Things are moving quickly...

Trying to fit in quick posts to keep everybody updated with what is going on...

Good News! We have found and been accepted for one of the apartments we saw while in Lausanne. It was our first choice and we are very excited! Our lease will start on July 1 but we are hoping that we will be able to move 1-2 weeks earlier.
Here is our view and a photo of the back of the building (we are the second terrace from the top on the left):

French Alps & Lake Leman

Our terrace!

Things will start moving quickly now. The packing is scheduled to start on May 23 and complete on May 24 - then the movers come and take everything on May 25th. From then until the end of the month, when we leave Italy, we will be checking into a local hotel.
On May 31, we will be moving into a corporate apartment in Lausanne until we can get into our future adopted home!

Busy, busy, busy.... Fun, fun, fun...

On the home front, we are moving things around and doing some minor packing just to get ready. I am also finishing up on my ceramic projects and thought I would let you see them. Rodin's Adam was baked, base painted gold and then a last coat of patina. The last thing I need do to is polish him, give him a quick coat of varnish and I will be done. The 'Two Seasons' bowl is completely painted and just needs to baked one last time. I am hoping that it will be completed before we leave (if not I will probably have it shipped). Take a look:

Baked....

Painted gold...

Patina added & ready for polishing...

The Fall Grapes....

The Spring Flowers...

Lastly, I thought I would post this because I thought it was cool -
I was in Piazza Navona with a friend and this was just sitting around...

A country in crisis can afford a Lotus Police car...Wow!

For now that is about it -
We want to send all our friends and family lots of love!
Ciao for now!
Ron & Tom

Let the games begin...

First and foremost...

We would like to wish our mothers and everybody's mother a... 
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! 
We love you very much and wish you a blessed day!


Any of you who read this blog know that Tom and I are being relocated to Switzerland (Lausanne area to be exact) for his work. Well, earlier this week we had our first chance to go apartment hunting! We took the train through Milan to Lausanne. It is a 6 hour (in total) trip but a very relaxing and  great way to travel in Europe. We arrived in Lausanne Sunday night and I had all day Monday to reconnaissance the areas we would looking in on Tuesday.
As I have said before...Switzerland sometimes seems like...Disney on steroids! Everything is just too perfect...especially the flowers...

Wisteria on every building!

And lots of Tulips...

Flower beds along the lake...

...worked within an inch of their lives!

Perfectly docked boat!

Perfectly placed...

Well, besides the general beauty, I had a great time wandering around and surveying possible territories for Tom & I to live. Some of the surrounding towns to Lausanne are Pully, Lutry and St. Sulpice - all very lovely and each has its own particular charm (without breaking from the perfect structure of Switzerland as a whole). Most of these towns are close to or on the lake (Lac Leman) and have beautiful views of the French Alps. All-n-all...not bad eye candy!
Ah...Stepping back to 'perfection' for a second, I found this sign as I was wandering and thought it summed up 'Swiss rules' perfectly...

An area where dogs are not allowed &
neither is chewing gum!

OK back to apartment hunting... On Tuesday I was met by a lovely young lady, Marie, who was going to show us our choices for possible new apartments for the next 2 days. Marie is a beautiful young women with a Swiss/South American background, she spoke perfect English and I we became fast friends. I would post a picture of her but she informed me that it would cost me 5 Swiss Francs (per photo)... Anyone who knows me - when I am not allowed to take photos...that is usually when I do...

The lovely Marie!

In total we saw about 12 apartments - some fantastic, some just wonderful. We ultimately decided on the very first place we saw. Now we are just waiting to hear whether we have been accepted by the owner (how very Swiss). We are keeping our fingers crossed and will hopefully find out this coming week. Let me just show you the building and the view from our terrace...

Our possible view from the terrace...
The owner lives on the top floor
and we would be the terrace
directly below him...

2nd from the top!

This place is very close for Tom to get to work, close to shopping and transportation and is in the process of being fully renovated! All new! Very Nice!
We were lucky enough to see more than one place we were interested in so if for any reason we do not get our first choice - we have more to choose from... Our second choice has an equally spectacular view, is totally modern and it comes with a cow! Cool right?

Amazing view of the Alps...

...and our cow!

This place is super modern with a full American size frig and a huge terrace. The only slight drawback is that it is a little more on the remote side (not in the middle of town) but still very beautiful!

We will hopefully hear something this coming week...

On the home front...
Because of house hunting and a holiday in Switzerland, Tom and I got to spend almost the entire week together. Last weekend we had the opportunity to get together with our good friend Diane Seed. We went down to her place outside Rome in Ferentino and had a lovely lunch with her and a visiting friend of hers.

Diane's friend Gem, Diane & Tom
at a lovely little restaurant outside Ferentino!

Tom is leaving for a meeting in Dubai today but will be back on Thursday. I have started taking stuff down in the apartment and continue to try and keep whatever schedule I can...
With my ceramics, my Adam (by Rodin) is being baked as we speak and I have started painting my 'Two Seasons' bowl - I think I am doing a pretty good job...

The Fall grapes...

...and the Spring flowers!

After I finish painting the bowl it will be rebaked and then it will have a beautiful high-gloss look. Should be pretty neat!
Lastly, yesterday, we had a lovely lunch with an old friend of Tom's. A woman he worked with at Philip Morris in NYC. Her name is MaryJo Gennaro and it was lovely seeing her again. She traveled to Rome to visit with some old friends and we were lucky enough to be able to get together with her...

MaryJo and Tom at the Pantheon!

OK - I have run out of babbling and events. I will apologize now for the infrequent postings. I will hopefully post again when we have more information about our new place. For now - our last day in Rome with be the last day of May and then we move to Switzerland as of June!
This may be my last posting from Rome...sigh...

As always we hope all our family and friends are happy and healthy! We love you all very much!
Abbracci a tutti!
Ciao for now...
Ron & Tom

From Roman Holiday to Arrivederci Roma...

I will start with Happy May Day (yet another Holiday in Italy)... It's their version of our Labor Day so everything is closed and everybody has off. I kind of feel bad for the tourists because literally everything is closed (even some restaurants). Unfortunately, Tom is in Switzerland so he does not have off, actually, he is in an all day meeting...yuck! I am posting this blog then I may just go for a walk - it is finally beautiful outside!

Now let's go back to the title...

Our Roman Holiday is finally coming to an end. It looks like this will be the last month we live in the Eternal City! So, Arrivederci Roma!

We have received notice that our Swiss Visas have been approved and we will be picking them up in Friday. The relocation company has sent two moving companies over to the apartment to provide quotes and we presume they will be packing everything up the last week of May.

Tom & I will be heading to Lausanne next week to do a little house/apartment hunting in our new adoptive home. Should be interesting - can't wait to see what they show us...

We will keep everybody posted on the updates as best we can!

So, while I have been waiting for everything to kick into gear and Tom has been traveling...I have been trying to keep myself busy. In the past week or so we have had...

• A celebration for the second term for the Italian President - Giorgio Napolitano. He wasn't re-elected he was asked to continue for a second term as president. Napolitano is 87 years old and the first Italian president to serve a second term. This could go on forever because the Italian constitution has no prevision for length of service. He is also the first president of Italy from the Italian Communist Party (now relabeled 'the Democrat Pary of the Left') originally elected in 2006. The city had a huge parade and party in the center of the city...including all the pomp-n-circumstance that goes along with the job. 

Down by Il Vittoriano...

...all the Armed Services...

...were there...

...and showing off!

After the parade was done I took a bus back up to the park (to get home) and the military packing up. If I could run quicker I would have snagged the sword and hat...heehee

Just sitting there calling my name...

Put the horses & uniforms away...

• Wanting to get away from the crowd I took a walk over to the Chiesa del Gesu (the mother church of the Jesuits in Rome). The church was first conceived in 1551 by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (the founder of the Society of Jesus - the Jesuits). The church was completed and consecrated in 1584. It is an amazing church with some of the most beautiful frescos, marble work and sculptures...

Amazing ceiling...

...beautiful alter & a...

...mirror to see it all!

The detail exquisite...

...the shear size...

...& majesty! 

Just amazing...

...the detail and beauty!

The Gesu definitely ranks as one of the most beautiful and inspiring churches I have seen in Italy!

It is definitely a must see if you visit Rome!

Since the weather has been getting nicer I have been going back to wandering during the day. Here are just few photos from those wanders...

Got Milk?

Besides trying to enjoy the weather I am still finishing up some projects at the Art Studio. I have finally finished my version of Rodin's Adam (he is waiting to be baked) and I started painting my bowl (titled 'Two Seasons'). Take a look...

When complete he will be painted...

...with a bronze patina! 

Added a white glaze...

...& started painting the details!

Other than those things, I wanted to share just two more items...

• I want to title this photo as 'When do you get to do things like this'. I recently went to my dentist for a cleaning and since it was my last dentist visit in Rome I wanted a photo. My dentist's office sits across from the Spanish steps and here is my dentist with his dental assistant - this is what I get to look at when I am having my teeth cleaned...when do you get to do things like this...

• Lastly, I had the honor of being invited to an Italian friends birthday party last night. It was a wonderful time of eating, drinking and enjoying pleasant company. I would like to thank Zaven & Luca for inviting me and I want to wish Luca a very Happy Birthday (Buon Compleanno)! I was asked to make an 'American' Cheese Cake for the celebration - so here it is:

...and Yes, it was as good as it looks! Bravo to me!

OK - enough for this posting - 

As always I want to wish everybody much health and happiness!

We love you all and hope to see you soon!

Abbracci a tutti!

Love 

Ron & Tom