Tell us about your experience!

[Ascanio]

Hello!

Welcome to this discussion group! As the title of the group may (or
may not...) suggest, our target here is to join people that travel
often between Siena and London, or in a broader sense, Tuscany/Italy
and England/UK, exchanging feelings, hints and hopes.

A few lines about myself. I started travelling periodically to London
on December last year. I admit I never been in UK before. In many
other places worldwide yes, but never in UK. The reason has been my
girlfriend decided to move to London for her work and, quicker then I
expected he found a good place to work that fulfilled her dreams. So
here I am, commuting to London a copule of weekend every month to
share precious time with my loved one.

Actually, while she was previously living and working in Siena, I am
not. I live and work in the surrounding area of Milan. My family
origin is however strongly tight to the Siena countryside and, when I
am not in London, when I am not working extra hours at my office, I am
in Siena's country side.

So I am actually commuting between Siena / Milano / London, trying to
take the best each of these places has to offer.

This is just a quick start of the newsgroup, to "break the ice", as we
say in Italy. I am sure others have experiences to share or questions
to make, so don't hesitate and make this place a little bit your
place.

See you soon!
Cheers

Ascanio

[Eleonora Pini]

hi everybody!

first of all let me introduce myself. My name is Eleonora, Ascanio's
girlfriend.

I'm an Architect and I'm a proud Sienese, proud of my origins and of
the amazing beauty of my yellow hills, my huge sunflower fields and my
silvered green olive trees. I'm proud of my high building made of
bricks and travertine stone, which rise from narrow uneven streets,
proud of my town full of light and sun, of one of the most beautiful
and famous squares in all the world.
I used to live in Siena (actually, in a small town near Siena, in the
countryside) until the last autumn... then a tiny voice started
calling me here in London...and I couldn't help following it! The
reasons were basically related to my job: I'm a conservation Architect
and here, in a London based practice, I've finally found what I've
been looking for years. It's pretty weird, isn't it? I seem to be
happier to work for English historical buildings and monuments rather
than Italian ones...Italy is plenty of monuments, churches, ancient
buildings...but that's it!

I don't actually want to bother you with a comparison between Italian
and Londoner architectural practices...but for the first time in my
life I'm doing what I've been studying for, what I really want to do,
what really represents my "place" in the world. I've been living here
since the end of last November, it's not a lot, it's not a few.

I'ts not enough maybe to be tired of the stressful London life (which
I've always tried to avoid...I will describe my London life in one of
the next comments); but it's enough to have got the feeling that I'm
not in holiday, that I actually live here, here where things happen,
where you may see your wishes come true, whatever they are. I miss
Siena and my hills everyday, and I know that this long term holiday
will come to an end. I don't know exactly when; but it will. That will
be the time to come back Home, holding tight in my memories, emotions,
friendships, experiences of the time spent here.

Ok, I think that's all for now! Next topic: Eleonora's London life
(nothing so exciting, for records...). See you soon and write
us!!!!!!!!!!!!"