Rain Rain Rain

I can't believe that I've forgotten the weather prediction for today : Showers.

The wind rose early this morning and was howling away just as we woke up to prepare the kids for school. Some of the badly secured wooden shutters started to bang shut and the kids' toy house outside as usual started to fly away. But no time to go run after it. Hope it wouldn't fly to the middle of the next field.

I had forgotten to take in the laundry hanging outside to dry and there was no way that I could go check it then, the wind was that strong. It started raining.

End of my planned trip to the Mantova Shopping Outlet.

We arrived in school late and wet though for some reason I wasn't in too bad a mood malgré tout. I met my new friend R, a chic and sexy Kerala Indian mother of 4 married to a French Croatian Ferrari F1 guy. She asked me to wait for her and we then went off for morning coffee.

Turned up at the Golf Club opposite my house (owned by my landlord whose family also owns the Villa we could see from our window, the agriturismo complex next door, J. Todt's house, bref, probably everything around here) where she is a member but it was closed. Every Tuesday. Too bad, I was hoping to find out more about the Club, they have a pretty big pool.

Off then we went to Formigine where she showed me the shops where she usually buys her bread etc from, the Ferrari tailor where I'll be able to shorten sleeves and pants, have clothes made-to-measure etc at. We had coffee (actually I had a really good hot chocolate while she had tea) at a nice little café and exchanged for quite a while.

Really interesting and I'm really happy that we clicked so quickly. Learnt something about my house (she knew the former British tenants) from her e.g. that during winter, the wall next to which Baby Girl is sleeping now gets freezing cold. And that winter can be very harsh here in Modena, like in Germany only that you wouldn't get the efficiency and service along with it. The former tenant apparently couldn't go to work one day because there was too much snow and there was no way he could clear a path fast enough with his spade (we have alot of land around the house and a very long driveway). He ended up investing in a snow mobile! Aiyaya...

Made plans to meet for lunch tomorrow.

The Outlet will have to wait another day.