So our friend and neighbor Diego, actor of 3rd class horror films and highbrow theater that nobody sees, is doing a film in Torino with Franco Nero! He of Spaghetti Western fame! But what's more interesting is that Nero's long-time wife is Vanessa Redgrave, who is also in the film. But what is most surprising of all is that making an appearance is KEVIN SPACEY! Yes HIM! Well I never! Good thing Diego is large and hairy and looks more like Grizzly Adams than a pre-pubescent boy.

We spent the day at the sea again last Monday. Here is my new boat. Notice the SV on the side. Mine! Actually these are the fishing boats taken out at night to fish by lantern light. They return at dawn and set up their catch at a tiny beachside market. You have to be there early or it's all over. Even after all these years we have never managed to get to the beach early enough. The boats are registered in the largest community nearby, Savona. Thus the SV. Covid has come very close to home. MIL's upstairs neighbor, an 83 year old man she has known well for 12 years, died today. He took ill and was taken to the hospital a couple of weeks ago. No one knows how or where he became infected as he has spent the past year and a half closed in at home. MIL freaked a bit. The other 126,000 Italian deaths weren't worrying but when the parish priest tested positive she panicked and now with a neighbor it finally hits home. Geesh. After much drama I have my flights home scheduled and will be leaving here the 9th. Test before flying, 2 in London, quarantine, test before departure for the US, test once there. And I am fully vaccinated. This is absurd. xxoo me

My big gardening project from just a year ago has come to somewhat fruition. Some plants didn't make it. Others are taking their time about thriving. But still others are happy and healthy and it looks quite lovely in it's mini urban garden way.

I planned the garden all around spring and autumn bloomers as I am gone in the summer. Gian Piero shouldn't have to do more than a evening water to keep it going til I get back. Speaking of which, the EU is opening up. Travel should be available this summer with relatively little hassle. If you plan on visiting this side of the pond, bring your masks however. I don't see those going away for a looooong while. Meanwhile, MIL turned 89 a few days ago and we took her out for lunch. We had a lovely fish grill and a bottle of dry Rose'. I had to go home and sleep for 2 hours. She went to the supermarket. They are made of strong stuff the people of that generation.

Last week we spent a day at the sea. We took a 14 kilometer walk along the coast on sidewalks built above the beaches and connecting many of the towns along the Italian riviera. Oh how I've missed the water! Speaking of which, I'm beginning to look into returning to the States. As per my usual route, I want to pass through London to see the daughter but the UK is not being very cooperative! Apart from a test before entering and a test before leaving, one has to buy a 200 pound self-test packet to test oneself on the 4th and 8th day of your stay in the UK. Obviously during this time you have to quarantine. They make no exceptions for people who have been fully vaccinated! What's the point?! So if I DO go through London I'll be adding 200 Pounds onto my trip. Child.....$$$$$.....????? Sheeeeet. When will we return to "normal"? Ugh. xxoo me

We've just had a week of spring rains and all mother nature is bursting forth. Today was beautiful and sunny and we took a three hour walk up into the hills. There are so many roads and trails to explore. Farms are cheek by jowl with magnificient old houses surrounded by high stone walls with massive gates and big growly dogs. There is so much money in the real estate of these hills I wonder where all these folks come from. Torino is a city of a little over a million and there are hundreds, no thousands, of amazing properties. A lot is old money and the families do not necessarily even live here. Torino is the base of Italy's "nobility" so there are all sorts of mini castles and elegant hill homes that at one time were considered country houses for the hot summers. Now they are a mere 10 to 20 minutes from the city center.

The yellow fields are canola, the wildflowers wild salvia and daisies, the view the alps. On another note, I've gotten my first vaccine! I was called in on Friday for the 60-69 group and as am on the "cusp" got Pfiser instead of Astra Zeneca which they are giving most of the oldies. The site was hilarious. They've converted an old livestock market into a vaccination site. We all walked in under a sign that read "Mercato Bestiame". Seemed appropriate as we marched in obediently, masked and standing on painted lines on the floor. Just like sheep we were! I celebrated by stopping in the nearest greenhouse and buying some much not needed plants. After a long period of lethargy, this has instigated me and I am looking into flights home via London. This winter and spring have been truely a blur of too many hours on-line, too many bottles of wine. Oh my God I rhymed! I did it again! Geesh. xxoo me