Double double...

Back to work for Stephen but it has been a quiet week for me with just a couple of lessons as most of my students have had other commitments. Not that I am complaining; I was working when everyone else was on holiday so it’s fair I get a bit of a break now.

So what of the week?

Tuesday saw a small but substantial breakthrough house-wise when Stephen finally managed, after days of answering machines and calls ringing out, to speak to a real live person at the gas company. There is no mains supply to the house, instead we have to have it delivered to a tank someone thoughtfully buried outside what will eventually be the summer kitchen’s back door (now there’s a design challenge: how to play down a gas tank and fire extinguisher and draw the eye away to the arcadian vista. We now only have to await their local rep to contact us, arrange a visit and probably sign lots of papers and there may be the sniff of some gas to heat the water and keep us warm through the winter.

There was a significant shift in the dynamics of the Stefoni household on Thursday when MariaLuisa became one of the first residents of the newly opened dementia unit of a local home for the elderly. This, we think, is a good move; she will get the specialist attention she needs as the unit houses only a dozen patients and is separated into what sounds almost like family apartments. It will certainly be a good thing for Flavia, whose daily routine has been governed by MariaLuisa’s needs; I have the utmost admiration for the way she has seen to her sister-in-law while not only running the household and cooking the food but working in the factory as well.

It also come to light that there appears to be someone walking the streets of MSP pretending to be me. They say we all have a lookalike, and mine seems to have turfed up on my doorstep. Leaping Luca was disconcerted yesterday when he stopped his car to greet me whilst I was walking the dog (note: singular) before he realised that it probably wasn’t me. To make sure he asked at lunch if I had been out walking Harry wearing a jumper. I assured him that I hadn’t and that Harry’s jumper is still packed away in storage. Then today, Remo and Samuel swore they saw me but then realised that it must have been someone else when I didn’t wave back to them. I only hope this doppelganger is harmless and is not out to scupper my plans to litter Le Marche with flat-vowelled English speakers.

Thursday evening saw us make a return visit to the market in Fermo, this time we came away a gun metal coloured bed cover (spotted in a window last week), three tapestry cushion covers from a second hand stall and tummies full of pizza. We had earned the pizza as Stephen, never one to take chances with parking, veered into the first space he saw, only for us to then endure a route march up the steep cobbled streets to the old town. Next time can we please try to get within spitting distance of the lift in the car park?

Which brings us to today and another major step forward. Not only did we have Alessandro the electrician sizing up the place for fitting new lights but also the lovely lady from Dream Ceramiche arrived, looking as effortlessly cool and elegant as ever, with one of her colleagues and a builder called Marco (see, only four names exist in Italy). After Alessandro departed the DC team unloaded their van and with some effort transported our entire bathroom in its component parts up the steps and into the future dressing room.

The extra good news is that the plumber fitting the bathroom will also complete fitting our kitchen and Marco the builder will tile round the units while Alessandro will see to the electrics. What about IKEA I hear you ask – well those of you who have remembered that their subcontractor was supposed to do the job. Seemingly the said subcontractor informed them last week that he was no longer able to do the job. Thanks signore. Just as well we have our own contacts now, and that Irene from IKEA forgot to add the cost to our bill.

God does indeed move in mysterious ways.