Count Down

The final days are here and we are in count down mode. Next week at this time we will be in our new home in Tuscany--Greve in Chianti to be exact. From what I read, it will be akin to jumping from the frying pan into the fire as it is even hotter there than here. We haven't been below 70F (21C) at night for two weeks now--and, of course, much-much hotter during the day. So worse seems unbearable!

Today we finished (I think) packing our check-in luggage--seven pieces weighing close to 70 lbs each. This has involved three trips to Sports Authority to buy an increasing number of duffels. We had thought we would use 2-3 and then regular luggage for the reminder of our belongings which, of course, are crucial to our life in Italy. But, one by one we outgrew the suitcases. Now we will just buy suitcases in Italy for our travels within Europe while we are there. We do have carry-ons for electronics and emergency clothes in the event our things don't arrive. In fact, I think it will be quite miraculous if it does all get there--at least at the same time. This picture gives a partial sense of our check-ins. Now just double the number and add 1. The good news is that a lot of what is in them is expendable or will be left in Italy when time to come home. And--for my Slow Travel friends, note the familiar logos and tags proclaiming THE Best Travel Site on the Web

If you have been following the blog and the dilemma of choices--my knives are packed, my pots and pans aren't. Also, hidden within the mystery of contents are aluminum foil, press n'seal and baggies. When a friend wrote last week saying that foil had been €14 at the local COOP (supermarket chain store) and that the foil is very thin and tearable, it seemed prudent to bring some with us.

The only things left to buy now are a 5 lb bag of cheese and some tortillas--for those evening meals when a taste of home is important--and, maybe some gauze skirts and blouses per Judith, my friend and fashion guru in Citta di Castello who says that with the heat the way it is, gauze is the only way to go. The problem then becomes what do I remove from our duffels to make way for the new belongings? What we most don't want to happen is get to check-in and find that we need to open luggage, upset everyone else behind us in line as we reshuffle to meet weight restrictions. S0--there will probably be one more trip to our vet's office for a final weigh in. They now laugh when they see us coming--Oh--you're the Italy people. I think they think we are quite weird! But we aren't--really!

This will probably be the last entry for a while as I am not sure when we will have our internet connection again--or when there will be time to write. Remember--what was packed, must be unpacked. A thought that I don't even want to entertain at the moment.

So--Ciao for now and A Presto from lovely Italia.