Home again

14th November 2021

Following our very pleasant weekend in Umbria, it was time on Monday morning after breakfast with Marco for us to return home – which took longer than we and Google Maps on Sunday evening had anticipated.

This had given travel time to Pet Resort as around two hours fifteen minutes, so leaving just before 8.30 should have allowed us to be at the kennels between 11.00 and 11.15 as we’d arranged. I was, therefore, a bit surprised when entering the destination as we left Giove to see that the travel time was almost thirty minutes longer. Not only that, but as we were on our way Stephen pointed out it was now sending us up country for Jesi, which was not his preferred route.

That was simply sorted, and I changed the end point to Macerata, which meant coming off that superstrada to be sent across country for a number of kilometres to join up with the SS77, the one that finishes at Civitanova. Only we didn’t, join up with it that is, as when we got to it, it was closed and remained closed for the next several junctions until we were within spitting distance of Macerata. What made this even more fun was that the old road, that the superstrada superseded, was one lane each way winding up and over the Apennines. This in itself would have slowed us down not a little, but throw in three large lorries in a row ahead of us and you can see why we had to apologise profusely to Davide and Monica (as I saw their names were on the closed gate) when we arrived not long before midday at Pet Resort.

The bad news is that it took us, in total, over four hours to get back to LCDDB. The good news is that Bella and Harry were in fine form and pleased to see us, and the even better news was that as we had look sharp with lunch it gave us a good excuse to stop at Corridomnia and buy take away pizza.

After confounding the weather forecast at the weekend, we eventually caught up with the rain on our return, and the next few days were decidedly on the damp side, as befitted also a return to routine. Tuesday we did the shopping, and on leaving the supermarket were hailed by Stephen’s bff, Manuel, who invited us into his mum’s for coffee. Here he showed Stephen one of the new black leather backpacks that he had had made, asking for his opinion. This was obviously positive as he left with one over his shoulder and it has now become his go to bag for work.

We were also asked about our weekend, and when I chipped in to say where we had gone and what we had done, Novella, Manuel’s mum who was hovering at the sink, turned round to remark to Stephen how nicely I spoke and why didn’t he speak like that. This, of course, had the effect of shutting me up – it’s one thing receiving praise and feeling that you are getting something right, but it’s another when you become all self-conscious and scared of making a mistake. Despite what Novella says, there is something to be said for Stephen’s complete disregard for any grammar rules.

In the afternoon he had an appointment with Claudia at her dentist studio, where she did a bit more work before making an appointment with him for January, and that was about it till Friday when the sun decided again to cock a snook at the forecasts and make a stunning return, allowing Bella and Harry to spend mornings on the terrazzo. As for us, we took advantage of the fine weather to go to Fermo this morning for a look at their Di Uva… in Vino event in the main square. With our usually impeccable timing, we were too early (it was only 10 o’clock after all) for anything other than a wander round the stalls, the food and wine tasting being reserved for later in the day.

We didn’t mind though, for a gentle stroll was a very pleasant way to pass the odd hour, plus we were able to stop for breakfast at Funari and to fill up with petrol at a reasonable price on the way there, as well as call in at Marie Teresa’s pasta shop in MSP on the way back for two healthy portions (our healthy, that is, not the dottoressa’s) of freshly baked lasagne for lunch followed by an afternoon at LCDDB. As a wise man once said, it's oh so nice to go travelling, but it's so much nicer, yes it's so much nicer to come home.