Back to School!

We had a great big long 2 months & 2 weeks at our Greek beach house & now it's time to go back to school. Emma is going into 5th grade & William into 2nd!

Last weekend in Milan before Mykonos

May the holidays begin!!!

Melon sorbet & the haircut

School is almost out!

First cocktails

At Mamalouka in Mykonos

Venice mini-break

        

everything is relative...

 Today,  in an Italian restaurant (that has been  an institution in Milan  for over 50 years) I heard the owner say that there are few places where you can still have good coffee... In Milan? In Milan, where the coffee is always pretty good, really. Yes. 

It's a good thing she does not live in Geneva where the coffee is, In my experience, the absolute worst in Europe!  

Mykonos bday break

 We flew to Mykonos from Milan for the first time as a family, it's slightly longer than the blissful 25 minutes from Athens... 2,5hours. But we were enthusiastic and ready for the sun!

 Here we are arriving... look at that water!

We enjoyed food at Nikolas's Family taverna - Steph even got one of their t-shirts! - our regular hang out down the road. Greek home cooked food is so yummy!

 Then one evening we had dinner a bit late and the wind had risen so we had dinner inside our home there for the first time!

Good morning! and the moon is still there, see?

William enjoyed lemon meringue cake and neighbours and friends for apéro on his 6th b-day! Happy birthday Willou!!!

Planting an olive tree- Mykonos

 We bought a second olive tree for our garden.... and actually drove it home along with Cretan pots for the Tsikas.

   

Then while the kids spent time with friends Don and Sophia, we planted it!

 

Yay!!!

The Tsikas! We still need to paint the pots though... 

William's bday prep

Tomorrow we will be celebrating William's bday at school with his classmates. I've just finished preparing 35 goody bags! Phew!!!

Growing and wising up

On Sunday as we were walking through the streets of Milan, William surprised me: "Why do you take all our teeth?" He then went on to tell me that he would not leave his milk teeth out for the tooth fairy because Mummy and Daddy are the ones who take the teeth.  ( He hasn't lost any teeth yet, but I guess he's looking forward to it and receiving some coins...)

Next, he went on to say Santa Clause doesn't put the presents under the tree, so I asked "who does?" 

"you do that too" came the gleeful reply. He then called Emma over so she would confirm this to silly ol' me. "Right, Emma? Santa Clause doesn't put presents under the tree, Mummy & Daddy do!" And obligingly, she confirmed.

We've been unmasked! 

Oh well, he will be 6 in two weeks time...

Easter holiday beach

Yesterday we visited the lido di Modica

Then, one of Za Za's dog buddies stole one of William's shoes and we went on a mission to find it. 

The plan: 

We posted Emma below where we had lost the dog's trace as he ran off with the shoes, then William and I have the dog thief the other shoe and ran after him.

We found the shoe in the dogs hide out along with some stockings and socks. ( Today there was a black high heeled shoe and a football too!

Modica Sicily, Easter Holiday

I love all these beautiful run down doors...

And the square cut trees!

The blue blue skies

Against the vanilla bourbon walls

And the contrast of the two

And oh the sunshine!