Tidbits.

A couple weeks ago the Prime Minister of Germany was in Naples for a meeting of some sort. While there the head of his security team had his Rolex stolen right off his wrist.  Naples is a cesspool.

The towns and cities have all put up their Christmas decorations.  GP and I took a walk in Torino to see the lights.  They have a giant Advent Calender set up in the largest square in the center which they open at 6:30 every evening.  The fire department arrives with a ladder truck and kids are recruited from the crowd.  Then with the aid of the children, a fireman on the ladder pulls a rope and opens the daily window.  It's all very cute and festive.

It would be even more festive if it felt vaguely like winter.  Temperatures continue to be up near 50 and though the mountains are white, down here the grass is still green.  They keep saying a blast of wintery air is coming but these people have no concept of wintery air blasts.  A slight breeze here is seen as a blustery day and actual wind is dangerous and worrisome.  This time of year is usually very damp and gray and foggy.  It has been lovely and dry and sunny which has everyone on pins and needles.  Anything out of the ordinary tends to send them over the edge.

There is something wrong with our oven.  Every time I use it in conjunction with either the washing machine or the iron, I short circuit something or another and the power goes out.  We are left in utter darkness, stumbling around looking for the front door so as to get light from the hallway.  It's happened three times now.  I then have to go down into the garage under the apartment, go into the "basement" of the next stairwell where all the fuse-boxes are, and flip our power on again.  As Grace and I are planning on making Christmas cookies next week I think I'll just leave the flashlight out.

Tomorrow GP has a business meeting in Lugano, a beautiful lakeside town on the border between Italy and Switzerland.  As I don't work on Thursdays I'm going to trail along.  I have a package to mail to Germany and I think the likelihood of it arriving before Christmas is exponentially higher if it is mailed from Switzerland than if mailed from Italy.  Our local post office here has 5 women who work there.  Two are usually seated and waiting on customers while the other three mull around moving papers back and forth between tables.  I also want to try to buy a flu shot in Lugano.  GP and I have already had ours (one buys the vaccine in the syringe at the pharmacy and goes to the family member or neighbor who knows how to give injections.  In our case my mother-in-law.)  But Grace hasn't had her shot yet and Italy seems to have run out.  Up until last week the news was all about Italy having a surplus ordered to guarantee the vaccine to all who wanted it.  Well today we couldn't find any anywhere.  All the pharmacies are out.  Grace is pleased.

ooxx me