Happy New Year, Gelukkig Nieuwjaar, Bonne Joelle,

Hello my dear Friends,

I want to wish all of you loads of shooting stars for 2012.

Every evening I look up at the stars, thinking of all of you and wishing you all love, health, friendship, the ingredients for happiness.

So, for 2012, just look up at the stars, spot a shooting star and make your dreams come true!

Lots of love, Rita

Hallo lieve Allemaal, 

Ik wil jullie allemaal heel veel vallende sterren wensen.  Elke avond kijk ik omhoog naar de sterren, denkend aan jullie en  jullie liefde, vriendschap, gezondheid, de ingrediënten voor geluk  toewensend... Dus, voor 2012, kijk naar de sterren, zie die vallende ster en maak je dromen waar.

Liefs, Rita.

Ich will euch viele Sternschnuppen wunschen. Jeden Abend sehe ich zu den Sternen hinauf und denke an euch alle und wünsche Ihnen Liebe, Freundschaft, Gesundheit, die Zutaten für das Glück zu .. Also, für das Jahr 2012, schau hinauf zu den Sternen, sehe eine Sternschnuppe und machen Ihre Träume wahr.

Mit Liebe, Rita.

Voglio augurare a tutti voi carichi di stelle cadenti, ogni sera guardo le stelle, pensando a tutti voi e augurarvi tutto l'amore, l'amicizia, la salute, gli ingredienti per la felicità .. Quindi, per il 2012, basta guardare le stelle, posto una stella cadente e fare i vostri sogni.

Je tiens à vous souhaiter à tous de charges d'étoiles filantes; tous les soirs je regarde les étoiles, en pensant à vous tous et vous souhaite tout l'amour, l'amitié, la santé, les ingrédients du bonheur .. Ainsi, pour 2012, il suffit de regarder les étoiles, repérer une étoile filante et que vos rêves deviennent réalité.

Θ?λω να ευχηθ? σε ?λους σας τα φορτ?α των διαττ?ντων αστ?ρων. Κ?θε βρ?δυ κοιτ?ζω τα αστ?ρια, σκ?φτεται ?λους εσ?ς και να σας ευχηθ? ?λη την αγ?πη, τη φιλ?α, την υγε?α, τα συστατικ? για την ευτυχ?α .. ?τσι, για το 2012, μ?λις δο?με τα αστ?ρια, επιτ?που ?να πεφταστ?ρι και να κ?νετε τα ?νειρ? σας πραγματικ?τητα.

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????????????????????????????????????????????..???2012???????????????????????

Azt akarom, hogy szeretnék mindenkit, rengeteg shooting stars, minden este felnézek a csillagokra, gondolok mindannyian, és akik akkor minden szeretet, a barátság, az egészségügy, az összetev?k a boldogságot .. Így 2012-re, csak nézz fel a csillagokra, helyszínen egy hullócsillag, és álmai valóra válnak

Chc? wam wszystkim mnóstwo zdj?? gwiazd, co wieczór patrz? na gwiazdy, my?l?c o was wszystkich i ?yczymy wszystkim mi?o?ci, przyja?ni, zdrowia, sk?adniki szcz??cia .. Tak wi?c, w roku 2012, po prostu patrze? na gwiazdy, na miejscu spadaj?ca gwiazda i twoje marzenia.

LOVE, HEALTH, FRIENDSHIP = HAPPINESS TO ALL OF YOU!!!

FROM MY HEART, RITA.

Still alive and kicking

Hello everybody,

Yes, I know, a long long time ago. But still alive and kicking.

I didn't had much to write about, plus on top of that not real inspiration to write, so I left it for a long time. In this meantime I have been one week to Crete, which was nice. Catching up with old friends, wonderful sunshine, nice appartment with swimmingpool AND BBQ, this time I could just enjoy it, without being involved in the organization .

Then back in Holland again, where I keep myself busy with doing a lot of typingwork through Internet. This time no dictionaires (I couldn't do that anymore) but somewhat interesting stories, an autobiography of a grandpa for his grandchildren, diaries of a great English writer: Evelyn Waugh. Don't worry, I never heard of him before.

Last weekend I have been to Winterberg, Germany. I was invited there for a second job-interview. It is a hughe hotel in Winterberg, owned by Dutch people (from Brabant) and they wanted me (maybe, but not I found out later) for 3 months to run the ski-school. After a first interview in Holland they invited me to come over for Friday and Saturday. It was a real fantastic hotel, but for me it was too big. The salary was very good, so I thought, if they want me I will go, but when the owner called me on Sunday that they employed a younger (??) person, I was not sad at all. More happy actually, so I did not have to go - only for the money. That is not a good reason I know, but for 3 months I could have done it.

This week I got a telephone call from Vacansoleil and they told me that this season they planned me for the campsite Punta Spin, Grado, Italy. First they offered me a campsite in Lloret de Mar, Spain, but I said I preferred to go back to Italy again, so they found me this campsite. I am looking forward to go there, bought already some guides to find out what to do in and around the area. The campsite is right on the beach, with a beach bar, so that will be different then last season, being 'stuck' on a mountainhill.

Tomorrow morning I will fly to England, Birmingham. Finally I am going to visit my very dear friends Pete and Tina. They used to come to Crete all those years, but since I left Crete I haven't seen them anymore, so it was about time I jump on a plane to go and see them. Very excited about it. Sunday late afternoon I will fly back to cold and grey Holland again, where more typing work is awaiting me.

Still surfing the net for a job for the wintermonths. If anyone has a suggestion: I am open for it. Any kind of work, from December till end of March, half of April.

As soon as I am back from England I will surf the internet for more information about the campsite Punta Spin and will let you know about it, if it is interesting enough.

Would of course be great, fantastic, super, if I will see many of you there this season. A nice beach holiday, close to Triest and Venice, nice weather, etc. etc.

For now I will sign off, a bit more typing to do and then time to pack my little suitecase for the weekend.

Wishing that all of you are happy and healthy and...... looking forward to some news from your side? Keep checking my emails, but inbox stays empty..........

Take care, because I care and......... I'll be back on the net soon!!!

Kisses, Bacci bacci, filakia  Rita

Hello Holland, Bye Bye Holland

2 Days in Holland was enough for me.

No, just joking, it's not that bad. I enjoyed the few days of sunshine in Holland, but in a few hours I will get on a plane for a short (one week) holiday.

Together with Ineke we are going to terrorise Elounda.......... watch out, here we come!

After 2 years since I left Elounda, this will be the first time for me to go back. This time it will be totally different, the first time that I will a tourist..............

Thanks for the nice reactions. In about ten days you can expect a post from me, with pictures, of the one week Elounda. For now I am going off line, see you again in about ten days.

Ciao, Arrivederci, Yamas, tot gauw. Rita

Definitely the lost post from Italy this season

Well, here I am. Sitting on a terrace in Alessandria, waiting for the train to come.

This morning I left around 12.00 the campsite, what's the use of hanging around any longer and better to be early in Alessandria then racing against the clock. Around 14.00 I arrived at the trainstation and straight away I could check in the car. They told me to come back at 16.00 when the loading would start.

The loading did start around 17.00 and as soon as my yellow monster was locked on the train I went for a walk into Alessandria. So, as said, here I am, sitting on a terrace opposite the trainstation with my last glass of Vino Bianco Secco in Italy.

It was so funny when they checked in the car: they wrote a paper with - in case there was - damages of the car!!!! . Any one who knows the yellow Tweety also knows that the paper would be completely black with stripes and crosses............

You see what I mean, if that was truly the only damage to my yellow monster...........

But the girl only draw two lines of scratches on it. Probably she realized that if she had to mark the dents her Bic would run out of ink and the paper would be black, with an invisible image of the car on it. 

Thursday evening I had a nice closure of the season. Renske, she works at the reception of the campsite took me to Allassio, where we met up with some more Dutch ladies. They always meet each other the last thursday of the month and this time I was 'fit' enough to join them. We had a lovely evening at a nice bar situated on the beach of Alassio, the sound of the waves, a fantastic temperature and good company. One of the girls had her 50th birthday earlier this week, so one of the other girls came all dressed up as Sara. You should have seen the faces of some of the people passing by.

Sara in Alassio!!!

Then yesterday I had a lazy day, packing all my stuff in a way so I could get it on the car leaving the rear window free. And I succeeded. Around 18.00 when the sun was setting behind the mountains my sight was drawn towards the church on the mountain opposite the campsite. The sight made me wonder: would the people who build the church ever have realized how the light was 'attracted' straight on the front door to light up the Madonna?

(Sorry, forget to turn it, but anyway you see the LIGHT....)

One of the best views to close my stay at C'era una Volta, don't you agree?

Don't know if I wrote about my nose? Well, my last working day I was in kind of a fight with some non-moving, not cooperating objects of one of the last tents and I ended up getting smacked in my face with it. Aughhhhhhhhh, luckely I was wearing my glasses, otherwise maybe it would have been even worse. For 3 days now I am walking around with a kickboxers nose and slowly it turns more and more black. Wonder how long it will take before the 'nice' colouring of my nose will be gone. But, at least it is not broken, I think.

Well, my dear friends, I think it's about time to insert the pictures and then close my laptop, ready to walk to the station to get on the train, which will be arriving around 19.00. Tomorrow morning at 05.35 I will be in Neu Isenburg (Frankfurt) from where it will be a 3 hour drive to Eindhoven where my family is waiting for me.

Will catch up with you soon again and of course I will keep you updated about my 'adventures' during the winter and plans for the next season. Once again thanks for your friendship

Ciaoooooooooooooooooooooo

No more welcome, but for the moment GOODBYE , Arriverderci Bella Italia

Ciao, baci baci Rita

The only proper way to close the Pini season..........yep, a BBQ!

At the moment I have only 4 tents left with guests at Pini. Me, myself and I am staying in a mobilhome since one week; the camping gave me a key and I could not resist the luxury after living 5 1/2 months in a tent: my own shower and toilet, a 4 pits cooker, running water........... wow!

But the week before still all the 13 tents at Pini were occupied plus 3 tents on the terraces.

And what would be a better closure of the season then one more time a BBQ?

First I was too busy with still so many guests and the preparation for making the tents ready for transport, but then Mark tent 5 arrived! The first he said when he got out of the car was: and... when is the Pini BBQ?

Mark tent 5 (I called him this way, because he always introduced himself as Mark tent 5 on the phone).

That was on Saturday and on Monday I had to agree with his idea: time for another bbq. I delegeted the organization to Joyce and Marietha (tent 6), so I could continue the packing up and all the other things to do when there are still so many guests around.

Joyce made a round to ask who wanted to join in and all except 2 tents were joining us.

Joyce, the organizer, Thanks sweety xxxxx

She collected the money and together with Marietha they went for shopping. Without them I don't think we would have had such a wonderful pleasant evening. Thanks ladies!!!!

The men collected the bbq of the bar and tried to get the fire burning................

Mark and Chris, trying to get the fire ready........

Yeh, yeh, a bit of smoke, but the meat is cooking..........

What you mean..... smoke? Where??????????? (Chris and Ron)

The ladies all have been busy with preparing the side-dishes, which resulted in a tasteful table: a yummie pasta-tuna salad, tomato-mozarella-basilicum, bowl, a fresh fruit salad, green salad, sauces, bread, and of course......... peanutbutter sauce (sate saus, thanks Freek and Charlotte, with every bite I had you in mind:) ).

Also the kids had a good time and we spend a lovely evening with tasty food, tasty drinks :) until around midnight. As said: could not think of a better way to go towards the end of another season at Pini!!!!

Mark and Karen taking care of the 'decorations'

And Hugo was - as always - smiling...........

R and J brought a 'small' bottle of wine...................

This last week I have been very busy with rapping up things for the transport. OMG it's hard work, doing it all on my own. Stef is missed, and also his company. On the other hand, in the evenings I am too tired to be in the mood for company or to go somewhere, so also for that reason it is great of the camping that I can stay in the mobilhome. 

Guess I have been overdoing it a bit: taking the double-beds out the inners, stacking up the single beds, taking down the inners and all the rest of the materials in the tents. Since two days now I can hardly use my left hand - think this hand is trying to tell me to slow down :). Which I did, still finishing of the other tents, but leaving the beds now as they are - not 20 anymore and I want to be able to drive home in a week (first of october). Instead I am now walking all the chairs and tables to the store-tent as a kind of making up because nothing wrong with my legs (yet).

Well all my dear friends, not sure if I will post something more from Pini, otherwise you will hear from me again when I am on the road again. 

I would like to thank all the fantastic guests I had the pleasure to meet this season and for your warmth and friendship. Thanks to you all I once again had a fantastic season here at C'era una Volta. Gracie and baci baci........................

P.S. Anyone who has also photo's, you can send them to my email: rita.sanghita@gmail.com and I can post them, to share with all of you. xxxxxxxxxxx

Rita's law strikes again - or - where are you Stef????

Did not realize that again some days have passed since the last posting.

Tuesday I brought Stef to Nice Airport, he was going home, back to the study again.

On our way to Nice we saw that a big accident had happened on the other side of the road, so I said to Stef, to make sure I will be back in time at the campsite (2 arrivals) I will take the turn for Bordighera and follow the coastroad.

Haha, that was a joke: already in the tunnel at Menton I ended up in the trafficjam: standing still in a tunnel for more than one hour! As soon as I could get off the autostrada I started to drive along the coastroad. Past Imperia I saw the autostrada and cars (not too many) driving a good speed, so I entered the autostrada again> STUPID! In 5 minutes I stood still again in the traffic jam. Once again when I finally reached the next turn off I took the coastroad. By that time it was already around 17.00 o'clock (normally Albenga-Nice=Nice-Albenga takes 3 hours and we left 12.15!!!!) and still a fair end to drive. And by Rita's law of course this day there was a bicycle-tour in Laigueglia, reason why all the roads were blocked .

Finally around 18.15 I arrived at the campsite, at the same time as the second arrival so I could take this family straight with me to their tent. The other family allready arrived earlier, but they had contact with Eindhoven that they wanted to be transfered to another campsite the next day. The lady could hardly walk, after an accident, and then this campsite is not really suitable.

So, first visit this family, sorted out everything for their transfer and around 19.15 I finally was able to make a coffee. So much for a nice, relaxing day?

On Wednesday just 3 departures and 3 arrivals, so a bit like a normal day. In the afternoon I made a start with starting to pack up the first tent: pfooo I need to practise a bit again before I will finish packing up quick. Will finish it off tomorow.

And then today: first I thought I could make it a day off duty, no departures, no arrivals.

Joking: 2 families where going to leave in the morning, because they did not want to drive in the weekend and the children wanted to go home, to have a few days at home, before school starts again. No problem, around 11.00 I checked them out.

Because of their early departure I had another tent free to get dismantled, so in the afternoon I thought I better get on with it,  because Friday I will be busy with arrivals and Saturday I will be busy with 12 check-outs (now 10 left). The second packing up went already more easy than the first one, which gave me a good feeling: I will get the job done in time without making too many hours extra.

I finished around 18.00, sitting at my tent for a coffee when the reception called. One of the guests had come to the reception: no electricity.

When I came to their tent the electricity unit in the tent was just fine, it was a problem with the pole where we plug in the cables of the tents. Well, all the fuses were up and still nothing happened and I am not an electrician, so I went to the reception back again. By this time they were closed, so I called Carmello, the security man. Guess what he said: I am just security, no electrician. Duuuuuuuuh thank you. But anyway he came with me. He thought I was sleeping:you have to pull the fuses down and then lift them up again. I only tried that twice before I called him in. Anyway: we came to the conclusion that it must be the pole. The electrician will come tomorrow morning Security said. Haha, 4 tents without electricity by now, and I just have to say to the people (with babies, with full fridges with only 30 degrees in the day), sorry: tomorrow morning you are the first one (around 12.00 maybe?).

No way. So, I took the electricity cable of one tent and could reach another pole that was still working. Nice, one tent the lights are on again. Only 3 left. . One tent will be empty tonight and tomorrow, so another cable to that pole and unplug the empty tent. Great. 2 left

I had an extension cable so I had to go down to go and get it. By that time Security was gone and it was pitch dark! First up to the bar to get Security again: no Rita sorry, I am Security, no electrician, not my job. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr . Please please, just come with me with your torch to light me so at least I can fix one more tent for tonight. The other tent will be an arrival tomorrow, so then I can sort it out in the morning. Finally he came with me. By the time he plugged in the extension cable and I was just going to get the cable of the tent THE LIGHTS WENT ON EVERYWHERE!!!!! Don't ask me how this could happen and you should have seen Security's face................

But from now on I know I can just forget it that Security will ever come up the terraces again to help me with any electricity problem, because HE IS ONLY SECURITY and now he believes I AM AN ELECTRICIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .

Anyway, it was 21.30 before I came back to my tent, time to fix myself something to eat on my nice supposed to be Day Out Off Duty.

19 more days to go till my contract finishes and I sure hope that it is not going to be many days like this - an almost end of the season day................... As said Saturday 12 departures, on that day I will have 10 tents empty, ready to close them down, so 10 tents less to get troubles with electricity problems or whatever.

Now time for a well deserved glass of wine and then time for bed, because tomorrow another nice quiet relaxing day again.

Love you all, and don't get me wrong: I still love this job!

Ciao for now, will soon be back on the site again with some pictures and maybe a nice story of me been to the beach or something?

OMG: my bumm hurts, my legs aging... from the Coast Park Cycling track........

Yesterday Stef and I went for the Coast Park Cycling track from San Lorenzo al Mare to Ospedaletti.

The 24 kilometre breathtaking stretch wends its way through eight historic fishing villages and the glamourous city of San Remo.

It was in the 1800s that the first British aristocrats discovered the sensual charms of the Ligurian coast where the Alps tumble dramatically into warm, cobalt-blue Meditarranean sea. They came to enjoy the temperate climate and luxuriant subtropical vegetation with its palms and baobabs. Not surprisingly the region became knows as the "Coast of Flowers". Scent from eucalyptus, rosemary and lavender fill the air and the intense perfumes, carried by sea breezes, mingle with the fresher mountain winds.

Now, with the train route moved north, the old tracks are being converted into a 24 km cycling path.

The stretch from Ospedaletti in the west to San Lorenzo al Mare in the east is finished.

San Stefano al Mare

Along the way it provides access to 5 km of previously unreachable Riviera beaches.

We rented a tandem and after a coffee we started the track. 20 km it was one way.

Stef was the driver in the front and he made us spin like idiots.

San Remo

Okay.......... I think this is really the end of the line........

Yep.... so let's get on the way back.... just another 20 km to go.......

It took us only 4 hours to go back and forth (40 km), with a stop for a toast, another stop for an icecream AND a stop to have a swim!

Arriving back at San Lorenzo I could hardly get off the bike: my bumm was hurting soo much and all my muscles were frozen. The owner of the rent a bikeshop laughed his head off when he saw me walking away. Thank you very much....... But..... I think we made a record of running this track back and forth in such a short time.

Me and my shadow ..............................

We absolutely deserved a Pizza in the restaurant at the campsite and a good glass of wine.

To my surprise this morning Stef did not need to come and help my out of bed, only when walking/climbing the terraces my muscles and my bumm hurts a bit. Not bad for such an 'old' lady he..........

The weather report for the coming week is still 30 degrees and more, but so every now and then we have some clouds, giving some shade and space to cool a bit.

Ciao and till next report.

Baci baci Rita

BBQ, Whale Watching and temperature rising

And once again there was a bbq-party on Pini.

This time just a 'small' one, not a full organized VS-BBQ for all the guests, but a nice get-together of a few families staying at Pini.

Stef and John went to the butcher in Villanova to order the meat for about 20 people. This order included pork chops, because one family asked for meat with bone!

By collecting the meat they found out that something went wrong in the translation: we found hughe pieces of beef steaks.

Not on the grill, but on the scottlebry, seasoned with herbs and spices by Lucien Peter-Jan it was a fantastic delicious piece of meat.

The Italian 'pork chops'.

Nice salads, different bottles of wine and of course a bottle of Lemoncello complemented with good company gave us another nice evening (and for some of us a nice hangover the next morning).

(creative with an umbrellastick and light)

What a smokey bbq?

Thanks to all the guests for a nice evening. 

And........ the temperature is rising.

For almost a week now we have temperatures up to 37C. Very hard to do the work in this heat and lucky for Stef and me that this is a kind of quiet week, not too many change-overs. That will start around the 3th of September again, so now time to go slow motion.

On Monday we had the rare opportunity to get away together, so we went on the Whale Watching trip. The best thing to do in this heat: sitting on a boat at sea, the wind through your hair, relaxing, being away from all the work for a while.

All the sorts of cetacaen we could see (if you are lucky). We did see the striped dolphin on the bottom right, a few seaturtles).

At the end of the afternoon we saw 2 times a group of young dolphins, playing in the waves made by circling around them. It was very difficult to catch them with the camera, but still here is one:

Also I need some more practice to make panoramic pictures I think, at a few of them it's not your eyes, I took a double shot at the same position

(getting better at it)

Cervo.

(blurry from the heat).

And to end with a shot of Stef, not being seasick, but just relaxing.

That's all for now folks, I hope some of you will e mail me the pictures you've made, so I can share them on this site. My email address is: rita.sanghita@gmail.com.

Ciao, Bonne Notte, Bacci bacci to you all.

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