Join Lulu, Georgie and Spotty for this morning’s Sunday Challenge
Take a look at this video on YouTube:
Georgie visits Passignano.
Passignano with Georgie Jumble
Yesterday Georgie spent the morning in Passignano, a town on the shores of Lake Trasimeno.
A couple of years ago it was voted ‘The best place to live in Italy’ because it has everything you need for a convenient easy life in a beautiful location. Great transport links, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, a beach, wonderful walks, ferries to Isola Maggiore, etc etc. Yet it is a quiet, ‘real living’ town. Uncommercialised and unspoilt by tourism.
It is the nearest town to Castel Rigone. A short (ten minutes), but breathtakingly beautiful drive down the hillside.
Yesterday Georgie spent the morning there and then returned to watch the sunset.
Take a look at the video above to see what she did.
Castel Rigone Christmas Market
Georgie is very excited because the village Christmas Market opens on Saturday. The village will be transformed into a winter wonderland with music and food and stalls. She can’t wait.
Georgie visits Assisi
Georgie really wanted to visit Assisi.
It's very near to Castel Rigone and her cousins were always visiting and sending her lots of photos. They said it was one of the most beautiful and magical places in Umbria.
Georgie enjoyed the drive to Assisi very much. The roads were very quiet and weaved in and out between fields and olive groves. At first the town was just a speck of white on the hillside and then, as they drew nearer Georgie couid see the pale pinky white stone houses and the magnificent Basilica of St. Francis.
It was beautiful! Magical!
They stopped first at the base of the hill to visit he magnificent church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.
Georgie had never seen such a huge church!
She had to walk right to the back of the car park to take a photograph and nearly fell over looking up. It was so high !
The church was beautiful. Georgie really liked the rose garden and the tiny church inside the main church which looked like a dolls house but her favourite was the statue of Saint Francis holding a dove. She got quite a fright when the dove blinked at her. It was real!
On leaving Santa Maria degli Angeli they drove up the hill to the main town of Assisi and walked past the Church of Santa Chiara.
'I'm sure I've seen this somewhere before, ' said Georgie.
'Yes, you have,' said her cousins. 'It's painted on one of the walls of our house!
….. and so it was!
It's not very often you meet an angel but Georgie met one in Assisi! .
Next they visited the Basilica of Saint Francis which is actually two churches one on top of the other. Both are magnificent but the huge vaulted ceilings of the lower church left Georgie speechless. Every centimetre was covered with paintings.
Their day in Assisi concluded with a walk to the largest of the towns two fortresses, the Rocca Maggiore.
The views from the top were amazing and Georgie had a great time in the gardens.
It was getting too late to go into the museum and walk along the walls of the Rocca but Georgie really hoped they could return and do this on another day. It looked like fun.
The day had been wonderful but one day in Assisi is just not enough! There are so many more things to. So many more places to visit.
For more information visit: http://www.loveumbria.co.uk
Sunday Challenge November 22nd
Join the Jumbles for fun crafts and thinking puzzles.
We advise adult supervision.
Georgie’s Holiday. Day one.
Georgie Jumble is on holiday in Umbria, Italy.
She is staying with her Italian cousins and her Nonna
(which is Italian for 'Gran') in a charming hill top, medieval
village called Castel Rigone above Lake Trasimeno.
It is Georgie's first morning in 'Jumble House'.
She sits up and rubs her eyes.
The bedroom is bathed in a golden light and there,
peeping round the door are …………
……….. all of her cousins !
'Ciao !' 'Buon giorno !' they squeak excitedly.
'We have been waiting for you to wake up !' says Bianca
'Si! ' says Rosa, 'We want to show you our village!'
Georgie jumps out of bed and runs to the window .
The sun is rising behind the hills.
'It's so beautiful,' exclaims Georgie.
For breakfast Georgie has a cornetto and cappuccino.
The cornetto is like a
croissant filled with a creamy custard.
Then it's time to explore the village.
Just down the road is a huge church.
Madonna dei Miracoli
Georgie turns the latch on the door and they quietly walk
inside.
Georgie feels very small.
The church is so big and the ceiling so high!
Even the paintings are bigger than her!
Her cousins tell her that this is a very special church. It is a sanctuary because a
miracle happened here many years ago.
'What's a miracle?' asked Georgie.
'We will tell you the story later,' says Fabio
Then they explore more of the village.
There are so many steps !
Her Italian cousins are used to all this climbing but
Georgie is still tired after her journey. 'Sono stanco ! ' She
says.'I'm tired.'
'Come on !' Mario shouts, 'Avanti!'
'There's the football stadium' says Mario. 'Our team is
very good.'
Georgie likes playing football.
'I hope I can watch a match,' she says.
All the Jumbles love walking, and climbing and jumping and sport and all kinds of
exercise.
They are very fit!
They go for a walk down one of the many lanes and have great fun chasing about
and climbing the trees.
Georgie is so happy she turns cartwheels down the path.
Then, all of a sudden, 'WHACK' !
Something hits Georgie on the head.
Then she is hit again and again! Georgie looks up and sees little seeds falling
from the trees.
She knows they are seeds but doesn't know their name.
She looks round for the other Jumbles but they have
raced ahead.
'I must ask Nonna to help me to identify them,' she thinks.
Then Georgie sees a big pile of logs .
'I wonder what these are for? Is someone having a bonfire?'
'No,' says Lorenzo, 'We use them to keep the house warm in the winter.'
How strange thinks Georgie. I haven't seen a fire in the house.,
When they arrive home Nonna is waiting on the steps.
Georgie asks her about the logs and Nonna explains that they are ready for
the winter.
Most houses have a stove called a 'stufa' .
The logs are burnt on the stufa to keep the house warm.
But Georgie still doesn't know what her seeds are called.
Nonna sees the leaf.
This will help them to identify the seeds.
They look on the Internet for a chart to help them.
Can you help Georgie to identify the leaf?
Which tree is it from?
What are the seeds called?
Look carefully at Georgie's seeds and the seeds on the
chart.
There is a part missing from Georgie's seeds.
Can you see?
What is it for?
This link will help:
For more information and slideshows on Castel Rigone and Umbria visit:
Take a look at this video on YouTube:
http://www.loveumbria.co.uk/?p=558
Maisie and the Hedgehog.
It was a lovely Autumn day.
Warm and sunny.
Maisie Jumble was playing in the garden. Maisie liked tumbling around.
She was just about go into a headstand when ………
‘Rustle rustle’
What was that? wondered Maisie.
‘Rustle rustle’
There it was again.
Where was the noise coming from?
Maisie looked up at the trees.
She looked down at the grass.
She looked right and then left.
Where was the noise coming from?
Then, from under the bushes came the
most perculiar little creature.
Can you guess what it was?
Here are some clues.
It was small and roundish.
It had four tiny legs.
It had two eyes and a little pointed face and snout.
It was covered in prickles!
You’ve guessed?
Yes! It was a hedgehog. A very young hedgehog.
Maisie thought it was SO cute!
She wanted to keep it as a pet but knew not to.
It is not kind to keep wild animals as pets.
So, instead, Maisie enjoyed watching it in the garden.
Maisie had read about hedgehogs in story-books but she had never seen a real
one before .
Now her head was full of so many questions.
Why are they called hedgehogs?
Why do they have prickles ?
Why are their legs so short?
What do they eat?
Why do they have such a pointed snout?
What kind of an animal are they?
Maisie picked up the little hedgehog very carefully and do you know what it did?
Yes! It rolled into a ball. A very prickly ball.
‘Ouch! said Maisie. ‘Now I know why they have prickles. It’s to stop other animals
from catching and eating them!’
Maisie watched the hedgehog for a long time.
She saw it nuzzling the grass with its snout.
‘I wonder what the hedgehog is doing,’ thought Maisie.
‘It looks like it’s searching for something. I wonder what it can be?’
Maisie needs some help to find the answers to her other questions.
Can you help her?
Where do you think you can look ?
Try the links below.
http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pages/all-about-hedgehogs.html
…. and here is a short video of Maisie with the hedgehog.
Today is BONFIRE NIGHT in the UK.
A very dangerous day for hedgehogs who like to sleep in piles of leaves and sticks.
Georgie goes on holiday
Georgie is going on holiday.
She is going to Italy.
Georgie has never been to Italy before and it is also her first time in an aeroplane.
The flight is very early in the morning and so they stay in a Hotel near to the airport the night before.
In the morning they drive to Stansted Airport.
First they must go to the bag drop with their luggage.
The airport is very busy and there are lots of people.
Georgie waits quietly. It is fun watching everyone .
Georgie likes the airport
Here are lots of shops and bars and restaurants.
George has a go in the Toblerone aeroplane and wins a prize.
Then it is time to board the plane.
Furst they must find out which gate their flight leaves from.
Then they board the plane.
Everything is very strange.
There are lots of rows of seats and lockers for cabin bags and coats
Georgie is too small to reach the locker. Then a steward comes to help her.
Soon the engines start.
The plane starts to move and they taxi slowly along the runway.
A sign above Georgie's head lights up and the stewardess makes sure she has fastened her safety belt.
Georgie doesn't like the safety belt very much but she knows she must wear it when the sign is lit.
When Georgie looks out of the window she can see parts of the plane. Do you know what they are?
Soon they are flying high in the sky. Georgie looks down and can see something white and fluffy. It looks like cotton wool.
Do you know what it is ?
Then it's time for something to eat or drink. A very smiley air hostess comes round with a trolley and asks Georgie what she would like to drink. Georgie likes this plane. Everyone is so nice.
Georgie enjoys looking out of the window. There is so much to see.
They fly over some mountains. They are the Italian Alps. Can you see them in the picture?
What do you think the white bits are?
Sometimes there is only cloud and nothing to see but Georgie is not bored.
She has brought her journal and enjoys drawing pictures and writing about her trip.
It seems no time at all before they are about to start their descent into Perugia airport.
The plane starts to descend and Georgie's ears feel funny and make strange noises.
She sucks a sweet and swallows a lot to make them feel better.
The ground is coming nearer and nearer but Georgie wonders why everything looks very small.
Can you think why? All those pictures of Georgie might give you a clue.
Now they are nearly down and everything is much clearer .
Then there is a little bump as the wheels touch the runway and the plane has landed. They are told to keep their safety belts on until the plane has stopped and the sign goes off.
Georgie watches while the suitcases are loaded onto a truck.
Then it her turn to leave the plane and climb down the steps. She says Thankyou to the kind steward and stewardess. It has been a lovely trip. She wants to do it all over again!
But now it's time to collect her luggage and go into the bar for something to eat.
The bar is fun. There are lots of things to choose from. Pizza, sandwiches, cakes, ice cream.
Georgie chooses a piece of pizza.
Then they drive through the beautiful Umbrian countryside and up a winding mountain road to a pretty medieval village. The houses, the trees and the fields all look very strange to Georgie. Everything is so different from England.
Georgie follows her directions and reaches a house which she thinks must be 'Jumble House' but everywhere is very quiet and there is no one to ask.
It's a funny house. There is no footpath and no garden and, where is the door? There must be a door!
Can this be where the Italian Jumbles live?
But then Georgie looks up.
There at the window are all her Italian relatives waving and shouting!
It is the right house after all!
Keep following the blog to discover more about Georgie's trip to Italy.
Creative Learning for Young Children 