How about a trip to the butcher?

Things are rapidly getting back to normal here. We had a visit from the Marechal - the head Carabinieri officer - to talk about the burglary. Everyone is proving to be extremely solicitous in a way that probably disappeared in the UK forty years ago. The two boyz were thankfully on their best behaviour for the police visit and didn't disgrace themselves by growling at the officers.

This afternoon I go to have a dozen stitches taken out at the local hospital.The standard of health care in the new modern hospital was excellent and efficient - as I mentioned before the MRI scanner was more modern than the one at the private hospital in London. I can't praise the Italian health care system too highly.

Weather is wonderful - sunny, mid-20's,with light showers every night around eleven. We're planting more olives so the showers are very welcome for watering them in. Newspapers here full of the latest Berlusconi comment - on a trip to the earthquake scene in Abruzzo yesterday he saw a small north African child and said ' I wish I had as much time to sunbathe as you do'. Plus ca change...