1 May another holiday

Zacchi really wishes the fireworks didn't have so many loud bangs. It is a good excuse for a cuddle though.

The holiday bridge period ended today. Some people take a break from 25 April until today, but none of my friends do. Last night on television I saw a map of Italy with all the dangerous roads with heavy traffic marked on it. A good day to stay home.

Yesterday was market day and I spent more than I usually do. I enjoyed the post office queue waiting to pay my bills. The clerk asked me if the road to Caprile was still closed, and then a lengthy conversation ensued around me about the fire last year, the falling rocks, and the job they are doing to stablilise the area. I understood most of it but it was far too fast for me to consider joining in.

I bought some dangly earrings with bright colours, and will think of Jan and her beads every time I wear them. Then I somehow found the courage to buy some underwear. For three years now the charming young vendor has been flattering me, and anyone else slighty easy on the eye, as we stroll past his stall. I am very coy about buying underwear in public and when I stopped to look at some he made no attempt to sell to me. I have never bought from him. He was selling to others, and eventually I chose what I wanted, rolled it discreetly and handed it to him with the exact change. He gave it back to me in a bag and I am sure he was blushing as he thanked me profusely for buying from him. Usually it is me blushing!

Then, as it was getting late and I was hungry I bought the bread that is rolled into a circle to represent the cloth the women in this region wore to support the heavy urns of water they carried on their heads. I wandered happily through the market munching in public, thinking how good life can be!

Today I had the full Italian pranzo (lunch, today five courses) with my lovely neighbours on the other side of the fountain, and then had unexpected late afternoon visitors for a beer at my house. Yes, it felt like a real holiday today.