Breakfast done - now it's time for a walk!

Just back from an early morning walk through the olive groves with the boyz. At the top of the hill met the old shepherd who told me that more rain is on the way and then the dry season proper will start. Through the impenetrable Umbrian accent gathered something about the barley sowing starting . This reading of the seasons was said with great solemnity so didn't feel the need to question him further - not that I would have understood that much of the local dialect anyway.

After three years we've got the majority of the building work done now and have arranged the house and garden so that we always have some corner that is in the shade. This is vital at the height of the summer when the temperatures get into the high 30's, low 40's. While we still have some money left have decided to go and get some more garden furniture so that we can benefit from all the new patios and portico's that have been added onto the old house. There is a marvellous Italian company called Unopiu in Viterbo which produces high quality tables and chairs - expensive but worthwhile in the temperature extremes we get here. They open at 10.00 this morning so we'll be off in the car shortly - it's about an hours drive south.