Helpful phrases from the pocket travel guide...

Would you like to play badminton?

Yes, really, that was a phrase in the pocket travel guide- very helpful. Yes, those are pants on her head and she likes to wear them sometimes......


Sorry Nanny I don't have a new villa. I am a bit behind in the villa-picture-taking. I will have to exert some effort as I think I have gotten all those within walking distance. I'll work on it, but for now I have the freedom of not having a topic : )

We drank the wine- from the sweaty bottle. I am not sure it was wine, it seemed more like a white port- a thicker sweet...elixir if you will. I didn't drink much. I think it might have helped with the wine post if I mentioned that he is 41 years old.

I spoke with Mrs. Pierreangelo today- his mom. Her french is better than my italian- that's an understatement, but her french is a little limited and there remained gaps in communication. In other words, again, I didn't know what we were talking about. Here's what I got out of the conversation:

1.) We can use their lovely and expansive yard whenever we would like and she would be happy to have us
2.) Sir Toppham hat can sunbathe nude on the wooden bench in the woods in the back
3.) Pierreangelo is in love with a married woman who is separated- this made Mrs. P cry a lot
4.) Pierreangelo either was in love with a 20 year old, or was in love when he was 20 and then she went off to college and it didn't work
5.) They have a beach house on the coast in that town we visited
6.) Pierreangelo does not like marmelade
7.) She is somehow related to the neighbors behind us- 2 sisters married 2 bothers and then all five brothers (Pierreangelo's dad's brothers) lived in 3 houses- I am not sure which ones
8.) They were not having a seance in the parking lot behind us and no one died- but every Thursday in May they have a neighborhood mass-type event complete with priest talking on a loudspeaker- it's based on the rosary...I would have taken a pic, but it would have been too obvious. I am pretty sure she saw us looking out the window as it is.
9.) She gave me pics of Pierrangelo to give to my sister as a possible love connection
10.) The kids should not swim in the goldfish pond and they feed the fish stale bread

I would say, that was a lot of information. She seems very warm and kind. She gave Gordon a haircut today- pics soon.

She surprised me this morning when she came over to the gate at the end of the sidewalk. I was hanging the laundry out (yes, really). She then walked us through her yard all the way to the back- as an invitation. She really seemed like she wanted us to feel at home in her yard. After a long leisurely walk, we were close to the house. She mentioned that her hair salon is usually slow on Fridays and that I could bring Gordon in anytime. She asked me if I wanted to have her hair cut today. I said that would be great and we made our way back to the salon, which is in their house. As I said, she had been walking at a leisurely pace the whole time and seemed very relaxed. When we got into to the shop- she hurriedly rushed over the the woman wilting under the hairdryer, I presume she had forgotton her! I hope the perm turned out okay!

Just a pic for pictures sake- these are t-shirts that my sister (Diesel- love interest from number nine on the above list- ironically that's also one of her nicknames) sent- they are so hysterical! If you can't read them they say "I can't remember, am I the good twin or the evil twin." Goes well with the italian soap opera that is our life right now! I love them!