#15: Everything is Wet and it Serves Me Right
Dear Nonni,
The rain has continued with gusto this week - and although we've been caught out and soaked a couple of times, we have yet to succumb to any major illness. Phew! I have to say though, the obsession with avoiding sickness as a result of being cold is already starting to rub off on us. It would serve me right if my laissez-faire attitude ended with all of us catching colds and having to stay home for a week!
Also I guess it just isn't that nice getting rained on.
The other (more practical) reason to avoid getting wet is that it is almost impossible to dry clothing at the moment. Let alone shoes. Tumble dryers are very rare in Italy. Throughout summer it was easy to hang all of our clothes and they'd be bone dry in a couple of hours. The last couple of weeks though ... I've had a load of washing on the rack for two days now that is still damp! We are in that funny in-between patch where it isn't yet cold enough to use the heating, but it's too cold and damp to dry inside and the rain makes it impossible to hang anything outside. The woes of the Italian casalinga!
Speaking of heating, did you know that in Italy it is illegal to use heating at certain times of the year? For example, in Tuscany you are not allowed to turn on your heating until 1 November. The government announces the date each year, and it can move forward or backward in response to the temperature. And you cannot heat your house between 11pm and 5am. Italians may not seem like they care much about the environment, but their approach to things like energy usage, recycling and general consumption would indicate otherwise. Unlike at home, where this can be seen as being a greenie or making a political statement, here it is just about not being wasteful. It's a wonderful change and something I am enjoying immensely about our time here.
Today is a public holiday for Tutti I Santi (All Saints Day) and once again the church bells have been dinging and donging all morning. It is also Lucca Comics and Games Festival (today until Sunday) which is absolutely huge! The town has been inundated with people from all over the world who come and dress up as their favourite characters. Some of the outfits are incredible, albeit slightly diminished by being hidden under umbrellas and ponchos in the rain. Apparently more than 100,000 people will attend!
The schools in town have all been ordered to close for the rest of the week to avoid children and parents having to navigate the crowds, so tomorrow we are off to Genova for a few days with some friends.
Next week I will tell you all about the Italian classes I have started at the free government-run school. They are quite something!
All my love, and a very big hug!
Kate
