Better now thank you

My little blip of sadness has passed, thank you for the kind and helpful comments, it was comforting to know that I am not the only one who gets the homesick blues.  A few UK meals, a beef casserole and toad in the hole, plus more social activity probably helped.  We had friends round for a long al fresco lunch, they are a Danish couple who are in Lazio March to November, the wife says she feels much the same as summer fades and is almost ready to back to Copenhagen.  We had a day on the beach which despite all the establishments being closed, no bars, beds, showers or toilets, just miles of sand, was lovely.  The sea was like a millpond and Mr FF swam round the bay while I did my usual beach combing walk and found a little plastic dinosaur, result.  The gelato shop was still open and well stocked (biscotti and amarena for me) and on the way home we stopped at the beautiful farm shop that always makes me happy for bufala mozzarella and other delicious foods.

Friends from Rome called by this morning and also Mario who after an inspection told me that I can start collecting the olives next week.  Meantime he has shown me how to cut out the tender new growth to keep the centre of the trees open and pronounced that my secateurs are rubbish.  

We are at friends for lunch on Friday, they are cracking on with their harvest but they live down in the valley where things happen a bit quicker.  

Busy times but we still manage a bit of relaxation in the sun, unfortunately the forecast is for lower temperatures by the weekend, let's hope the end of flip flop life for another year doesn't plunge me into the depths of despair.  I doubt it as I caught myself looking longingly at a cashmere jumper this morning when I fished out a clean sleeveless t shirt to wear.

Home thoughts from abroad

When Robert Browning wrote this lovely poem, and I'm sorry I can't give you a link to read it, blame the iPad, he was in northern Italy and thinking of spring back home in England.    But suddenly I in southern Italy in autumn have gone all home sick too. It's something I've always suffered from, hard to describe but a sad empty feeling that seems to take over early evening.  It has little to do with distance from the familiar because often as a child I'd be taken during the long summer holidays to stay with my Gran or to my cousins farm, both a few miles from where I lived and either have to be brought home after a few days or arrive with my case then refuse to stay at all.  

I did ask Mr FF last year before we embarked on our first long visit if we could  return if I got homesick, at the time he agreed but of course once I got sad there was no way we were going back and the feeling did pass.  I have everything I need here, including my husband, and I know that if I did go home, I am not even considering it, I'd instantly want to be back in Italy.  Strangely I only feel this way here in autumn, during high summer I am fine and equally strangely I may long to be in Italy when we are in Scotland but never in this heavy hearted displaced person way

Feel free to give me a good talking to, I'll be fine in a few days and boring you all again with tales from our glorious life in Lazio.

Seven days of sloth

We've been back in Italy for over a week now and probably had more than seven days of pure idleness.  The weather has been gorgeous, sunny and warm, and our days have gone something like this.  Early morning tea, breakfast on the terrace, move to the easy chairs, perhaps a glass of juice around mid morning, lunch, usually a little snooze, tea and cake late afternoon then dinner and a bit of telly.   Lots of reading and chatting, some days a walk down to the village for coffee or an afternoon visit for ice cream.  All very very relaxing, I imagine a cruise must be like this, flitting from one meal to the next and sitting around in between.  We were so busy in Scotland the two weeks we were home but the conservatory roof was fixed and all the lovely new energy efficient glass installed, such a relief to get the work done and we seemed to run out of steam when it was over.
This can't go on, for one thing whilst I have plenty of reading material, three books finished so far, I've knitted almost two pairs of socks, I only have enough yarn for four more pairs and I must have knitting for the long drive home.  So I've been gardening to keep me away from the needles and Mr FF is forming plans for his next project here.  Fortunately it's outdoors so I'm spared the dust and disorder, gives him the chance to get his treasured cement mixer out and there is the promise that when it's complete I can buy some large pots to plant up for the newly created area.
So that will keep us occupied until the olives are ready, the cruise is over.

An Italian wedding

While we were staying in Tuscany there was a big wedding at the local catherdral, officiated by the then RC Archbishop of Glasgow who apparently is a relative of the family and had flown out specially.  Irene and I were there we see the action.  

Lots of smart guests, linen, vertiginously high heels and stylish wraps were much in evidence.

Beautiful bridesmaids, the grown ups in plain but elegant dresses.

The bride arrived just a little late in this gorgeous old Cinquecento driven by her Dad, it had to be left down the hill as there is no road access to the church which is as usual at the very top of the old part of town.

Father and bride walked up the steps together 

and into the cathedral.  All very understated and extremely elegant, so Italian.

Holiday snaps

Although we've not been back in Scotland very long, constant days of cold and rain, wearing too many layers of clothes and struggling to get the conservatory renovations finished have made our days in the sun something of a distant memory. Lets take a look at what we got up to.  First of all, this is the view from our hotel bedroom at Montreux, the stopover where Mr FF said he'd rather sleep in the car than pay the cost of the room.  For me the £220 bill, including dinner and breakfast was worth every penny.

Mr FF not only shipped out the 1.2 m sat dish, he also sourced this rather ugly aerial which he temporarily fixed to our sun umbrella.  

Of course he relocated it to the roof, fixed up the new dish and there was UK tv beyond our expectations.    

A day on the beach, I love the Italian beach culture and am happy to sit in my allocated line people watching and enjoying a distance glimpse of the sea.  

We actually enjoyed the trip so much we went back, to different locations, twice more.
I don't have a photo but I'm happy to report that one of the cats that lived with us last summer reappeared, we think it was Paolo one of the ginger and white ones.  He looked fit and obviously well fed, accepted the food we gave him but always went off afterwards, which leads us to believe that he has found a proper home and hopefully the rest of the tribe did too.  Finally, a gorgeous gift from our neighbour Mario.  Beautiful veggies that fed us for days.  Mario has a piece of land lower down in the village, where he tells me the soil is better and presumably the climate too.  He told me that for August and September his family is completely self sufficient, with enough fruit and veg for bottling and freezing plus plenty to give away.  

If only he could bottle some of that sunshine for me I'd be unscrewing the jar right now.

Roof repairs (don't try this at home)

Having received the scaffolding on Monday it took Mr FF quite a while to erect the two towers which I was pleased to note were quite sturdy if extremely tall.  The intention was to have a bridge between the two to provide a walkway and safe area over the roof of the conservatory from which to work.  I had asked beforehand how we would get the walkway up there but Mr FF dismissed my girly concerns with some engineer speak involving ropes so I didn't pursue the matter.

I was told yesterday that it wasn't going to be possible to put up the bridge single handed, its the piece you can see leaning to the left of the tower in the photo below, big and heavy.   I certainly wasn't interested in helping, far too scary.  Mr FF then admitted that he didn't really want to go up onto the walkway and do the repair work himself.  So after a few phone calls we have found a local builder who is currently erecting his own scaffolding, assisted by two workmen, and he is going to do the work.  Phew.  

Tomorrow the new glass is due to arrive, hopefully quickly followed by the glaziers and meantime Mr FF is using his scaffold to check other, lower, parts of the house roof, ie justifying the weeks rather expensive rental.  I can't wait for the work to be completed and for us to get back to Lazio. You can see it's bright and sunny here but I feel permanently cold, there is a definite feel of autumn about and I don't like it.

Just visiting

We flew back from Italy on Friday but only for a couple of weeks and my flip flops are packed away in Lazio awaiting my return, no I didn't leave them on the beach.

We've had a great time and so far being home isn't too bad either though wearing socks and jumpers is a novelty that might not last.   I started the garden catch up yesterday while Mr FF was out walking with his group.  Tomorrow we begin the renovation of our conservatory here, several of the double glazed units are blown so there is condensation between the panes and all 14 units are going to be replaced. I managed to dissuade Mr FF from tackling this himself, far too scary and not a suitable occupation for a man who turned 64 last month.   I want to knit something to take back to Italy for a new baby,  I need to think about Christmas as it might be November before we drive back to the UK and I must get my hair cut.
So no time to linger.  I'll catch up with you all over the next few days and tell you what we've been up to over the last 6 sunny weeks.