Turning the clocks to summer time

Turning the clocks to summer time definitely suits me. It has a positive effect on me and I feel I'm waking up a little bit from the winter hibernation I seem to have been in. Yesterday I put on my running shoes after a long long time and decided to start with the running program again. It's so much easier when it doesn't get dark as quickly in the evening. I have gone jogging twice now and Sofia has done it with me. It feels impossible now that I was able to jog for half an hour without interrupting, but maybe I will get there again!

And I also went to the hairdresser's this week with Sofia and it wasn't a day too early. The fact that many people noticed that I had done something to my hair, that I looked different, is a sign of how horrible I looked before going there. I had been working so much in March that I didn't have time even to think about what I put on in the morning and how I looked. Very tired eyes has been my normal look lately.

Last spring I managed to loose some weight following the diet my nutritionist gave to me and jogging three times a week in addition to the horse riding I do all year long. I don't like jogging, but it really works and doesn't take so much time, so I will rally try to start again. During the winter I have gained all the kilos I lost and haven't wanted to go to the nutritionist anymore, but maybe I will start going there again, as well. So, welcome spring!

First flowers on the apricot tree

I haven't had much time for anything else than work and horses lately and have hardly noticed our garden or anything else, but all of a sudden my eyes fell on the apricot tree and I noticed it had started to bloom. Spring is coming! Hooray!

Instagram photos from our trip to Tokyo

We have been to Japan on a marathon trip. Armando won a place in the Tokyo marathon through the lottery, so we booked a trip for the whole family. We left on the 17th of February and arrived there the next day in the evening. Our trip home started on the 22nd in the evening and after a stop in Dubai we finally arrived to Rome on the 23rd. The flights took a long time, but were very comfortable with Emirates Airlines.
Here's a first glimpse of our trip with my instagram photos.

We stopped in Dubai and had a meal at Burger King at the airport

Finally arrived to Japan after two long flights and a stop in Dubai

At Narita airport in Tokyo.

Going to the hotel in Asakusa. We arrived in the evening and it was raining.

View over Tokyo from the Metropolitan Government building

The Shibuya crossing

A street in Shinjuku

Kabuchiko enterteinment district in Shinjuku

Shibuya shopping area

Shinjuku Gyoen Park, a beautiful park in the centre of Tokyo where we had a "bento" lunch (picnic)

The Sensoji temple in Asakusa

Entrance to the Sensoji temple

Japanese restaurant in Odaiba. The orders where made on the tablet screen and the food was sent with a "train". There was sushi, ramen soups and also french fries, so there was something for everyone

Street signs

The Ueno park with many temples and sanctuaries

 

Tokyo skytree evening lights

The marathon expo in Tokyo Big Sight

Odaiba entertainment district

The Yurikamome line going to Odaiba

Chocolate with green tea flavour

Ramen soup dinner in the hotel

The Sensoji temple in the evening

Our last dinner in Tokyo

A day at the hot springs

After a very rainy week it was wonderful to get out to have a bath in the hot springs near Viterbo! I went with the girls and my good friend who is, like me, always ready to have a relaxing get-away, when possible. The hot springs are called Terme di Bagnaccio and they are out in the countryside. You pay a little entrance fee because there is an association who keeps them clean and there are toilets, changing rooms and a coin operated coffee machine. There are 6 pools of different temperatures. The air was very cool, especially when the sun started to go down, so we wouldn't have wanted to come out from the pools at all. Afterwards we had our picknick lunch and a warm coffee before driving back home.

Week 52 - Christmas portrait

A family portrait taken on Christmas Eve with the self-timer ends this year's week photo project.
I haven't decided wether to do this again in 2015 or to try some other project.

Week 51 - Armando's birthday

This week was Armando's birthday. Carlotta is the only one in the family making these beautiful birthday cards for everyone. Armando also got a self made medal holder because he had kept asking for one and we have never seen one, so we looked in the internet for instructions on how to make one.
It has become a tradition to go to the Chinese restaurant for Armando's birthday, so we did it also this year.

Week 50 - Decorating the Christmas tree

This week we decorated the Christmas tree. In Italy you traditionally do it on the 8th of December, but that day none of us was at home, so we did it on Tuesday evening instead when I managed to find a moment when all my three children were gathered.
As always, I was very late with my Christmas preparations, but we put on some Christmas music and welcomed Christmas to our house and I decided not to stress!