Went to pick up our spring wines from a producer we go to.  GP found their stash of crosses used for the Easter procession.  Villagers walk with lighted crosses through the center to the main church where Easter midnight mass is given.  These crosses were stored behind a pile of old bottles.  He's a natural no?  xxoo me

Monday was Liberation Day, (liberation from the Nazis), and a public holiday.  GP and I went hiking in the mountains.  The day started out with a few mishaps.  We ended up in the wrong valley, (HE insists on GPS, I use maps, HE got lost), were stopped by the police for tailgating, (I always keep a safe distance), then backed into a plow, (not his fault as "there was a blind spot", but had it been me....).  Anyway apart from these not so auspicious beginnings, we ended up in a most beautiful and bucolic valley this side of the Alps from Nice had we driven straight for 5 hours.  We were on the anchovy route!  For hundreds of years anchovies were caught on the coast of France and transported over the mountains to areas far from the sea.  In fact they are the only fish in traditional Piemontese cooking.  Along the way, the merchants would buy or exchange fish for salt mined in these mountains.  The salt was used to pack and conserve the fish.  Anywho, that aside, we decided to try to get to a sanctuary on the border of France.  We were high enough up that not all of the ice had melted and a huge slab of ice/snow, rock and trees had slid onto the road.  Road crews had carved a tunnel through it but we didn't want to risk being trapped so we parked there, (this is where the plow comes in), and walked up.

Where we dared not pass.

 It was a beautiful weather.  Just like spring in Maine.  There was a fresh, chilly wind.  It was about 50 degrees which felt damned warm going up but a wee bit chilly coming down.  After 6 hours of hiking I'm still tired 3 days later.  How sad..... 

Tomorrow after school I'm off to Vevey Switzerland with friend Peter to visit our ex-colleague Bette from 2 years ago.  I'm looking forward to two days of cheese and beer.  Peter wants to do CULTURAL stuff.  Geesh.  xxoo me

Final destination, Santuario Sant'Anna

While waiting for GP to get off his train I watched this amazing kid, a backpacker, play the piano in the main lobby of Porta Nuova, the old train station.  The station has been renovated to include a high end shopping area and this piano is available for anyone who wants to give it a go.  This kid was amazing.  He ended his performance by playing the beautiful piece that is used as the theme music for Downton Abby.  Had me in tears.

Today was a lovely day for a number of reasons.  It is warm and sunny and dry so I could spend all day playing in my little garden.  It is a long weekend so tho Sunday, it feels like Saturday.  And best of all........wait for it....... we just heard the news that OUR WACKO NEIGHBORS UPSTAIRS ARE SELLING!!  Joy!  Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!  Of course before a sale goes through and they have actually left the premises, months could pass.  But when I get back next fall they should be gone!!!  More good news is that the people who seem to be buying it own a good restaurant close by.  I am going to be VERY FRIENDLY to them.

Off to Grandmother's house we go for dinner.  Tomorrow the mountains for a hike.  xxoo me

I have had two REALLY bad days.  Work is making me nuts.  They've decided that the library has to be moved NOW even though it is "Book Week", the one week of the school year that the library has center stage.  Our space has been taken over by the new Art/Design center and we've been denigrated to the third floor, (less than 1/3 the space).  Yesterday I threatened to quit, very loudly I may say, when they said that they wanted to take even more space from the library for the "Art office".  The guy who is in charge of all of this is the friend of some bigwig on the board of directors.  He isn't a teacher, has NO experience in education and his idea of art is to take photos of chicken feet.  Dead chicken feet.  He wears sunglasses INSIDE and dresses like a 20 year old hipster.  He is a long way from 20 years old by the way.  I thought I was going to have a flippin' coronary when he said he needed more space.  We are in a closet for chrissakes!

Then after work I had to pick Grace up from tennis two towns over.  The road I take was built for horse carts and in parts is so narrow cars have to pull to the side to let others by.  Some A@#%! came flying down the road in a huge SUV, (there is NO place where a SUV is less useful), and forced me over to the side of the road where there were bushes that scratched the side of my car all up!

To top this all up, tomorrow is Grace's last day of classes.  She has a week off to prepare and then 2 weeks of final exams.  She graduates the 28th of May but has time off beforehand.  She's off to Sardinia with a friend who has a house at the beach there.  Tough life.

I am not a happy camper.  Thank God for wine.  xxoo me

I am in a wee bit of pain from pilates today and yesterday.  Our dear Rosie, that sweet little Brazilian, was on a tear.  She is 5 months pregnant and has only put on 1.5 kilos.  That a little over 3 pounds.   I've put on more weight since Christmas than that!  That aside, I love her classes.  I sweat out a lot of stress!

Speaking of stress, we are discussing putting bars on the front windows of our place.  Burglaries are become more and more common.  A lot of the problems come from the fact that there are so damned many immigrants that are unregistered, unemployed, and are here for nefarious reasons.  Many of the newly arrived people who have come are from Syria and Afghanistan and are escaping horrible situations.  They deserve all the help we can give them.  Unfortunately there are also Eastern Europeans, Africans and innumerable gypsies who should be sent back where they came from.  It's getting a little scary.  Everyone has stories.  There is a law in Italy that if the victim of a robbery, even a home break-in, injures or kills the thief, they can and often are charged with a crime!  A referendum is coming up soon to overturn it.  I'm signing it!  Today a friend told me that she had been helping friend's move house and during the fifteen minutes it took to carry some things down from their apartment to their car, someone climbed in the bedroom window and rifled through the drawers and closet.  Bars.  xxoo me

I will say it again.  Aging sucks.  I just spent a horrible afternoon shopping.  I'm looking for a dress/outfit for Grace's graduation as it's quite a big deal and all of my dresses have been hanging in my closet, mostly unworn, for years.  Those that I can still fit in, (few), are too short now as my knees have become repulsive.  I came home and decided to get rid of everything I no longer wear because I can't for one reason or another and am delusional if I hold on to them much longer thinking..."well, if I just lose a few pounds"....  Ya, that'll happen.  I was in the city with two girlfriends who grew REALLY tired of me saying, "Ah!  Shoot me now!"  every time I tried something on.  So as of Monday I'm on a diet.  Right now I'm drinking a lovely cold white from the area around Naples and soon I will break out the Reece's that I've been saving for a rainy day.  That'll teach 'em...  xxoo me

Well THAT was totally unexpected.  I had my meeting with the big guy yesterday and one, I've got a job next year and two, I am to design my own job description 'cause evidently I am so vital to the running of the school.  I'm even getting a raise.  I asked for a month of unpaid leave between September and October and he agreed!  I wanted to ask him what he was on but decided to slip out quietly lest he become violent.  Sooooo.  I have nothing in writing and until I see that first paycheck I believe none of it but  at least I know we'll be able to cover college costs!

Here are a couple photos from my Rome trip last week.  Would you look at that weather!  xxoo me

This is the view from the roof of the hotel.  Yup, that's the Vatican!

The ballroom in Mussolini's little shack.

I REALLY want this guy in my garden.

They had bunnies in the lobby of the hotel!!

Well it's been a week since friend N left and it hasn't stopped drizzling.  But on the good side EVERYTHING has bloomed and is growing like mad.  The roadsides are lined with poppies and other wildflowers, all the fruit trees are pink and white and the smells are heady.  I'm sneezing up a storm.  I love this time of year.  Tomorrow is a big day.  I'm going in to talk to the headmaster to see about my job next year.  Apart from the fact that I want to know if I even have a job, I want to take a month off to get Grace settled in the UK and spend more time in the US.  Then there is the issue of my measly salary but that may have to wait for another day.  This man is such a despicable human being that I dread meeting with him.  Fortunately on a daily basis I never do.  I have to prepare for head games and out and out lies so this should be fun.  Tonight I'm making notes!  Oops.  Raining again and I'm outside.  Must escape!

GP is away for work tonight so I can go WILD with my cooking and use onions and garlic galore!  Who ever heard of an Italian that doesn't eat either onions or garlic.  I've met various that don't like one or the other, but both?  Italians are obsessed with their digestion.  God forbid they burp up something.  They'll never eat it again.  "I can't eat pigs snout.  I don't digest it."  When you have a meal at one's home they will always ask if you have "digested" after.  It is a terrible way to lose face if someone should NOT!  At the same time they ply you with huge quantities of food and wine.  It takes me a week to process a serious Italian lunch.  Imagine a python who eats a goat.  Kinda feels like that.  Anyway, for we girls it's fajitas!  Who will I eat onions and garlic with next year?  Sniff.  xxoo me