Melting dot com

It is incredibly and exceptionally hot here in Lazio.  Down in the valley it's around 38 degrees and here in the mountainside we are into the low 30s every day.  We spend the days and nights with doors and windows open but often when we go to bed its around 30 degrees indoors.  Hard to sleep at any time and cooking is torture, there is no respite.
Today we had thunder and briefly heavy rain, which was such a joy that Mr FF and I simply stood in the terrace getting soaked and feeling cool for the first time since we went to the beach last week.  The temperature dropped about 10 degrees but quickly crept back up again.
We had a huge wildfire not very far from our house, high flames fanned by the wind and the sound of trees cracking and falling were terrifying.  Mario our neighbour arrived mid afternoon to reassure us that we were safe and that the civil protection and fire brigade were working to protect nearby property.  Then the planes that scoop water from the sea appeared.  Those pilots are so skilled, flying low right over our house they managed to position themselves against the mountain where the water did most good, I was told they fly by eye and dont use instruments,  I have nothing but admiration for those guys.   That night we could still see various points of burning above our house, next day men were working in the hillside, more planes arrived with water and foam and eventually the fire was out.   A huge expanse of old deciduous woodland lost, other local fires have taken olive groves that have belonged to village families for generations.
On Friday we are off to Tuscany for 10 days while guests are in this house, I fear that cleaning and packing away all our personal stuff could see me seriously over heating but it will be lovely to spend a few hours in the air conditioned car, I might get some knitting done.

How could I doubt the man or his dish

The latter is temporarily situated in the balcony and we are receiving hundreds of new stations, including all the UK ones.   Delighted to be able to watch the brilliant BBC coverage of the Olympics  especially as the temperature reached 40 degrees today, a great reason to be indoors.

Delighted also when we called in at the builders yard to see the boss wearing the London 2012 t shirt we brought him.

Happy days, keep it up team GB.

Tell me

Why is France so big
Why is Switzerland so mountainy
Why is Italy always the last country we come to

In Montreux when I insisted we stay in a swanky lakeside hotel Mr FF said he'd rather sleep in the car, but seemed to enjoy the view from our bedroom balcony.  Otherwise the trip was long, great stop offs with a visit to Portofino, which I must put on my list of overpriced but desirable locations (for himself to sleep in the car).

Now 6 days after leaving Scotland we are finally settled in our house in Italy, it is very very hot but lovely.  Mr FF has been busy putting up shade so he hasn't tackled the new sat dish, which in itself is a wonderful sun shield.   I'll let you know if we manage to get any UK tv.