Christmas Day Verona

Feeling very stressed here in Italy right now (see previous post), we needed a really nice Christmas Day to lift us up. Before some smartmouth says, Well, why don't you go volunteer at a soup kitchen?, let me add that we needed to be with friends, in the bosom of a home, with happy people. Fortunately for us, we received an invitation several weeks ago to join an Italian-Australian family for Christmas Day lunch. Wow, was it a great time!

The Dad and youngest daughter came to pick us up, as we live in Italy senza macchina. Arriving at the apartment, we entered to candles and Christmas lights on a beautiful tree, with a lovely table set. The cooking was all done as we went...grilled oysters with truffle butter, giant prawns sauteed and flamed, and an incredible salmon cooked in a bed of salt. We contributed a Buche de Noel, as well as a big bowl of al dente veggies.

There was a lot of laughing and story telling. And a lot of eating. A lot of eating. We were guests of a family today, sharing their Christmas, which made me miss our daughter even more, knowing she was spending Christmas morning on her own.

When we returned to our apartment, we called Sandra. Somehow the international postal system had managed to deliver two boxes full of gifts to her a week or so ago, which from Italy is no mean feat. So while we were eating at the home of our friends, Sandra was opening her presents from us...a connection of a kind. The enormity of the distance between us hit home, knowing that all I can do today is wish my little girl happiness.

A turning point

Angel and I are at a crossroads on this adventure of living in Italy. We really have to leave this beautiful apartment, since living next to the neighbors who have no sense of privacy or courtesy is not an option anymore. The landlord cannot do anything to influence them, since all Italian law favors the renter, no matter how they behave.

This is Thursday, 3 January, 2008: I am now going to edit what had been the next original paragraph, because perhaps this original paragraph was misinterpreted. One of our acquaintances Stateside said that he had heard that we are coming back to the States. Since we don't talk to this person by phone and rarely email this person, and have said nothing like this to anyone we do talk to or email, then the source of this rumor can only be a misinterpretation of this post. No decision to return to the States has been made.

We are out looking for another place to live, but that is not easy here in Italy. There is no multiple listing system, follow-up from realtors is unknown. We have found one possibility, through the father of a friend, but that might take 2 or 3 or 4 months to develop.

Neither of us is ready to leave Italy. We have plans already made well into 2008, there are places to go, things to do. We now have a real social life here, friends that we would be sad to leave. But we cannot stay in this apartment. We are stepping off into another adventure.