House Guest!!

Finally we have company. Bella has come to stay for three days. She is so little compared to Angie. She comes with a TV, internet connection, a beautifully appointed Danish home and an IKEA catalog.

Today I have done nothing. I did not even walk downtown. There are some nasty, invisible, bugs here. I think, just a theory, that people who live here are immune to their bites. I have never seen one, but suddenly I will have a bite on the end of my nose or my arm, etc. Last night I noticed that one had bit me on my eye brow. This morning my eye was swollen shut. It didn't hurt, but I could hardly open it. I put ice on it and it is much better, but at one o'clock it still is over sized. Now no one will come visit us since I have told the truth about these bugs. I wanted to go to the pharmacy, but Jim said it would be too expensive. We brought hydro cortisone cream with us, but I wish I had some antihistamine pills as well.

Italian flags are flying all over town in anticipation of the game against Spain on Sunday. Viva Italia!!

We had dramatic storms yesterday afternoon. We could see the rain across the valley moving slowly over the mountains. It was raining so hard and the line of rain was so consistent that we could see it bouncing up along the edges as it reached each new hill. The lightening was hitting the mountains about two miles away. Behind us, out of sight, the lightening and thunder were simultaneous.  At the same time, from the east, a storm was overtaking Castel di Iere. (I think I am finally spelling it correctly. I depend on Gregor.) We could see the line of rain coming over the fields toward the storm that was moving in from the west. Rows of trees would be standing out in sharp contrast only to be consumed by the rain and disappear behind its curtain. It is unclear to me how three storms can converge from three different directions, but there you have it. Rain has gone up from its statis as an Italian word you do not need to know. (pioggio)



Here is another view of our house. We are just to the right of the melon colored house. Are house did not look so bad before they painted. The white car belongs to our neighbors. Just to the right of the lamp post is the first floor garage with the mercedes (not ours') Our door to the right of that, the second floor little balcony with French doors that opens in to the kitchen, and the third floor terrace. The next window to the right is our bathroom window. Just above our roof line you can see a tiny bit of the roof that covers all our house except the terrace. This is the house that all the water leaked from when their pipes broke. All the scaffolding you see in the upper left is around the church and other areas damaged in the earthquake in L'Aquila six years ago.

In this picture, of indeterminate age,  you can see our house just above the man on the left, behind the pile of rubble. There is no roof on the terrace and I assume no bathroom.