to Finale Ligure where Stefano can work in peace (and I can enjoy the beach :). Stefano allready left and I'll leave today afternoon. Unfortunately we have to close Ivory for two days, but probably we would not sell anything during these days anyway, the alpinists are not here for doing vintage shopping :) They are here for drinking beer, eating and watching all the parades and events they've organized.


The Alpini (English: "Alpines") are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ("Alpine").
Formed in 1872, they are the oldest active mountain infantry in the world. Their original mission was to protect Italy's northern mountain border with France and Austria. In 1888 the Alpini were sent to their first mission abroad.

The Alpines are very proud peolple and in Italy it is a lifestyle to be an alpinist.

 This is how crowded it will be during this weekend!

The old times

The famous hat

Weekend of love

Arrived to Sirmione and cute hotel Aurora on Friday evening and had a nice and relaxed dinner with the bride and groom to be and some of their friends and family. After a cold and rainy winter everyone enjoyed to feel the light summer breeze until late in the evening. The wedding ceremony was supposed to start at 17.00 Saturday afternoon so we didn't have to rush to bed and our walk back home to the hotel felt like a dream.
Saturday we spent with some of the other guests relaxing in the sun before we had to get ready for the big happening.
At 17 we all gathered in a beatuiful restaurant by the lake. It was sunny and warm and in the garden dressed with sunflowers you could not see a dry eye when the couple declared their love.
The evening then continued with a great seafood aperitivo buffet and a three corse dinner and the live band playing famous love songs during the whole dinner put that extra spice to the wedding.
It was a day never to forget!

Wedding weekend

A couple of really good friends of ours are getting married in Sirmione at the Garda lake this weekend and I'm so happy!
Working half day today and then we're off for 3 days full of love <3
Sirmione is such a romantic small town just by the lake and it's perfect for a wedding.

(pictures borrowed from pinterest)

Packing has never been one of my best skilles though, but since the weather is quite good and we are there only until Sunday it should not be too hard.

For the wedding I will wear an amazing second hand coat dress from Antonio Marras and a pair of pretty 50's vintage shoes. For this evening and sunday I'll go for a sportier but yet chic look...
(Will show you more pics after the wedding)

Pics from yesterday

Yesterday turned out great with sun shine and relaxed minds. For lunch we bought fresh sourdough bread and filled them up with cheese, ham, salted pork and salame from a local delicatessen in Bobbio. Had a nice walk on the countryside and sat down by the river for a panino picnic. Stefano found two huge old iron nails that we brought with us. We'll probably use them as hangers in the house somewhere. Will show you when I've found the right spot...