Getting Ready for France

04/02, Monday

>>GREAT NEWS!!! I figured out why the photos weren't uploading!!! After a morning of fixing stuff (finishing taxes, repairing one of Mom's necklaces), I decided to try one more thing with the camera...I used my tooth brush to clean the connectors on the cable, plugged it in, and voila! It works!! But, it isn't as I thought. It didn't need cleaning. It seems the real solution is the electrical connection which is completed by dampening the connectors.

Now you will need to go back to the March 20th Blog, "The Romantic and Famous Isle of Capri", to actually see what we were talking about at that time.<<

A late April Fools Day joke? Looking this morning for our clothes outside drying, there gone! No big loss, but what happened? Michelle answers the question...there in a better spot for drying...in the sun so they moved the drying rack. Mystery solved!

Meilelina, their golden lab, is out greeting everyone this morning. She is very friendly and loves to be scratched. Sergio has told us she will be mated soon, so there will be puppies later this year...usually 7-9 of them.

Exciting progress for Borgo Solario! This morning, new furniture is being delivered for the new apartment Michelle has been working on. It will be ready to rent soon, mid-April possibly. Only the electrical needs hooking up. Massimo has already hung his artwork...framed covers of old sheet music.

We walked into Sanfatucchio for the last time to buy food for lunches and to mail postcards. While Mom shopped, I waited "in line" to get postage. Sergio picked us up on the road home. He comes home around one for lunch.

The Posta, as in North Sutton, is a place to gather and get local news. In addition to the P.O., it is a kind of bank, too. People evidently get their monthly retirement payment...this is a lengthy process with lots of paper work so it takes the clerk a long time. I was about 5th in line (honor system, no numbers). One nice guy let me go before him, so it only took 1/2 hour. I am amazed at how patient Italians can be.

We're headed up for dinner at Sergio's and Michelle's. Massimo, Vera, Michelle, Sergio, and Leonardo are our hosts. Mielena is there, too. Beside us, there are four German guests (Albrecht, Barbara, Uta) all speak English, Italian, and French. It's fun to hear them all sharing stories in their native languages.

A good home meal of pasta, salad, fruit, salami, and red wine. Everyone is well-fed and happy. Four people have espressos after dinner. Uta contends espresso is not the same as coffee...does not keep her awake because of the way the coffee is steamed. I wonder!

While eating, we listened to a CD of Massimo playing guitar and singing songs that he composed about his travels in Cuba. He is very talented!

04/03, Tuesday
Today, we relax, pack up, and pick up the rental car. I've downloaded several short films to watch tomorrow on our extended travels to Fumel...planes, trains, buses, and cars, probably some walking, too...from 6:00am to 7:00pm.

I'm finishing "The "Monster of Florence", a true story that took place in Italy starting in 1968. Parts of it were used in the movie "Hannibal", which was set in Florence. I haven't seen the movie, but the book is pretty gory plus outrageous.

Sergio has rented us a larger car for our large bags. The GPS says a little over 2 hours drive to the Ciampini airport near Rome. So, we will leave before 6:00am to allow for getting gas and returning the car to Hertz.

We're going to the local trattoria in town for dinner. Dinner was grand. I had gnocchi with mushrooms and truffles and Dick had a terrific pizza. First time we arrived late enough for the wood burning oven to be cooking away. A babba and a chocolate torte finished it off. Then we said our good byes to Sergio and Michele. Her mom came by too. They really made this stay special. Lots of great memories.