Day 62: Florence Pearls

EUI Law School

James and Angus in EUI gardens

One of the absolute best things about my job has been the opportunities it has given me, and us as a family, to travel. In 2011 we had a double adventure - after spending a month at Manchester University with lovely friends and colleagues Claire Annesley and Georgina Waylen, we moved on to Florence where I had a fellowship in the Law School at the European University Institute in Fiesole, in the hills behind Florence. The EUI is housed in a magnificent series of buildings, mostly old monasteries, and is a unique and prestigious institution, teaching only post graduate students and attracting high-flyer staff. Most are on a 5 year contract - though they all try to game the system and stay on for as long as they can. For all the hype, I found the EUI a rather strange place; it seemed to me there was too much emphasis on patronage and far too many over inflated egos.  I did get lots of work done, organised an interesting workshop, and enjoyed the daily sit-down three course lunch (!), but the most fun and memorable things about that trip were things that happened away from work.

Rob and I EUI gardens, after a month of a pasta diet

Views in both direction from our apartment, Florence

M&D and me waiting for the bus

We deliberately rented a large apartment - which was in the centre of Florence right on the Arno river - as we'd hoped and expected to have lots of visitors, which we did. I've already written about Kerrie and Betty's visit (Day 31). Mum and Dad also came, as did Catherine and Bart (Day 50) and Fiona and Georgie (Day 39). We loved seeing them all and exploring that wonderful city and surrounds in great company. We only worked out on our own on the last night in town that at the back and under our apartment was the best pizza restaurant we'd eaten in during our entire time in Italy - we felt so silly!

Georgie and Boys, Ponte Vecchio

Fiona, Georgie and Gus outside the Baptistry

The ice cream eaters at Firenze Duomo

Today I'm wearing the earrings Robbie and the boys bought me to mark our time in Florence - they are a wonderful set of pearls that they found at a tiny jewellery workshop in the backstreets of Florence. When ever I wear them they remind me of these precious days.

On Day 62 Sydney has turned on a perfect sunny day after almost a month of rain. After a relaxing morning we headed out for a family walk around Blackwattle Bay.  We've had a tradition for a number of years of a Sunday family walk, and it's starting to get more challenging to get a certain teenage boy out the door...we managed today, but he set his own pace, with headphones in...I'm learning to be grateful for the smallest things! 

I'm made the most of a quiet day before the onslaught of round 4 which starts tomorrow with blood tests and doctors visits. I'm feeling OK about it, though I admit to some nervousness about how I'll react to this new drug - docetaxel - which I'll be on for the next three rounds. I'm in a 'let's do it and get it over and done with' frame of mind, which probably isn't a bad place to be.