Wednesday 26th Novemeber

Thursday 26th November
My head is spinning so much has been happening and trying to keep it all together to put into the blog…
Good news is …we now have a prepaid broadband USB thingy so can log on any time we need, will only work in Italy but we can top it up as needed but what I love is that I’m not searching for an internet café all the time.
We’ve settled into our little home, ordered wood today and somehow in the confusion four times too much arrived but we paid, nice gift for the landlord and peace of mind for us and Brad and Trish as the snow is definitely coming.
Yesterday was a wonderful day with a trip to our nearest big town Sulmona, for this internet stuff and to visit the supermarketto. We had the best time going up and down the aisles looking for our favourite bits and pieces, with our phrase books in hand asking in our novice Italian for things we needed.. ..
We missed the bus home and while looking for a taxi found a gelati store surrounded by confetti (lolly) shops
I need to get a better coat and Bernie you were right its best to wait and get it there so you know what you need. Went to a coat shop and the senora has explained that more coats are due in next Wednesday or next March we’re not sure which but will go back next Wednesday just in case.
Today we spent exploring Introdacqua and we have a few photos for you of our villa and also the township.
If I described driving and driving up into the mountains until you could drive no further, then walking and walking up stairs until you could climb no further…that’s where our villa is situated.
We’ve met so many locals, as well as non Italian locals mainly Americans who are so lovely and delighted to be of help, as well as have a good laugh with us.
The food has been extraordinary, today for lunch at a ristorante we had honeydew melon, draped in prosscutio, mozzarella, tomato bruschetta and pickled octopus (Yes we really did!) and rolled home down the hill only to find the wood we’d ordered had arrived so we spent two hours carrying it up to the front of our home and stacking it. Our neighbours kept coming out offering advice on how to stack it etc.
So by the time we finished that, the corner shop was closed so looks like pizza for dinner this evening and as write this I’m enjoying a beautiful vino bianco. I’ll sleep well tonight.
Talk tomorrow.
Linda XXX


By the time I get back home I will be speaking like a native Italian, or at least a very dumb one, and with all the hills and steps I will be able to crack walnuts between the cheeks of my arse. Ever step you take is either up or down. In the Villa the marble stairs are like climbing a ladder, unbloody believable. This place is so much fun and so beautiful I don’t know where to point the camera.
Walked up to the 12th century tower in the centre of Introdacqua 37 miles straight up, or it felt like it anyway. Lots of very old stone Villa’s view were fantastic and gave us a great insight into life here.
Had a lot of fun at supermarket you can pick up your wine and vodka right next to the pasta and coffee, honest… (shit I love this place ). Funny though this little old lady started smiling and talking to me in machine gun Italian, she was only four feet tall and was dressed in a pink quilted dress that looked like my grandmothers bedspread. Anyway I ended up reaching all the tall shelves for her. May have been because Trish was teaching me Italian words for sex, vagina and penis etc as we are walking around and I was repeating them to learn these very important words for conversational Italian…..

Russ 