View from Convento de Cristo once a Templar stronghold

Thursday, June 22, 2017

It has been outrageously hot.  Way above normal.  The past week it's hit 90's and yesterday and today 100.  Yesterday was so damned hot that when we made plans to have dinner with friends we headed for the hills hoping for a breeze.  And we got one.  Had a lovely evening put on by a winery we frequent.  They were doing an event that raised money for the Red Cross.  Local establishments in the tiny hilltop town of  Cinzano (to the north east of the city), provided wonderful food and the winery provided the wine.  This is the highest hill in the Torinese hills and there was in fact a light breeze and it was only about 84 degrees.  Though anyone who knows me knows that I love the sun and heat, this is ridiculous.  Normally this is weather for August but it has been getting warmer, earlier and earlier every year.  Good thing that global warming stuff is all a hoax made up by the Chinese!

This weekend we are home as I do final cleaning and packing before final work week.  Monday have an after school art lesson with a friend.  Tuesday, my birthday dinner with MIL. (yay me!) Wednesday, Brazilian night-out with the Pilates crew as our Rosy is leaving us!  Thursday home and Friday I fly out.  Oh my.  Can't wait to get home.  Maine's sea breezes and good friends and family call. xxoo me

I never sent this!  I fly out tomorrow after another suffocating week.  Italy is suffering from a dangerous heat wave and drought.  Actually much of Europe is.  It's been in the nineties in Germany and the UK.  In June!  I had all of my goodbye dinners and have wrapped up most everything at work, hauling boxes of books around in the suffocating heat because naturally the air-conditioning doesn't work.  (The school prefers to spend it's money on fetes for the wealthy parents and board members.  School moms show up dressed to the nines, skin tight designer dresses and the hooker heels.  They can barely walk but they look great.)  Anywho.  Good bye Italy, see you in September!

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Oh!  And got Don Bosco's brain back.  Guy tried to sell it online.  Uh huh.  xxoo me
way above tree line

last Sundays hike along French border

5 frickin' hours up and down

in and out of France 3 times

remains of WW2 barbed wire fencing along border with France

90 degrees in city, still had snow up here

still frozen lake
xxoo me