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Diana Naindenel
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Feb 15 2020
Crisscross
And another week comes to an end….. (and spring is slowly approaching, to my delight)!
I enjoy my new job and keep my self busy with learning all the new stuff! But I’m in good hands and I’m an eager learner. So yes, I’m happy right now!
Storm front «Sabine», a.k.a. «Ciara», swept through Switzerland and caused damage in millions – luckily we were spared! This weekend – it looks like – spring is sending us its greetings, temperatures up to 15 deg. C are predicted! Crazy ….
Then, Igor and Donatella have apparently visited Luna Azzurra. To our delight he’s sent us some photos – documenting Donatella up in the mast and mounting the radar reflectors! Thank you so much guys….
I admire Donatella, who wasn’t afraid of the hight (not like me… *sigh*)
Another highlight was that we received the OK and documents for the Swedish registration of Luna Azzurra *YEAH*!
The Dutch flag would have expired this summer and we needed a new one. After considering for a while, which country would be most practical – England was an option for a short time, but after the BREXIT it would have been too complicated with a British flag.
For example when sailing to another country, like France, it would have been necessary to «go through customs», which would have been a lot of red tape and a hassle everytime.
So we are sailing under the Swedish flag now!
Ah, and we got the message that the new sprayhood is finished and ready to pick-up!
We’ll do that beginning of March, since the manufacturer is only about an hour from us. Plus it’s not as big as the new bimini was! Fits easily into our car.
Otherwise we are organizing bits and pieces, which we need to have for the yacht, before our next visit to Loano. Stuff like an hour meter for the engine, new cushions for the cockpit, and an AIS … Means we keep ourselves busy and boring is a long way away!
So, bye bye for now and have fun too!
Feb 08 2020
A Crappy Start
My vacation came to an end last week, annoyingly not my cold🥶!
In the end, last Saturday I bought the heavy duty stuff ☠️ in the pharmacy in order to get well until Monday🤭. Of course I wanted to feel alert and ready for my new job.
Patrik left on Sunday morning for his three days business trip to Turkey🇹🇷… while I hardly left the bed. In the evening I had to admit to myself that I would never be well enough to start the next day….
So on Monday morning I called the company and explained my unfortunate situation. It was more than embarassing! It’s your first day and you’re sick! Gladly, the understanding was enorm and they told me not to worry and show up when I would feel better again 🤤👍!
Well, that day was on Wednesday! Not 100% myself yet, but 98% felt good enough!
And I must say I’ve had a kick-ass start. I was warmly welcomed by everyone, wishing me good luck and succcess….. Honestly, it almost felt like being i a candid camery show and I was the victim *hahaha*😃🙀
Naturaly, I’ll have a lot to learn now and in a way it was good, it was a short week! My head is filled with new information and impressions, but I’m overwhelmed and super happy to be here! I do have a great feeling about my future and I look forward until I know more and will be able to work independent!
I’m so, so, so grateful they chose me for this position and I got the opportunity to start new and learn how to enjoy being at work again. Unfortuntately I’ve forgotten how that feels during the last months!
Wish you all a fantastic and happy weekend!🥂
Feb 01 2020
The 3rd Week
Gosh! It’s unbelievable how time flies…..
The three weeks are already history and on Monday I’ll start my new job!
Of course I’m excited about it, but at the same time I feel like I could have done with a couple of weeks off longer… Yeah, well, everything comes to an end!
This week I finally visited Cony, our dear cat sitter and friend, who moved away last summer! She lives now on a farm, which her partner owns and their income is to produce and sell goat milk.
Of course she had to show me around and I was very pleased to see, how the animals are kept. A lot of natural light and enough space to move around. Usually, the goats are allowed to be outside, but the weather wasn’t ideal that day, that’s why they were inside.
It also made me happy to see that their five cows have horns! These days it’s more often that you see them without their “crown”, it’s very sad! The goats grow no horns due to their race.
The chickens are also allowed to go outside if they please, but apparently, they also preferred to be inside and not getting cold and wet feet!
So Cony and I enjoyed the afternoon together and gossiping, it was fun!
Unfortunately, Patrik caught a cold beginning of this week and on Wednesday I had it as well! Damn….bad timing, indeed, since Monday is just a couple of days away…!!
Nevertheless, on Wednesday afternoon Sabine (her with the horses) and Gaby (she also used to ride) came to visit me. I’d baked some vegan chocolate-muffins in the morning and we enjoyed them and each others company during the afternoon. In the evening I met a friend, who works with the company I’ve left. We had some dinner and talked about this and that….
Well, maybe that was a bit too much, because on Thursday I felt worse and since then I try desperately to get rid of the damn cough and running nose!
Also unfortunate is, that Patrik has to travel to Turkey on Sunday until Wednesday. So after my first day at my new work, I can’t even tell him, how it went!
However, my spirits are high and I look very forward to my new challenge! We wish you all a great weekend and stay safe and sound!
Jan 25 2020
The 2nd Week
Still enjoying my vacation – and time flies by….
It was Patrik’s (psssssst….53rd) birthday on Monday, so I prepared a nice dinner for us. But we also went out last Saturday evening, to pre-celebrate a little.
Otherwise I was busy with painting, cleaning the car, my mum visited one afternoon, I went to see a girlfriend…well, I’m not bored, let me tell you!
I also got the good news on Thursday, that Chaco – the horse with the terrible accident on New Years Eve – was allowed to go home! I might visit him (and Sabine, his owner) next week.
Unfortunately, the weather has been a bit depressing this week: A painting kept in grey nuances….
Not even Odin was very motivated to leave the house. He sleeps most of the day – well, that’s what cats do, right?!
Wish you all a wonderful weekend!
Jan 18 2020
Time Out!
A new chapter has started in my life: I quit my old job and will start a new one on February 03rd!
The decision was kind of an unforeseen turn….but during last summer I started to realise that I wasn’t happy at my work, too many changes (for my taste) and in the end I just wasn’t able to stand behind whatever I was doing.
So I started to look for a new challenge – without much hope, I must say. With 50+ you’re actually not very attractive anymore in the job market (at least here in Switzerland).
All the more was I surprised that I received an answer from the first and only application I have sent. They wanted to meet me and in the end the whole procedure went with a dizzy speed. It seemed like it was my lucky destiny….
So, in November the new contract was done and signed and I explained my boss that I would quit – the notice was already written and ready to hand in. I think it was a bit of a surprise for them.
Anyway, with some vacation days left and many hours overtime, I had my last day on Friday 10th January 2020 and right now I enjoy three weeks vacation! Jolly good!!
My first idea was, I might spend a few days in Loano with my mum, visiting Luna Azzurra. Well, until I realised that I had to drive there, which takes between six and seven hours. I never drove that distance by myself, and with the toll gates in Italy….hmm…I wasn’t sure I could do it. So, sadly, I skipped the plan!
However, I’m not at all bored! Now I have time to create some new jewellery, meet my mum, visit friends and simply enjoy “la dolce far niente” (even when staying here, haha)! It’s balm for my soul and I suddenly realise, how much I needed the time out!
Hope, you guys have as much fun as I have – see you!
Jan 04 2020
Good Bye 2019 – Hello 2020 !
Hi everyone! We hope you’ve had a wonderful Christmas with your families and beloved ones and that you’ve had a good start into the new year!
Patrik and I spent Christmas in Sweden, Helsingborg area, together with his family. Even his brother Stefan, who lives in Thailand since more that 30 years, was there!
Patrik’s nephew and godson works at the Clarion hotel in Helsingborg and arranged a De Luxe room for us – including the sparkling wine as a welcome present! Thanks again, Mathias, it was VERYYYY much appreciated!
The few days went by too quick and before we knew it, we were on the way home again… At least this time we’d visited the local marina, despite of the chill!
Well, we did look forward coming home also. Not only to see Odin again, but our friend from Luxemburg, Pascale, was at our place – looking after the house and our furry ball. She spontaneously offered herself to drive to Switzerland, since she needed some time out anyway. A classic win-win situation indeed!
So the joy was big when we entered our house around six p.m., with loads of greetings and hugs!
The first evening we stayed at home, enjoying each others company with a glass (or two) of wine, just being happy!
On Friday Pascale and I travelled to Zurich. She wanted to meet an old friend and I accompanied her of course. Afterwards we had a drink in a bar and took the train home again. Patrik met us a t the train station in Frauenfeld and after we bought some groceries, drove home.
For dinner we cooked a tomato risotto, which turned out one of the best I’ve ever done so far! And so another cozy evening came to an end.
The next day, Pascale met another friend of us, who lives nearby and I did some laundry and vacuumed the house. For the evening I had booked a table at the local restaurant “Frohsinn”.
As usual, the food there was delicious and we enjoyed a lovely evening. After we’d paid, Pia who works there and the owners thought, it was a bit too early for us to go go home yet, so we were offered “one for the road”. Well, of course it became two or three of “them” in the end and it was almost midnight, when Pascale, Patrik and I said our good byes and started to walk home (which didn’t take longer than 15-20 minutes).
The next day was already Sunday and Pascale had to drive home…. sadly! We wished she could stay over New Year, but she had to work on Monday, 30th December. Damn…!!
On Monday Patrik and I went grocery shopping for New Years Eve and the couple of days after, since the shops will be closed until the 03rd ofJanuary.
The last day of 2019 arrived and we started to send our best wishes via Whatsapp to our friends and families! We didn’t have plans to go somewhere or meet someone. Just a comfy evening home with only the three of us, cooking a fantastic dinner, see a film maybe and welcome the new year at midnight!
Nothing exciting really…… until five in the evening! Then my friend Sabine wrote that two hours ago one of her Argentinean Criollo horses (Chaco) had a terrible accident! Right now he was in surgery…. Oh my God, what a horrible gash!!
It apparently, happened when some idiots started firecrackers already in the afternoon and Chaco – panicking – got stuck in a tree, only God knows how…..
Right now we are still crossing our fingers for the poor boy and hope for the best! The wound still looks shocking, but he is in good hands at the animal hospital in Zurich and his worried owners visiting every day.
Once again I can only recommend strongly to everyone to resign firecrackers. It not only terribly scares many pets, but countless wild animals – sadly often to death!
Well, on Monday I’ll have to start working again, while Patrik still has a week off. He probably will drive to Loano, visiting Luna Azzurra! Appart of giving her a hug and wishing her a Happy New Year, he plans to do the engine service and an over all check-up. After that she will be ready for our next sailing adventure, which hopefully comes soon!
OK, now there is only left to wish you all the best for 2020 – good luck and most of all stay safe and sound!
Charter S/Y Luna Azzurra
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