After getting up to let the geese out at 7.15am this morning, I attempted to get back into bed for another hour or so's snooze, but by the time I'd got up, gone into the fresh air, opened the goose house, put their feeder in and cleaned the sawdust, I was pretty wide awake, and sleep wasn't forthcoming.
We had a slow breakfast and did a few admin-type tasks, before drawing up a shopping list and eventually heading out at about 11am.
Our first stop was Atum - the tool shop. The shop was busy and there was a lot of waiting - various people behind the counter were otherwise engaged either on the phone or in other conversations. When we first went in, however, there was a chap behind the counter who seemed free and said something to us. Stuart tried to explain that he'd ordered a particular tool and wanted to know whether it had arrived yet. However, the man said something in response that neither of us could make head or tail of - he spoke quickly, and mumbled his words, and we both felt frustrated that we couldn't communicate with him. In the end Stuart told him he'd wait until the other man had finished on the phone, and would ask him instead. After another five minutes waiting, the first man suddenly burst out laughing - seemingly at us - and left the shop via the 'counter' side door and came straight back into the shop on the 'customer' side door. He then started saying something to us and laughing. It didn't take us long to work out that this chap had just done exactly what Stuart did the first time he visited the shop - he'd used the wrong door and ended up on the serving side of the counter instead of the customer side, and while Stuart had been trying to ask him for something, he had been making exactly the same mistake and, thinking that Stuart worked in the shop, and was asking him for something!! We all had a laugh and then continued waiting.
After what seemed like an age, we were eventually served - the tool Stuart has ordered should be in the shop on Monday, and while we were at it, he ordered a spare part for his chop saw, which hopefully he will be able to collect next week as well.
Next, we decided to try the cafe opposite the flower market for a coffee. Going for a cappucino seems to have turned into a bit of a weekend treat for us - and with two rounds costing only €4.80 in total (for 4 coffees - which came with complimentary biscotti), it's a nice way to unwind, away from the distractions of the house.
Coffees dispatched, it was time to hit the supermarkets. First we went to Esselunga and then on to Lidl - somehow managing to do one of the smallest shops we've done in a long time, despite catering for extra people this week!
With the car full of shopping, our last errand was to drop in at Chris and Sue's to drop off a slightly belated birthday card for Henry. Chris was unfortunately laid up in bed with a bug, but we had a coffee and a long chat with Sue, before leaving and finally setting off for home at just gone 3pm!
By this time, the rain had started to come down in earnest. We unloaded the car running between the raindrops and once inside got straight to heating up some leftover soup for a very late lunch.
After lunch, I washed up then started preparing yet another vat of soup for the freezer, while Stuart lit a fire, brought the puppy cage downstairs in preparation for tomorrow and settled down to do some puppy training research.
Once the soup was bubbling away on the hob, I retired to the office to do my Italian homework - and got so engrossed in it (while Stuart was engrossed in reading up on dog training) that at about 5.50pm, I looked up and suddenly thought GEEEEESE!! Yikes, we had both completely forgotten and not only was it pouring with rain but it was also properly dark. We both quickly put shoes on, grabbed an umbrella and a torch and headed out to Goose Island with some lettuce. The geese seemed a bit perturbed by the torch and almost seemed to be a bit put out that they hadn't had their usual going-to-bed routine. Nevertheless, we managed to get them into their house relatively quickly, then skidded our way back down the wet terrace to the house.
We are hoping for an early night tonight - we are due to collect Jeremy at 9am tomorrow from Lucca, but we have been asked to call the courier at 7am to make sure all is on schedule. The guy from the re-homing centre has called us so many times today to make absolutely sure that we will be in the right place at the right time (they have asked us to arrive early), and has even asked Claudia to meet us so that we actually get to the right place - we will therefore meet her at Frateschi's at 8am tomorrow morning and drive in convoy!
As I write, the wind has really whipped up - a few moments ago we heard an enormous crash and smashing of glass in a particularly vicious gust of wind. Nick has just come up to let us know that one of the large wine vats/bottles outside the apartment has blown over and smashed, so he and Stuart are now out there trying to find shelter for the remaining ones. Nick and Tess had been planning to go out this evening and give Mimmo's porchetta van a try, but the wild weather has put them off, so we're going to throw together a bowl of pasta that we can all share. Let's hope for some calmer weather in the morning!!
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