Tuscan Adventures

We are back from a week in Tuscany with 7 of our friends. We were all geared up for a week of lazing by the pool tanning outselves after our terrible Glasgow summer, alas when we got there it rained on and off pretty much everyday. We were not impressed but managed to make the best of the situation.

The villa we stayed in was amazing, in a tiny village called Lucardo set in the Chianti region of Tuscany. We had a pool and large covered outdoor area where we sheltered from the rain! We did quite a few days trips to San Gimignano, Seina, vineyards and Simon and I went to Certaldo. We all had a great time and Sara and Pete even got engaged!! A nice end to a lovely week. Here is a small selection of the 390 photos that Simon took while we were away. There are more on our Simon's Flikr site if you click on the link to the right titled - Simon's Photos

Keryn outside the villa in a sunny spell

San Gimignano

Piazza del Campo in Siena

Seina

Sunset over Chianti

Paul and Lorna

The Gang in Montespertoli

Townhall - Seina

View of the Villa

Vineyard after Vineyard

Us in a Vineyard

Medieval Village - Certaldo

Us in Certaldo

Sara & Pete - Engaged!!


Before we flew back to Glasgow we spent a day and night in Pisa as we were flying out from there and our flight was at some ridiculous time in the morning, the price you pay for cheap flights!
It was really warm in Pisa so it was nice that we got a nice day before we left.

Cathedral & Baptistry in Pisa

Dan knocking over the tower

Dome inside the Cathedral

I never knew I was so strong!

Leaning Tower

Pisa Cathedral

CONGRATULATIONS MR & MRS FREYNE!!!

ATTENTION FAMILY!!
CAUTION - WEDDING PHOTOS BELOW - DO NOT SCROLL DOWN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE

Well we went to Ireland for Janeya and Jim's wedding. It was a great weekend and we throughly enjoyed ourselves. Some of us a little too much, those Irish sure know how to party!!!

We flew over on Thursday and drove down to Mullinavat the tiny wee village where Janeya and Jim live. Needless to say when we finally arrived, all excited to see my couzies, they weren't there! Judi, Tina and Janeya were in Waterford where they had been shopping and lunching together! We arranged to meet them in the 'Rising Sun' pub which is just a stones throw from J&J's house, rather handy as that we where we spent the majority of the weekend!!

We met Jim later in the evening and all went for a drink down at the pub after dinner from the local chippie. The weather was typical Irish weather, raining and cold, a nice change from Glasgow.... yeah right!

On Friday Simon and I went into Waterford to have a look around and do a bit of shopping, before racing back to Mullinavat to get ready for the wedding at 5.30pm. After getting our glad rags on and admiring Janeya in her finery we drove through to Kilkenny for the wedding. Jim was nervously waiting with his family at the registry office and then it was time.

Janeya looked beautiful and Jim was quite a sight in his new suit. Before you knew it they were nervously saying their vows and signing the register. All over until December 2007 when they do it again in NZ.

We then went out for dinner and then back to the Rising Sun for a very late night full of lots of unexplained Irish customs, some they just made up on the night.... do not mention the hot wax!!

It was a great night and we all enjoyed ourselves, and spent Saturday recovering!! Sunday was for a quick trip to the Waterford crystal factory and then we had to head back to Dublin to the airport. We took Tina and Judi back with us so tearful farewells all round.

DON'T LOOK DOWN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THE WEDDING PICTURES

Janeya waiting at the door

Jim looking nervous

The deed is done

Janeya looking very happy

All the wedding guests

The happy couple

Kissing Cousins

Sisters!

The proud mother

The day after


After we dropped off Tina and Judi we had about 3 hours to kill so we drove up the coast and watched a storm move across to Scotland, needless to say it had arrived by the time we got home.

Mini Update on the lives of the Skirvings

Hi
we haven't been up to much over the last month or so. Busy trying not to spend money as August is trning into an expensive month. Some news from us:

Keryn finally has a new job! I am starting at Christian Aid on Monday 6th August as a PA to the Head of Christian Aid Scotland. It is very exciting and I am really looking forward to it. It's been a long time coming!
Simon is really enjoying his job at 3 in the Executive Office and has been doing extraordinary amounts of cycling recently.
We are headed off to Ireland next weekend for Janeya and Jim's wedding which we are really looking forward to. Then a week after that we fly out to Tuscany with 7 of our friends to stay in the lovely villa with a pool in the Tuscan countryside. I am hanging out for some sun!

What have we been up to? We went out to Troon a few weeks ago for an afternoon at the beach, alas that typical Scottish weather meant it rained so we had to eat our fish 'n' chips in the car! Had a lovely view over to Arran though on our drive home.









Our friend Dave Millar has bought a cockerspaniel puppy, Mac, he is very cute so we went round for a BBQ one Saturday afternoon and got to meet him.







Last weekend we went down to visit Tom and Barbara for the weekend. It was nice to get out of the city for the weekend and we took the bikes and went for a very long bike ride through a forest, made longer by the fact that I got lost. Not to worry though I got found again so all was well.

Tom and Barbara's house


So just looking forward to Ireland and Tuscany now and starting my new job.