Out in the gym, and the downloading works! I can get my weights on.  Add some cardio. Streeeetch.  Down again, and good morning Griffin, and Jason. And shortly hi, Kat who wonders if I want to Zentangle again.

Why not?

I go with a black card today. Kat tells me to think of a word. As they’re right there, I go with mountains. After a little consideration, she comes up with idea of doing the four elements. Mountains are earth. Ziggle out the frame, and four quadrants. She instructs to do peaks. I choose a silver pen and do my best at peaks. Sharp ones, softer ones while she shows me how to make them look in front or in back of each other. Onto air. She sees that as spirals with tails. Okay, fun. (I try to make mine NOT look like sperm.) Water, divide a quadrant in half and do wavy lines sort of diagonal on either side. Fire is two horizontal rows of triangles in different sizes, then connecting the triangles in each line with more. Do little lines.

Time for highlighting with the gold pen. Shade in some spaces in the mountains, draw little stars inside the spirals and wherever else you please, shade in some spaces between the wavy lines for water, add some gold to fire.

And we have Zenned.

Time to clean up, get dressed, and work awhile. Kayla’s already at it, making sure everybody gets paid. And just as I shut down, the girl walks in, all ready for the fun parts of the day. Perfect timing. Down in the kitchen, Lauren’s scrambling up some eggs for her and Logan. The kitchen smells like bacon. Mmmm. Kat has Pool Guy today, and they’re ready to hit the water by the time the rest of us head down to Torno.

Down, down, down the narrow stone steps and into the alley. There’s a little shop that does nails and massages. They also have a few shiny things in the window display.

I select and buy a few. Christmas may be months away, but it’s still coming!

Colt’s thinking gelato. Which makes me think of gelato. Over to Bar Italiano where we’ll eat again tonight. Papa is doing gelato, Mama is doing coffee—which Logan, Lauren and Jason want. Daughter (maybe) is busy serving as the place is already busy.

It takes some doing—hand signals, pitiful Italian, reasonably better English. Jason wants a cafe mocha. But mocha is understood as chocolate. He gets a cappuccino with chocolate sprinkles. Sounds pretty good. I go to pay. Papa’s trying to count the scoops, the coffee. Mama helps on the coffee. Kayla, who did one of those Learn Italian deals in prep for the trip, gives him the number of scoops.

Pay, enjoy, make a reservation for dinner.

Wander to the little church. Very pretty. Lots of rose marble on the altars. Stained glass, frescoed ceiling. Light a candle. Wander out again.

There are endless steps leading up and up and up some more. Not climbing those unless there’s something up there besides residential. So up and up and up go Logan and Jason.

Reports are there’s an actual street, and farther along a kind of farmer’s market. I think BW shouldn’t climb for that. Those who want can climb another day. Instead, we sit on the wall by the lake. A good spot for pictures. There’s shade and a breeze. Wander back to climb our way home. Jason is the key master and opens the gates as we go.

In the pool at home, the clever Kat has fashioned a kind of awning out of one of the pool rafts for shade. So she can sit or float on another out of the sun.

This is why when the Zombie Apocalypse comes, she’s in charge.

I make a well-earned Bellini. Logan settles down in the TV room to read, Kayla and Colt are for the pool. I alternate basking and more downloading. While Kayla’s coating on the sunscreen, we discuss what JR’s family might want in the way of food and drink when they’re here for a couple days. There’s a wine store, so we have some vino in our supplies. Need more hot dogs as the third generation boys are mowing through them. More sodas, more this and that. We’re going to need another run to the grocery anyway.

As the afternoon moves along, I realize, despite gelato, I’m hungry. Enjoy a peach, but need more. Cheese and crackers sound just right so make a plate—not Kayla-pretty charcuterie—to share.

I have enough programs downloaded to hold me awhile. Kayla’s going up to shower and get ready for dinner. I’ll think about that shortly. BW says he wants to take the ferry to Como the next day—which all depends on weather as there are storms in the forecast. I’m not about the ferry as I’d be sick before we got to Como. But Kayla has proved herself an excellent driver in Italy.  Logan’s still reading, and the rest of us do what’s needed to head down again for dinner.

Down, down, down. Logan continues to read as he goes. Our little restaurant is extra busy tonight. They push our three tables together. We’re under the shade of a pergola smothered in leafy vines. We discover the house sparrows enjoy the greenery. And us. One all but lands on Griffin’s head. Then perches on the end of the table for a moment. They sing, they swoop.

We’re going to try the hotel’s rooftop restaurant one night, and why not try that when JR’s family’s here? They don’t open until 7:30, a little late for us, but we’re on vacation. Kat checks the menu. They have steak, so I already know what JR, Logan and Colt will order. We’re booked, party of 13, Sunday night.

We eat; the sparrows visit. More discussion on Wednesday’s plans. And there’s always room for gelato. Or apricot pie for those—not me—who want different. And a gorgeous fruit salad—Macedonia di Frutta—for Kat.

Back up and up, and after the first flight, my quads are weeping. The second? Hamstrings burning. I think my legs are insisting one trip down to Torno a day is enough already. I’m not alone, as Kayla is chanting lactic acid, lactic acid.

I feel you!

There’s some talk about a card game, but we all sort of flop in the greatroom. More serious discussion on plans. There’s now a team ferry—BW, Kat, Griffin, Logan, Lauren, Colt. And a team car. Me, Jason, and Kayla at the wheel. Team Car will head to that street fair. Team Ferry will join us. Will they ride the funicular?  Take a bus? A cab? There’s also a big church, and how about that? Grocery store? Ferry or join Team Car on the way back?

Around and around it goes.

As Kat says, it’s like herding cats with opinions.

The teen and the twenties crowd into the TV room for Mario Cart. BW searches the greatroom TV for soccer. The rest of us head to bed.

And about midnight, I’m woken by booming. What IS that? I lie there listening, and think: Sounds like fireworks. Can’t be. Nearly midnight. Is this indeed the long-anticipated Zombie Apocalypse? Somebody get Kat!

But, no. When I go out on the balcony to check, fireworks, not zombies. The sky to—if my direction’s right—south west is lit up. Boom, and boom again. Bang badda boom! I have to watch as I’m already standing out here. What kind of celebration? I wonder. Maybe a wedding? Whatever, it’s very pretty, very unexpected. Seriously elaborate.

When they’re over, I climb back into bed. Takes awhile, but I find sleep again.

And up on a breezy morning. Little ripples on the lake. The bell tower’s chiming, gulls calling. There are two boats, one sail, one motor, moored with buoys near the dock. How, I wonder, did their sailors get to land?

Definitely time to get to the gym as today’s bound to be an adventure. Go, Team Car!

Nora

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