Thursday 31 March: a Dummy Run & a Candelabra

Having an almost obsessive passion for all things old and quirky, and a gripping morbid fear that we're not going to find them in Italy, we've spent the last two months on a rummaging frenzy. We've found candelabras and mirrors, bronze sculptures, reeded baskets, old settles, and a whole lot more.  Slowly, slowly I've been meticulously stowing them away in Rosemary. This way I could keep an eagle eye on what space we had and how many more gaps I could fill. An addict satisfying an addiction.

So far, so good, until we came to the final day and time for finding space for all the kitchen paraphernalia (I love my kitchen pans, they've been serving my food with unquestioning loyalty for many years), a tiny selection of books (but which became a rather large pile of books), our cycling gear, running gear, waterproofs, wetsuits.  And this was all before we'd packed any clothes.  Oh dear.

And, of course, there were the bikes to go on the back too.  Poor Rosemary.

Rather a lot of stuff

We looked at her, and scratched our heads. We listened to her creaks and groans.  I think we need to take her for a trial run, I say.  Nah, she'll be fine, says he.  But the look that flashed across KP's face prompted me to press on.  Ever the optimist (or is it reckless abandon?), if KP is concerned you know damned well you'd better start worrying.  Or move to Plan B.

And so we found ourselves (after an unsuccessful dummy run up Rusper hill), off-loading all my coveted possessions.  My heart wrenched with each removal onto the tarmac.  Back up to the flat they went.

But I did manage to hang on to my candelabra and clothes horse, the crocheted blanket and wooden fire truck. And the next day, just before leaving. I will sneak The Food of India back in....