Oh god what a day, yesterday. I decided to take a walk up the road to a place called Shambala, a spa retreat and B and B. I had seen their phone number in an English language tourist brochure I picked up in San Ginesio. So I called and talked with Christine, a Brit to see if I could just come check the place out. She was gracious, showed me around. It is a really beautiful place with 6 rooms, a treatment room, a small breakfast room, outdoor seating and a gorgeous swimming pool.
So, before getting envious about this ITALY trip, check this out: after negotiating to get a massage with her tomorrow (my ankle is still painful) she told me that the CARABINIERI had been to her establishment. They are like the sheriff, rather than police, anyway they told her that a band of gypsies have been breaking and entering and robbing people in the area, mostly looking for jewelery. You know the rich foreighners, right. Well, already I have asked David if he and Claudia feel safe being down at the end of a steep gravel road, all alone..................? He just seems a bit like, well they would have a difficult way out, so probably won't be coming down here.
Then in the afternoon, he realized that the land line phone aboslutely does not work, it rings (and rings) but we cannot use the phone to make or receive calls. It needs to be replaced. Well, OK, so he has a cell phone. In the evening we discussed how my room has no bars and would be the easiest way for burglers to enter....so I should definitely lock the shutters to the glass door of my room.................at 3am,
Icould hear that Claudia was up, then she turned on the hall light and David was saying to me that he needed to take Claudia to the hospital. They wanted me to HOLD DOWN THE FORT, and so they dashed off. Do you think I could go back to sleep????? There I was, just listening to weird sounds in the middle of the night, no phone, don't even know David's cell number, but what could I do? Finally, about 6ish I fell off to sleep to be awakened by his alarm clock! Oh god, can I do this? Can I escape? They came back at 8:30, Claudia looking drugged, and David saying: The doctor said: your wife is full of shit! Poor Claudia, she's still not able to really pay attention to herself.
So while she is resting David and I decided to make a trip towards Ancona to find the Ikea store and then MAYBE I can find a small work table.
Fun, fun, fun.....................laters.
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6 comments:
Hi Gretchen
Got expert help to master this task. Hang in there.
Love,
Laura
Hi Gretchen,
There's hope. I think I have it down. Read all your posts. You have your challenges. Fascinating.
Hugs, Laura
This RSS Feed thing is wonderful. Now all I have to do is go to your file in my RSS Feeds folder in Outlook and there is a neat chronological line up of every post you have made since September. Hope you get a connection up and running. I will be reading all about it.
Expert computer help is worth its weight in gold. Too bad I didn't get it earlier before I sent off my laptop to my brother full of personal info I could not figure out how to delete. Take care.
Laura
Good story sis; if and when the buglers/robbers arrived just puff yourself up iike a powerful american woman and negotiate. They will likely be quite frightened of you. (This has worked for me three times!) However, there could be a language barrier. You can also see if they would stop to be painted--tell them no robbery, just a quick sketch. fix them coffee. My feelings about traveling are just as you say, there's no escaping planetary realities like the desperate poor. Get a good cell phone with and international card like Ursi's. You can afford it! Remember to center yourself--you're a fabulous painter. Paint! One day at a time. Things not too horrid here. Looking fw to my last day of teaching, Dec 18. break that techno barrier! Bon chance, con suerte, chiao mm
Then again, a sexy little purse pistol is what the women in Texas use. Rosewood grip, or mother of pearl. Seems like there should be target practice and self defense hand-gun classes somewhere. Once they ok'd concealed weapons in Texas, assaults on women dropped 80%. Your destiny will protect you. xoxoxox mm
wow... that sounds both terrible and sort of exciting. i feel really bad about claudia though, she was probably sick the whole time we were there and i shouldn't have been so judgemental. i hope she gets better soon. as far as the band of gypsies goes, i really don't think you should be too worried. they don't carry guns, and aren't out to get people, so if they for some reason did come to the house i don't think it would be to harm you. of course i can understand the fear though. anyway, hang in there! you can do it! i'm impressed that you walked up to shambala, and i hope that somehow you can actually go and relax for a while and escape the san ginesio blues. orrr, come meet us in greece! xoxo, ursi
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