Another Sunday, another mountain.  We went to Val Vaita on the backside of Mon Viso again and this time hiked up a much longer but gradual trail.  The signs posted at the trail head said 2 hrs 40 minutes but them sonsabitches that timed it were obviously younger and fitter than us.  It took us over 3 hours.  There were the usual eighty year-olds putting us to shame by looking fresh as daisies while we sweated and panted. 

xxoo me

It's blustery.  It's blowy.  It's thundering.  I love it!  Home from school today as it's a teacher workshop day.  I got to sleep in and watch American sitcoms on-line!  Tomorrow we have a family lunch to attend.  GP's aunt turns 80 and she's throwing a bash.  There will be over 50 of us and a 5 hour sit-down lunch.  Ugh.  I really hope it's not hot because air conditioning is rare and Italians don't open windows if they are sitting near them.  They may get some terrible affliction if they are hit by "un colpo d'aria" which translates as a "blow of air".  Evidently a blow of air can cause everything from a toothache to appendicitis but most commonly explains a neck or headache.  Have I mentioned that Italians are superstitious hypochondriacs?  Wish me luck.  GP and I may well be among the youngest people there....  xxoo me

Yippee ki yay!!  Today was International Day at our school.  An occasion to eat your way around the world.  Of course we always go...  This year we bought lottery tickets, the money going to charity, for two business class tickets to Istanbul.  We WON!  We never win anything.  If there are 10 tickets and we have 9 of them, we don't win.  This is flippin' amazing!  Look!  Even GP is smiling!! (sorta)   xxoo me