Happy Trinity Sunday everybody! Anche, sono in vacanza in Italia!
Well, I intend to try and keep an up to date blog in light of this, but I feel it would be unwise to promise anyhthing. I guess I might see if I can get Blogger to let me have some photos in as well. Well, let's see - what to tell:
Because our train was for 1 o'clock, I had plenty of time to go to Saturday morning mass, which is a good way to start a holiday I feel. I haven't fulfilled today's obligation as yet, but there's mass at 1900 hours, which means I've had a much needed lie-in. Italian windows have shutters which actually restrict the level of light in a room, making lie-ins that little bit easier. This is why I needed one:
Firstly, the train from Exeter was delayed. No big deal really, we'd allowed plenty of time, though it was in hindsight something of a portent. We then had to take the tube, which again, was fine. We did actually get on the wrong line to start with, but it so happens that it was heading in the right direction anyway.
Now the Stansted Express was incredibly annoying - it was really busy, and there were so many inconsiderate bastardi around using spare seats for their bags that it was untrue. I very nearly murmered quietly to myself, but I restrained myself. Though all the windows were open, it was really close, London being rather hot at the time, and every stop was delayed I think. And it was really, really loud; had we been going into space, I could understand the incredibly irritating, malevolent whine permeating the carriage whilst in motion, but as I understand it, the Stansted Express terminates before space. Anyway, we were delayed further.
Then Stansted itself. It was pretty busy - no harm in that per se but there was a biiiiiig hold-up at security, which meant that everybody was substantially late - we were about 40 minutes late. I'm sorry to report that there was queue-jumping by some people whose nationality it would be insensitive to name. Anyway, as it was 40 mins after the stated boarding time, we had a little bit of a jog to the gate. Just as we got there, the tannoy quoth 1 minute to go, which we felt was harsh, but made the best of it while we could.
The flight was pretty uneventful. It was quite good, according to Monica, who usually flies rather badly.
When we landed we did the usual thing, except that the part where you greet someone at the exit who whisks you away to somewhere more domestic went a little awry. We were at Bologna Forli airport (like "London Stansted"), they at Bologna. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune let up a bit at this point, but we still had to wait about another half an hour. None of us were feeling so very social when we rolled into Offagna at around 0130 Italian time.
I am given to understand that worse things happen at sea. I guess we'll find out if we visit Ireland.
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Today has been quiet, as befits a Sunday after a long journey. Slept 'til about half 11, whereupon I discovered that Monica was waiting outside the church along with half the village noseying at a bride, along with her wedding dress, going in to get matrimonified. So I joined her for abit until she came, pointing out which outfits seemed "interesting" to me; the joys of being a foreigner.
Paid a quick visit to Vanessa, Monica's sister, and Lorenzo, Vanessa's farfallino (leetle butterfly) on what is, coincidentally, their wedding anniversary. I received a belated birthday present of Il Piccolo Principe which I have in the mother-tongue from the inestimable Zosh.
Then had a lovely dinner of tagliatelle, and some form of delicious meat, followed up with a cup of tea and a bit of cake which seemed like seedcake, but is apparently flavoured with blueberry yoghurt. Yum.
Monica is currently visiting an old lady re. a recent death (this may not be the exact situation, but it's certainly remeniscent of it) whcih to my mind makes her seem a little like a character from a 19th century novel, perhaps one of Austen's.
Anyway, because if you've made a bad joke once, you may as well make it again - that's ciao, for now.
