Day 60 Breaking up

Our little group of four starts breaking up tomorrow morning when Shay leaves for Israel. Poor guy has been hen-pecked by three women for two months. He has the patience of Job.

We had our last dinner together in town at Alle Calende Greche. I grossed them all out again by ordering tripe while they shared spinach and ricotta pizza, a sagna with meatballs and a salad.  We had rose wine before we left for the restaurant, rose wine at the restaurant, and amaro and many little cakes when we got back home.

These people have been very kind and very supportive about my work. Two nights in a row now, they insisted I read them excerpts from my novel in progress. If they are to be believed -- and I don't imagine Barbara, particularly, would be capable of telling a lie -- I'm on the right track with this murder mystery.

We all hugged Shay a good night. They'll be more hugs tomorrow, Saturday, when he leaves, I expect. The three of us remaining will be going into Lecce in the morning, Frances to print more of her film photographs of olive trees in the Accademia's old fashioned darkroom and Barbara and I to spend a few more Euros before we exit. I leave on Tuesday.

Good god, how quickly ten weeks has flown.



Here we all are, including our hostess Paola, at Shay's birthday dinner at Arete