Saturday April 5, 2008
The girls had a little Samba party the other nite to keep spirits up, and yesterday they did a little spa afternoon, polishing fingers and toenails. But again, we’re pretty much out of things to do around here.
I’m able to call Mike, thankfully, to have a conversation now and then. The phone last nite tells me it has less than one Euro left, so this morning I tell him to run to the Vodaphone store first thing to put more money on it. Thank goodness he is available, I cannot imagine what I would do if it ran out of money and I had no way to fix the situation., being confined in here as we are. Between the internet and the phone Vodaphone is making a fortune. But I can’t manage if I am to be without either. I need the internet to work, and without a phone connection to the outside world I’d really be alone out here. I don’t even want to think about that prospect. I’m alone enough as it is. The other's in this apartment at least have each other. I'm sure it's a small blessing to them.
My prescriptions will run out in a few days, I never believed we would be here this long. I’ve had Mike go to the local farmacia in Venice to see if they will take a faxed prescription from my doctor in Baltimore. He has done that and discovered in Italy we don’t need prescriptions for many medications, including my high blood pressure prescriptions. All we need to do is take the chemical name to the pharmacist so they can match the drug. I hopped on the internet this morning and found all that stuff, Mike has already been to the farmacia and has those filled. Now the question is how I will get those here in Castle San Pietro. He could overnight them, but I could be gone from here by the time they come. I will walk to the farmacia in town tomorrow to see if they will give me the same drugs here. I think if they can do that in Venice they can do that here. We’ll soon see.
I’ve already decided if I ever have to do this again I will bring books. And then I think..”What am I thinking??? I don’t ever want to do this again.” But- on the other hand, this has been the only solution to my dilemma. I will have Italian citizenship before too much longer, so this confinement will have been well worth it. There was no other way, besides returning to America and waiting 2 more years. Putting off coming to Italy to live just isn’t in my plans. I have to do this now. Who knows if you will have tomorrow. Perfect example is the email I got just yesterday telling me of an acquaintance’s husband who had a severe stroke, then passed away a month later. See? I have to plow on with the plan, you just never know what tomorrow might bring.
Today at 6 pm we all made a dash for the grocery store, again having the cell phone call system in place in case the polizia decided to inspect while we were out. No worries, they didn’t come. On the way out of the grocery store, we notice a small group of men across the street who are most definitely eyeing the three young women I am with. We decide that perhaps finding an Italian man to marry quickly might be a good route, then we would not have to do this confinement routine- and I encourage the young ones to flirt as hard as they can!!!
Andreas is married and has 3 children, but looks very young. I tell her to flirt anyway and don’t say anything about any children!!
At 7, we all walked into town. The farmacia was already closed, so I will have to try that again on Sunday. It’s a lovely little town, with lots of nice little shops. We just wandered and window shopped. We poked our heads into one of the two churches, and discovered mass was in session . We stayed. When mass was over we all went and lit candles. Can’t hurt. Back out on the street, Maria, the Venezuelan college student, translated some of what the priest was saying at the end. Basically he was giving announcements, saying that tomorrow at 4pm people would be gathering to prepare for a saint’s day coming up, and they would pray for foreign families in the town. That’s us!!! And we need all of their help.
Andreas, Maria’s sister who has been able to get out all week, already knows this town like the back of her hand. She led us to the gelato shop where we picked up a treat before heading home.
We’re back in by 9pm. I had some foccaccia with onion for my dinner, did a little more work and will call it an early nite again.
Tomorrow being Sunday, we are free to leave the apartment! Everyone else has planned to take the train to Florence and leave early in the morning. I originally was going to Venice for the day, as Mike and I have concert tickets at La Fenice Sunday at 5pm, however, after looking at the train schedules back from Venice, have decided not to. There are late trains back here on Sunday nite, but I’d arrive back in Castel San Pietro at 4:30 in the morning. That’s just not appealing to me. If I were to leave at 6am on Monday morning I’d get back here about 9:30, and that’s already too late. I don’t want to risk missing the polizia at any time they might show up. A concert just isn’t worth throwing a monkey wrench into this process. I need to stick it out and be here, no matter what. And I also didn’t feel like a quick one day trip into Florence. I’ve already made 2 one day trips there to have my passport replaced last month, that was plenty. I’m going to have another quiet day at the compound. One more day of the same won’t kill me, and at least I can get into town whenever I want for as long as I want today.
I read in the news today that President Bush is in Croatia this week. 30 minutes by ferry from Venice. I wonder if he plans a little vacation?
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