Breakfast today was eaten in the garden at our new marble table. To be honest it was a bit blowy, but we managed to secure the bran flakes with lashings of yoghurt and peaches. Last night’s thunderstorm has cleared the air although the clouds are still racing across the skies. Apparently everyone was relieved that the rain was not accompanied by hailstones as was forecast. That would have caused considerable damage to the vines and all the soft fruit that is nearly ripe.
Went round to see friends K and G. We only got to know them through another mutual friend as they are shortly to return to the UK and were trying to sell some of their furniture. Once piece of furniture being this beautiful inlaid marble table from Florence. It had come from a monastery, apparently, and we could not resist it. We thought it would be perfect in the kitchen as our dining table. But it turned out to be a bit too big. But, amazingly, it fits perfectly within our seating area in the garden. It weighs a ton and the guys we got to move it were pleased to find out it was going on the ground floor.
K and G had the removal men pick up their belongings this morning. Always a stressful moment as they were sure they had more than expected to ship and had sorted their packing into A, B and C-list boxes but luckily everything fitted into the van so not even the Cs had to be abandoned. I popped round to see if they were OK and to invite them to lunch as all their things had now gone. They agreed happily and Jamie rustled up a delicious meal of pasta with tuna sauce, and slices of sweet orange melon for dessert. We shared a glass or two of wine around the marble table and they said they were really pleased that it had found such a perfect home under an Italian sun. We have had several more meals on it since.
I drove down to see the blacksmith this afternoon as we now need to order the handrails for the staircase, a grill for the new kitchen window, a bar for the top floor bedroom window (to stop people or persons unknown falling out whilst trying to close the shutters), and a front door handle.
But most of all we need to get the design for the new balcony sorted out and my new idea for the design is based on the old ironwork that formed the sides and canopy before it was rebuilt. Luckily, we kept back these pieces of ironwork, and by chance when I was showing the photos to someone I looked at them from a different angle and the design just came from that. The original was made by a well-known local blacksmith some 50 years ago and so there shouldn’t be any objections; it is quite a simple design and our poor geometra Jary, will have to go down to the town hall with yet another proposal. Then we have to find a smithy who is willing and able to make them.
But, after all the stress of what pattern we wanted and what patterns they allowed I think we might have found a middle ground. We can then use the balcony without fear of falling off and Daisy dashing out into the wide blue yonder.
Sunflowers and Saffron 