We have just had our newest granddaughter and her parents with us for a week. I don’t think I have ever come across a six month old who smiled when she got up, smiled when she played, smiled when she ate, smiled when she poo’d, I think you get the picture. She is just such a happy bambina, all the time. La Duchessa named her “Little Miss Sunshine”.
The journeys to and from Italy were not without incident unfortunately.
I arrived at Pescara airport just as the aeroplane landed and I thought excellent, we will be away within the twenty minute free parking period, well every centesimi counts you know. Best laid plans, blah de blah. I waited as all these people came out big smiles lighting up their faces as they saw those who were meeting them, but no sign of my party of travellers. I waited for about 30 minutes after the first passenger had come through. I decided to text him. Did they get the ‘plane? Were they at another Italian airport beginning with the letter “p”? Was he my son? All there silly questions going through my head. They were the last ones out. However all was not well. Someone had taken his bag because it looked similar. The reason they were so late coming through was because there was a suitcase going round and round on the carousel and no one was claiming it. There was no more luggage to come. So they grabbed the bag and came through. Abandoned Little Miss Sunshine with me (this is a little bit of literary licence here). I didn’t mind at all as I was soon engrossed by my great little granddaughter just smiling and giggling at me. I had last seen her when she was about three weeks old, so she hadn’t a clue who I was but she was just so happy to see me smiling and going goo goo at her. I just wish some others would be so smiling – no names (or titles mentioned).
Fortunately, they saw their bag on someone’s trolley. He was queuing to collect his hire car. He was most apologetic and when it was pointed out that the suitcase he had was full of young women’s clothes he looked slightly miffed that the mistake had been found out so early.
On the way back, la Duchessa came with us as she and I were going to do some serious shopping, you know the sort of 24 loo rolls for €1.99 shopping.
We went through some fairly heavy rain but by the time we arrived at the airport, it was dry and the sun was out again.
So, we dropped them off, said our good-byes and went on our shopping expedition.
On the way back the sky did look pretty black and menacing and at one point we saw some serious lightening in the far, far distant. At one point I glanced at my watch and thought “well, I expect by this time you will all be flying north up the Adriatic towards Venice”.
We got home and had a meal etc., after we had found a storage space for a gross of loo rolls of course, and then we got a text message on the mobile ‘phone from my son that said they had just got on their ‘plane. It was just coming up to 21:30 and their flight time was 17:15. What on earth had happened? Whatever it was, La Duchessa and I both thought it was such a rubbish way to end a holiday.
We managed to speak with them the next day where they were staying with relatives who live not far from Stansted, before driving to their home up north the day after.
A flight from Frankfurt had come in but had been hit by lightening and had to be repaired before it returned to Frankfurt. What the authorities decided to do was to let the Frankfurt-bound passengers have the London ‘plane, as they had been waiting for about four hours. The London bound passengers would then have the original Frankfurt ‘plane for their return trip.
But guess what? Little Miss Sunshine just smiled and giggled during the delay and made lifelong friends with lots of the London bound travellers. She slept like a log on the ‘plane and again in the car at the other end. Imagine if she had kicked up a storm because she was tired and routine seriously disrupted, and who could blame her?
What a star.
We had a lovely time with them. We went to the beach one day. It was a bit windy and there were about, ooh, 6 people there. Anyway, my son was keen to have a dip in the Adriatic. I lent him my trunks – they were a bit small for him (I wish) – and in he duly went. After a few seconds wading out we all saw him grip himself in the nether regions as the water lapped inexorably higher. At one point I wondered if he had done any studying of the amazing feat Sumo wrestler can do with their bits. Anyway, he came back testes intactus and looked thoroughly refreshed. Obviously the Italian sea agreed with him.
I managed to get a bonfire going while my son was was over. One of the line of vines was very poor. Loads were missing, loads were “barren” or whatever the correct viticulture word is for having no grape growth, so I decided we should take it out. We might decide to replace it with new vines some time, but not just yet.
Anything else?
Not really. More rellies arriving tomorrow.
Getting into gardening mode time with autumn planting and pruning coming up – ooh I can almost smell the smoke.
Ciao, mantenere la fede
