O Solo Mio

It's a beautiful, sunny day - mild but the sunshine is very warming and therapeutic.

Sue is still sleeping but is world’s better. Coca-Cola has replaced Advil as the treatment of choice.

I prowl around the five hectares of garden. It's lovely, charming, bucolic. Ruth doesn't like having her photo taken but I manage to sneak in a long shot of her once in a while.

Sitting in the sun, I read (an old copy of Patricia Cornwell's From Potter's Field) and write (this blog and a couple of postcards). It's not too tough to shift the park-style bench to stay in the sun. I love sitting in the sun. When I'm home at my computer, I'm at a south-facing window. This is better. It's a quiet day and sometimes quiet is just what the doctor ordered.

It's a lot warmer outside than inside the villa, even though the landlady has come again to start the furnace and this time, it seems to be working properly. She's also brought us a couple of electric space heaters, just in case.

Around 7 pm, Ruth and I decide to leave Sue tucked in and locked up in the villa and we walk down the narrow, steep street to a little ristorante. Of course, we are seated next to an American expat because when you're in Fiesole in the off-season, there are loads of Americans around - not. We talk a little about the States (she's from New York) and then order our meal. It's the first real meal I've had since we left Rome and I choose pizza con melanzana. I love eggplant too.

It's a nice, light meal after which Ruth and I zip across the street to buy another litre of Coke before starting up the narrow, steep street. I am utterly stunned to see a young woman, maybe 20, sprint about 50 metres up the hill. She is either a world-class runner or she's scared someone or something is going to pop out from the ancient nooks and crannies in the stone walls that run the entire length of the street.

The heating situation has improved in the villa by the time we return. Sue occasionally appears to say she's feeling better and then collapses back into bed.

There are only a few days left before we head for home and there are things we want to see, places we'd like to go. I'm looking forward to having Sue back to her usual non-stop self.  She wants to see David at L'Accademia. Ruth wants us to visit the European Institute where she's working while on sabbatical. I'd like to go to San Croce to see Michelangelo's and Galileo's tombs.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.