NLEK

So it’s been a while since I’ve had a good ol write and apologies to anyone who has missed my ramblings. What’s been happening? Well......where do I start?! It’s all been a bit mental at my end with a new job, a new home in Dorset and a bunch of lovely new buddies; I’ve been a very busy girl! I can’t possibly write about all that because you’d be sitting here all ruddy night and to be perfectly honest it’s not all that interesting. Obviously I’ve had the odd Gig moment, I tripped up and nearly crippled myself on my way into the disabled toilet and had a pretty nasty fight with a soap dispenser during a more than stressful day at work but other than that all normal in my home town that is now Ashley Cross. Mostly in my time away from home I’ve learnt that positive thinking can get you through just about anything and more importantly that you are only angry for as long as you let yourself be angry. Having recently dreamed of holidays in the rolling hills of Tuscany I thought I might try and help us all imagine a little corner of Italy with a bit of creative writing, so here goes.... We stumble across the ancient cobbles of San Gimignano, on our way to find a nice quiet little cafe where we can relax and watch the Italians go about their business, or to be more accurate to watch the Italians sit about and watch each other doing not much at all really. Just the way it should be. We eventually find a bustling little grotto, with wine bottles strung from the ceiling and cheque table covers, doesn’t get much more stereotypical, but it’s full of locals and I’ve always been told to eat where the locals eat. The wine is poured and tasted, and whilst the olives marinate in their own delicious oils we discuss our schedule for the next few days, it mostly involves getting lost and catching the eyes of young Italian men with far too much hair gel and over sized shades, it’s all good fun and as the saying goes....when in Rome! The smells that tickle our nostrils are conjured up by waiters rushing past balancing garlic prawns, chicken cacciatore and various other Italian delicacies on almost comedic sized trays. One young waiter in particular begins his first shift by tackling a rather large drinks order whilst simultaneously dancing delicately amongst the ever growing amount of beautiful dark skinned little Marcello’s and Maria’s that continue to play catch around the table of Auntie’s, Uncles and Great Grandma’s that like us are looking forward to tucking into a hearty Italian lunch. Well that’s all I’ve got for now, so enjoy the rest of the week and I’ll try to keep my writing a little more regular, until then buona note.