happy new year everyone! i have just arrived back from yet another trip across the med to visit ornella and co. this time i jumped on my favourite airline, iberia, for a few days in roma, riccione, and rimini for the celebration of the cappodano (obviously new years eve). the first evening we had a delish meal out with paulo, alex, fabio, ornella and friends. i love italian food so much that it hurts. it is a good thing that i do not live there otherwise i would weigh a ton.

the next day was new years eve so we jetted off to the adriatic coast to alessandro and maria’s house with all of us crammed into paulo’s merc like a can of sardines. after 4 hours of driving and listening to track 6 and 8 of a special david mancuso mix, we finally arrived in riccione at 10. little did i realise that we had dinner reservations at 11. oops. imagine 4 women getting ready for new year’s eve in less than one hour! it really did happen - with complete hair and makeup! it must have been the final miracle of 2003.

we rushed off to Club Paradiso, where we were ushered upstairs to “the godfather” themed restaurant that overlooks the entire coast to our vip table in the center of the action. beautiful. too bad i left my memory card at home for the camera! we were served our first course just in time to have 3 bites and then the new year rang in. being the good girls that we are, we promptly toasted our champagne. then toasted again. then again. then pushed aside the next 4 courses of the meal opting to continue on with the toasts (would you expect anything less from us?). the rest of the evening flew by in a flash of veuve, dancing, laughing, more veuve, smoking ciggies, and much much more.

the godfather theme capodanno

at some point around 4 am, maria and her new amore decided to drag me from paradiso to another club named peter pan. i was a bit in doubt of the validity or fun factor of any club named after a little green fairy and apprehensively went along for the ride. upon arrival, we discovered that we couldn’t even get in. so we left and went to another club called prince. wow. what a sea of 18 year old sweaty boys on pills that place was. i was clearly unimpressed in the most vocal of stephanie styles.

peter pan nightclub?

we ended up going back to the house to find that everyone had the same idea as we had. there were about 15 people at the house and the music was pumping to the sweet sounds of dj ornella. the champagne did flow. then around 9 am someone decided it was a great idea that we all go out to an afterhour club….so we threw on our best disco sunglasses and hats and hopped into the van with long john aka antonio, gianluca, and antonella’s boyfriend mario.

prince - the man, not the club

and can i just say that the rest is history and shall not be spoken here.

i am home and alive. my voice is intact. everyone had a great time. oh and i think that long john’s car is probably still sitting outside of maria and alessandro’s house while the search party checks the dumpster behind the club for his body…

happy new year!