Brick by brick

8th June 2025

Another month and another public holiday, and with five weeks elapsing since the last one the Festa della Repubblica was well overdue. The day was as hot and sunny as the weekend had been, which started a week that has remained equally sunny but with increasing temperatures. We’re not complaining, well, not that much.

You won’t be surprised that we have sacked the midday walk, Peggy and Harry being somewhat reluctant to move off the granite tiles after our morning outing and taking it easy till late afternoon when a new burst of energy kicks in. Stephen also decided to take it easy on Monday before a hectic four days (during none of which was he able to make it home at midday) and spent a happy couple of hours putting his birthday Lego flower kit together. 

As usual, Stephen had lunch at his desk on Tuesday which he does to make up the time given over to Pina and shopping, but Wednesday he missed eating altogether (no, not a good idea) as Claudia required his presence for a 1pm appointment at the dental surgery. The good news is that she sorted out the reason he went. The bad news is that he has to go twice more for other work, next Friday and the Friday after. Thursday was a busy workday for him as his client from the UK was in town and it was his and Bertrando’s turn for his attentions (a turn which spilled over into the next day). At least it meant entertaining him at lunchtime, and Stephen can heartily recommend the fixed-price menu (choice of two starters and two mains) at Verde Pistacchio.

Our weekend started a little later than usual, what with having to tie up ends after the client’s visit it was nearing 7 before Stephen got home on Friday. That was ok, though, as a busy week (at least for him, we all know I just sit around all day reading magazines and eating Turkish delight) supplied a convenient excuse just to potter over the weekend. My pottering was close to home and mainly involved dogs. Stephen, though, managed to potter to Monte Urano yesterday morning to have his nails seen to for the first time in a while, coming home, much to my horror, with them unvarnished, not to mention no design.

On the way back he stopped for some petrol mix, sorely needed after running out last week and not being able to make with the strimmer on the parts the mower can’t reach. He was all set to rectify the omission after cutting what we like to call the lawn when he hit another unforeseen snag: no wire. He toyed with the idea of going to get some from the ferramenta, but the enervating heat proved too much of a deterrent.

It has been even more of a deterrent today when, much to Harry’s and Peggy’s dismay, our only physical exertion before temperatures went comfortably past 30° was to bath (by which I mean shower) them with a quick going over of antiparasitic shampoo. This was more of a top up; the (lady) vet said during the summer when the risk is highest it’s a good idea to give a bit of a boost to the year-long injection. I’m not sure the two of them agreed, but they did smell very nice afterwards and my goodness their coats were all soft and shiny – especially Peggy’s auburn locks. Maybe she’ll take to flicking them, like a woman in a 70’s Sunsilk advert (see the video above if in doubt).