La Dolce Vita

Yesterday morning, I had my first lesson with my new student, Lorella, who was even more keen and excited than on Wednesday when I met her at the factory. So keen in fact that she wants to extend the lesson to 90 minutes next week, which is fine by me.

This did mean, though, that I missed out on all the excitement of going to the laundrette with Flavia that Stephen experienced. It was time to wash the heavier quilts and pack them away for the summer – though it’s a couple of weeks since they were changed for the lightweight ones. Stephen had great fun as, having got there good and early, there was no one else in sight. They were able to use all the washing machines and all the dryers, after looting local shops for change, before bringing the quilts home and draping them over the clothes line to dry and air properly. If that wasn’t enough, they threw in a visit to Aqua e Sapone for good measure, coming back with bags full of cleaning materials. The joys of la dolce vita.

Still on the hunt for that elusive Italian summer wardrobe we hit Civitanova Marche and Cuore Adriatico because Sarah, the intern at work (now doesn’t that sound grand, almost like the factory is a proper business) said there was a place upstairs that sells t-shirts and shorts for €5 or less. I came away with a couple of v necks, in the misguided belief that they make me look slimmer, while Stephen bought some shorts and t-shirts for work. And yes, we did get a lot for our money – let’s just see how well they hold up in the wash.

Elsewhere yesterday, we called in at a shop Stephen had seen when out on the rounds the other day, which sells pellet burning stoves. When we get round to doing the downstairs of the house, transforming the erstwhile factory into chic Le Marche loft-style summer living, we plan to install one so that we can still use it as an entertaining space during late autumn and winter - that is, if we can find anyone brave enough to risk the precipitous road at that time of year.

As for today, a quite morning pottering around the house was followed by a quick jaunt to the shopping centre in Campiglione to buy lots of fruit (more on that tomorrow) at the supermarket, and for me, at last, to find a new suitably Italian looking man bag – 20% off in the sale, making it even better. Stephen has decided that shopping on a Sunday afternoon is a good idea as the place was almost deserted, probably because anyone with any sense, or indeed a life, was at the beach – but who needs sand when you can have air conditioning?