Wed 6 Apr - A Builder & a Vegetable Patch

This time we were up. Just. Once more, Ian and Carole appeared unannounced with some poor unsuspecting Italian in tow, and changed our plans for the day. 

Getting just as frustrated as us with the seemingly inactivity of Fabio, they had grabbed Max, the local builder, and marched him down to our house. And he was brilliant. 

They were with us for most of the morning going through our plans, adding the odd suggestion here and there and asking many questions.  By the time they were ready to leave, I was reeling somewhat and my head was absolutely swimming.   It felt as though we'd been hit by a tornado. They had whooshed in, whizzed round from barn to barn and back again. And not one of them had stopped talking the entire time.  Exhausting.  I needed to lie in a darkened room.   No matter.  Max was keen to do the work and wanted to come back on Friday with his father (oh God, here we go again) but still promised to have a quote with us by Tuesday. Yes!  Result!  Well, sort of.  Getting used to this by now, let's just see if said quote arrives as promised.  

All this time the sun was climbing higher and higher in the sky, and the sky was turning to a brilliant azure blue.  I don't think I will ever get used to seeing the dazzlingly white snow of Passo Lanciano, absolutely striking against a sun drenched sky.  Just madness, but so beautiful, and all to be seen from our garden.  

Passo Lanciano

With skies like that there was absolutely no way I was going to stick with Plan A and spend the day painting inside.  Not a chance.  Plan B made far more sense.  After the rain of yesterday the ground was still soft enough to dig.  Another day like today and it'll be baked rock hard.  So my vegetable plot was marked out and a trip into Scafa was made.  

We came home, both with our own little booty.  Me with a box of salads and tomato plants, and KP with a load of timber sticking out the boot of the beastie.  I set to across the garden with wheel barrow and spade whilst KP set a path between terrace and bathroom with saw, tape measure and the obligatory pencil behind the ear.   

Many hours later, a very weary pair reconvened and admired the fruits of each other's labour.  

I had a neatly dug vegetable patch, just needing a bit of a hoe tomorrow, and KP had the bath well and truly boxed in, awaiting painting.  Nice one.   Exhausted.  

After supper, we just flopped into our very fetching pink armchairs by the fire and read for a short while before making the long journey upstairs to bed. 

A good day.