Thoughts of the day

Warmth is back to Bologna, the last of the ice has melted away, no more icicles hanging above us, the streets are back to the buzz of scooters, and the Bologna shuffle is gone for another year. What is left is a thick surface of dust on the pavement under the porticoes, which leaves lovely foot marks in the house now, as we just dont remember to take our shoes off. Along with that is the dust gets stirred up, and coughing is the new thing in bologna, throats are sore, chest heavy and the chemists are making a fortune with throat sprays. the roads have got worse, all the snow and water has dissolved the base under the stones and so it is rather uncomfortable riding the bike, having to dodge the tough bits, but today in my haste to be comfortable, l elbowed a bus, neither of us was severely hurt.
But the warmth is terrific, as the rules for Italians are clear, you cannot remove your winter coat, until the local council has degreed that winter is officially over, and that spring is here. I of course am not Italian, and speak it badly, so l have dropped the coat most of the time, and can be seen wearing only a colourful check shirt, with bright coloured pants, ohh the looks of envy, well maybe not envy, but the looks l get. Jayne must have become Italian over winter, as she is still wearing her jacket, and got angry with me when l wanted to wear by boat shoes out.
Hunter has been sick with a bad throat and cough, but Ewan marches on. Hunter said to me today, "dad, you know when l bless you!" he has forgotten the word sneeze, and has not yet the word for it in Italian, or he has taken some higher than mighty approach with me.
And as the signs of warmth came, so has the scalffolding come down on so many sites around Bologna, it is as if a flower blooming, the beauty of the restored facias is wonderous.
The school fees have gone up, and the standard down, it is such a pisser that there is no other option, other than attend a local school, but we have been told that that could really bugger up the boys, unless we were here for a long time.
The studio is working well, have been busy as a bee, and though there is no true natural light, all is going well, though we shall see how it is in the heat of summer.
Jayne has just read the blog over my shoulder and has instructed me that she is wearing her mid season coat, not winter coat, so apologize for that.
Better go, before Ewan and Hunter start reading over my shoulder and insisting that other things are not correct.