We always look forward to the weekend, despite the fact that our lives are very different from how they were in the UK - largely because Helen can turn the computer off for a couple of days and we can spend time doing things together, even if it is strimming or moving gravel.
This weekend has been a long time coming, after we both worked through last weekend, chopping up wood, clearing terraces and digging drainage channels. Not that this weekend will be without jobs to do - tomorrow we need to do a big supermarket shop and spend the afternoon cooking up batches and batches of soup and ragu - freezer-friendly food that will make our next two weeks with the HelpX couple from New Zealand easier to manage, as well as turning the apartment around ready for paying guests who arrive on Sunday for a couple of nights. Tomorrow will be a busy day, for sure.
Back to today though: Noah arrived at 8am for breakfast, as planned, but as he came in, he sheepishly asked if we could aim for the train an hour later than planned, as he hadn't yet managed to pack. After we got in last night, at just gone 10pm, he had gone straight to bed! I can't say that I blame him, and I remember being 19 (vaguely), when sleep was an important thing in my life - besides which, he's worked so hard for us since being here, I would have happily given him a lift whenever he liked.
After breakfast, Noah went and packed, and when he was ready, he said his goodbyes to Helen and the two of us hopped in the bus, leaving Helen to start work. When we got to the station I got him to buy his ticket from the machine first, to make sure he had it, and then we went into the café opposite the station for a coffee (two, actually). I asked him what he'd like and he replied 'a normal coffee'. I duly ordered us two coffees, and when they arrived he realised his mistake (he hasn't yet fully got to grips with the Italian coffee scene) and said 'ah, these aren't going to last the 20 minutes until my train!'. Thirty seconds later, the coffees were gone, so I ordered us a cappuccino ginseng each. I had told him I would introduce him to the phenomenon while he was here, and now was my last chance. He took one sip and smiled, saying 'I like the strong coffee, but it's nice to have something less bitter and so sweet.' I think he's found his new 'go-to' coffee while here in Italy.
After paying the bill, we collected Noah's rucksack from the car, shook hands, said our goodbyes and off he walked onto the station platform. All of a sudden, in this context, he looked his age - a young 19. While working at our house, he's always seemed much much older than his years, but now, walking out into the big wide world, he looked so green and youthful - he's not green, as I've already said, he has a very mature head on his shoulders, but watching him walking off brought out a strange feeling in me, something almost paternal! I couldn't quite believe it, a sign of getting old?! Whatever it was, I felt responsible and worried about him heading out alone into the big wide world. I'm sure he will be fine though, and we both hope that he has a fantastic time for the rest of his trip in Europe.
Once he had gone, I headed home for a day's office work. My first task once I got home, though, was to leave Noah a glowing review on HelpX to aid him with future placements on his trip around the country.
After that, the day was uneventful, with the exception of the microwave we had inherited with the house deciding it had done enough and was not going to do any more cooking - stopping dead having barely even warmed the potatoes we were trying to cook for our lunch. (We had to revert to plan B - cheese sandwiches at our desks.)
Helen and I sat in the same office all day, ploughing through work and barely speaking. Helen's work is quite brain-intensive, and I had three months worth of receipts to check through and other admin to do. So if I'm afraid that if you were looking to settle into a lengthy blog post, this one is about to come to something of an abrupt end, as the rest of the day passed in the office until Helen grabbed the lettuce from the fridge and went out to put the geese to bed.
When she got back, we both took a short trip to Frateschi's so that I could pay Paolo for the trousers and cable ties I bought the other day. It was quiet in there and the cleaner was mopping the floors, so we apologised as we tiptoed across the newly mopped floor and found Paolo - who had forgotten that I owed him anything and asked what I wanted! We soon sorted that out, and while the payment was processing I managed to ask if he had some old pallets that I could buy from him to use to make wood storage walls. He said he did, and wanted to drag us immediately across the road to the yard to look, but it was dark and I wasn't interested in taking any from him right now (we had a weekend to start, after all), so I said I'd be back next week to have a look.
That done, we headed home to light a fire and enjoy a beer on the sofa before diving into yet another mountain of washing up before making dinner and having a relaxing Friday evening - at last!
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