OK so this is the second blog for the day. The first has gone to god - no idea what has happened which is a shame as it was the wittiest one to date.

So we had to wake early for our exciting trip to Parma home of the famous cheese, prosciutto and the home of Barilla pasta world wide. Now we were to visit the Barilla factory for a tour and lunch. Yesterday the CEO of Barilla said he would never use a gay family in his advertising as it didn't represent the values of the company. This created quite a stir and has gay pride and others on the front foot. The CEO went on to say if they didn't like it they could buy a different pasta! So we were planning to ask them a few questions about the issue during our visit.

As it turned out we were glad to be up so early 6am and then on our way as we wouldn't have had the opportunity to spend so much time on the autostrada watching cars, trucks and trains fly past. We were having so much fun we sat on the edge of the autostrade for 2.5 hours as one of the buses broke down and had to be towed back to Milan. A car was dispatched and we finally arrived at The Barilla plant at 1pm so no tour just a quick lunch. Being the worlds premier pasta manufacturer guess what was on the menu? Well we had prosciutto, cheese then risotto and veal and fruit salad for desert. No pasta to be seen - go figure. Perhaps they thought we were gay and had decided to eat a different pasta.

After lunch we went into the centre of Parma for more food but no time to look around. Just back in the vehicles and to the Cascina for more food and karaoke. Jack killed TNT, Alanna sang beautifully - if only she had lessons she would be a star - that's what Alanna tells me. We all sang 'we are Australians and after a few Abba songs we finally got away.

We are on this trip with Bayley House and they have provided us with plenty of laughs. Bar is Israeli and with his accent and language skills he speaks his little Italian beautifully. Ohhh molto perfecto he says to everything. Bar will talk to anyone and his a total dag. He speaks fluent Hebrew and English but he doesn't sing. He is a great bluffer and makes up stuff all the time. He is very good! Luke is like a giant spider with arms and legs going everywhere. He is the greatest at everything and watching him play soccer was possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen. Rose is a gentle soul and a keen danced and performer, wanted to stay at La Scala. Rose and Luke are an item and Rose keeps re-enacting Romeo and Juliet with Luke whenever she can find a balcony. Joanna is of Polish decent and speaks a little Italian very well. Joanna is loving the European life and wants to stay forever. Georgina is quiet but has fallen for my charms, rugged good looks and my singing.- go figure. Laprini and Krysa are their supporters and have been great at getting involved in everything.

Cheers

Fred

Domenica - rest day we can sleep in and take it easy with a relaxing bike ride the only thing on the agenda. So I woke bright eyed at 6am! Tip toed out of the room to let Jack and Isaac sleep in. It's 8am now and Jack has joined me whilst the others continue to sleep.

OK. Now time to tell you about the guys. Jack has been magnificent. He is our workforce and constant helper. He is enthusiastic and keen to get involved in everything. But Mandy (Jacks mum) if you ever send him with a shopping list again we will come around with the baseball bats!!!!! Even the Italians began to beg me to take Jack shopping!!! Right now I am teaching Jack how to taste wine. Swirl it around to release the bouquet - smell, swirl then taste. It's only with pineapple juice but the theory is the same. Jacks highlight has been the soccer - he made sure I had his puffer for the flares and his ear protection for the noise! Many times!!!! Well we had both and Jack couldn't care less - no puffer and no ear protection just 'shat himself' when the firecrackers boomed!!! Jacks Italian is awful but people love him trying.

Alanna is the oldest of our group - 'I have never been the oldest at anything' so it's been a new experience for her. As Spiderman said - With such power comes great responsibility - and we have used this line constantly!!! Alanna spoke off the cuff at the welcome dinner and made people cry - it was wonderful as she told people that she is realizing one of her dreams. Alanna likes the Italian men!!!! and we keep loosing her as she is off chatting away to the nearest Romeo. Alanna has decided to make sure she has a go at everything which has included playing soccer - well she is of Italian heritage - and bike riding but her time to shine is coming soon with the Karaoke night - god help us!! 

Isaac, Campbell and Ebony have been the three amigos and have been into absolutely everything. They loved mucking around with the school kids and most of the Italian boys also loved Ebony!!!! Isaac and Campbell just jump into everything thats going on and while Kimberley is constantly being the mother hen they still manage to escape and get into mischief. Their favorite pastime is catching lizards and conducting boy experiments on them. Ebony loved La Scala and they have been trying to get tickets to the ballet alas to no avail as yet. Eb was very keen to go back with the school kids to spend time in an Italian school - Ebony wanting to go to school - first time for everything according to Lyndal!!

Bethany has been her usual ornery self - hiding when then cameras come out, growling at people who call her bella and laughing so much when dancing and scaring people that she is going to burst. She loves my singing much to everyone's disappointment, so I have been singing constantly - such classics as Wiggles, Queen, a few gospel numbers and ACADACA! They are all fascinated by Beth's IPad and prolo2go and her Speech book. Lyndal has made a simple book for them in Italian. Beth in her usual gracious way has been happy to show them how it works - actually growls at them and prints 'middle finger' then laughs. Such a teenager!!

Lyndal has been great and we have learnt a lot from her about Beth. I think she is a bit sad that Tab isn't here with them as that was her dream but Tab went around the world last year so she is holding the fort at home. Lyndal has just loved everything and has enthusiastically jumped into whatever has been going on. Lyndal especially loves a beer or two! Between Kimberley, Shelley and Lyndal I am hopelessly outnumbered and they gang up on me.

Katie from The Reporters' Academy is my substitute daughter and is bright eyed, über conscientious (OK not like my actual daughter) and has been a wonderful addition to our group. Got a bit freaked out at the soccer with the riot police and the noise but relaxed when she realised all was safe. Katie met some 16 year old girls who were keen to take her out and 'educate' her Italian style but discretion won the day over valor! Katie and Ebony have spent a lot of time together and get on really well.

Shelley and Kimberley have just laughed all over Milan - regularly loosing it and becoming incapable of speech. Usually cause Shelley has found something rude!!

Till next time

Fred

I am sitting at the bar with a macchiato trying to remember what happened yesterday. It was a long day and we finished with a great meal at the pizzeria!!

We did a lot of walking and I remember at one stage Ariella - a sort of Italian female Chris Donohue - collapsed in agony writhing on the ground with what must of been 2 broken legs.  The poor Italian volunteer at the back didn't know what to and was most concerned. We just walked over said in perfect Aussie ' get up!' and up she got and away we went--  something's  transcend language.

So yesterday we saw some old stuff at the archeological museum. Then went to this great church where this guy was singing in that religious way - just beautiful and everybody was entranced. He told us to listen at how the church sings to you and people just stood and listened for ages.

The walls of the church were covered in pairings of all things from the bible but in particular of female matters. The was Lucy with here eyes cut out and offering them to the people. Catherine with a spear in her stomach and another one with her breasts cut off and holding them on a platter to god. The church belonged to a strong feminist group of nuns. They would sure scare the bejesus out of me. The boys loved it!!

Lunch was in, of all places, an Aussie bar where we had burgers in a bar more Australian than Australia. The guy was great and anything we wanted was ours to have. Eating burgers and chips listenning to Cold Chisel, midnight oil and INXS in central Milan was a bit wierd but the burgers were great!!

Then more Australia as we met the Australian Consul General for Milan who brought us all ice creams in the park. I caught up with William her aide who is the expert on bars and sport and he is hunting down a grand final screening for us. After ice creams we hit the dodgem cars for a bit of competitive violence. Then pizza and finally back to the hotel and bed.

Thursday dawned and we actually made dawn before we woke, Breakfast  and then off to La Scala where there was a rehearsal for a performance to celebrate 100 years of the Milano ballet company. We had to drag Ebony away and Lyndal is trying to get tickets for the performance on Saturday. in the piazza Leonardo and the back to the hotel for a swim& Chill before meeting Atlhas Thursday youth group, dinner then Inter Milan vs Fiorentina at the San Siro. Jack is about to explode he is soooooooooooooo excited.

So until next time... Arrivederci

Fred

Today we spent the day in central Milan. Lunch at the Cafe Milano followed by a tour of the duomo - 4th largest cathedral in the world. Makes you think about the ethics of building such grand structures whilst so many do without!

Anyway the kids climbed all over the roof and the checked out the views of the city. Inside the kids were fascinated by the two mummyfied bodies of old cardinals of the duomo and the statue of the man holding his skin! It's all about the bizzare!! Except for Shelley who found statues doing all sorts of strange things and was making Kimberley laugh at inappropriate times.

After a hair raising ride through the traffic of Milan we arrived back in time to put on our glad rags for the official welcome to city by the politicians and media of Milan. For many of us it was our first cocktail party and after the favorite pastime of Italians - speeches - the food was great and the company very friendly.

Alanna gave a great speech (put mine to shame) and then we danced, taught them a wiggles song and they ended with the Italian National anthem. We (well Alanna and I the others having crashed for the night) would have sung ours but we couldn't remember the words!

Till tomorrow

Fred

Bennvenuti tutti

OK so now imagine this. Singapore airport - one if the major hub airports in the world. Stylish sophisticated the sort of place where people like to be seen as stylish & sophisticated...

Anyway from yesterday I had to stop typing to go wake Jack from his nana nap to get people to dinner at the Cascina. Jack - small shake, Jack (louder harder shake) ... Had to drag the poor kid out of bed and slap him around - so we were ready for our ride- Jack with pillow marks on his face and the sort of bewildered expression that sums up the  wtf am I? feeling. 

So dinner at Athla - just beautiful outside - lovely food and 5 of our guys asleep on the couches oblivious to the world. Finally picked up the unconscious and headed back where everyone slept magnificently.

Off the Milan center today so til later... 

Cheers

Fred

Oh yeah Singapore - Shelley slipped off to the ladies room and the proceeded to walk through Singapore airport from one terminal to the next with her skirt tucked into her undies for all to see.