The first three months of 2009 have been very eventful, especially the month of March, during which, among other things, we had guests from Germany and Valeria did her first belly dance solo performance. At the end of the month Valeria and I went to see the famous Windsor Castle, where the Queen of England still receives visits from foreign dignitaries.
Below left, Valeria poses next to one of Her Majesty's Guards. The guardsman was surrounded by tourists, who took turn posing next to him. The guardsmen seem to be an attraction as much as the castle itself after the infamous scene from Mr Bean. In the second picture below, you can see me (Paul) posing in front of one of the Castle Towers, with its very well tended gardens.
All photos by Valeria Lo Iacono & Paul Symonds - 2009
There were some very cold days in the UK this winter and it snowed more than usual. Below the front of our house here in Cardiff, the car and also the rear patio and greenhouse.
On 14th March, after more than 6 years studying belly dance, Valeria finally felt brave enough to perform her first solo, with a piece of chorography which she created herself. (Valeria on stage in the photo below).
Below also an original piece of artwork by Valeria of Paul (myself) during a dinner party with German friends. (The drawing goes by the name of 'Face on a tablecloth’ and is available for auction and is signed by Valeria. £0.10 wins the auction).
 |
 |
When our German friends Sandra and Jan came to visit, we took them to Castell Coch, near Cardiff. The original building dates back to the 13th Century, but very little remained of it before, in the 1870s, it was completely rebuilt following the design of William Burges for the 3rd Marquess of Bute. The castle we see today is therefore a Victorian reconstruction done according to the fashion of that time. (http://www.castellcoch.info/)
The best feature of this castle is definitely the view, as it is on top of a hill, and the surrounding green area. After the hard work of sightseeing, Jan and I are relaxing while playing backgammon on the terrace (picture on the right).
March also saw Valeria attend a Hens party which ran with the theme of a murder mystery night. Playing the role a famous interior designer, Valeria below with the bride to be and work colleague Steph (left) and with Michelle, another one of Valeria’s work colleagues (right).
Final picture for this monthly: graffiti in Bristol, where we went one day with Jan and Sandra, by the famous graffiti artist Bansky.
|
versione italiana
