Ravenna, Parma etc

Just a quick note, that we travelled again to Ravenna when Sheridan was staying with us, and it is truly a incredible town, with such history, and should never be missed on a travel. Sadly when we went l was rather unwell, as l had been to emergency the evening before with severe gastro, pleading with them to give me a drip. They concluded on an early examination that l was code green, which is low risk, l was without doubt the sickest in the room, but somehow they did not think so. Finally after 2 hours on drips and rest, they let me go with instructions to eat banana, rice, carrot and parmesan cheese, only in Italy, no drugs, maybe some potassium and magnesium in a few days. I had got to know the male nurse there, and when leaving, he asked me to come to another room with a computer, which he then busily typed on, then took my bill from me and ripped it up, and said it has been taken care of, got to love a health system like that, of course, thats why l was code green in a waiting room for 2 hours.
We also last weekend went to Parma about 2 hours away, lovely town, also a university town, and were Verdi was born, or near by anyway, it was his 200th birthday that weekend. What we found out was how many castles and villas etc are in the area, and you can visit or stay at, so Jayne and l will come back here soon, as l think the boys are just a bit tired of museums and castles.
At the moment l have a terrible head cold, and only a few days ago had a shocking chest infection, but like my visit to the emergency room, they don't treat you much with drugs here, we have a machine we bought a year or so ago, that pus out a vapour and you add a solution that you breath in and out of from a face piece and it helps clear the chest, everyone uses them !!!
Anyway it works, though you do look odd sitting down with it on your face, it reminds me of addicted gamblers at Vegas with their oxygen bottles.
The boys today are visiting a sort of lost dogs home to do community work, as part of the school program. Some kids are working as alter boys, which l find hard to see the community benefit, only benefit may be to the priest! Another child is offering to help other kids with their homework, which is weirder. Anyway hopefully the boys will enjoy it, and it might help them with Gus our dog not being here, as well as their Italian, not that l expect the animals to speak in Italian, especially the German shepherd!