Paddy's Back In Town!

A bit late I s'pose, but 'friend Pat' (aka Paddy) is back over for a few days holiday.....or as she laughingly puts it "A few days away from the old man with the freedom to shop 'til I drop".

She does get a bit miffed (he-he-he) with me though because on the shopping front we are literally 'poles apart'. You see - she is a shop-a-holic an I loathe shopping...

Paddy will stop and look in every shop - especially jewellery, shoe and clothes shops....Whereas I carefully write a list of exactly what I want BEFORE I go anywhere near a shop. I know what I want and buy only that. Shop keepers, I'm sure, hate me, and friends tell me 'I'm not real'!!!

Honest I'm not mean - just careful and if I loath shopping I think I can blame my Mum (Bless her) she was the World Champion Window Shopper, and throughout my childhood I got dragged behind her. In and out of everywhere fro 'Woolies' to Mence Smith's and Timothy Whites. Then on to the International, Freeman Hardy and Willis and a load more shops that I can't remember.
But the upshot is that nowadays I'm in and out of shops so fast they barely have time to swipe my Bancomat to get their money.

But I digress - back to Paddy's visit. She arrived Saturday morning and it's rained everyday since Sunday. It's due, I notice, to improve by the weekend, so I've blamed Paddy for bringing it with her! Mind you we did really need it (the rain) as things are really getting desperate on the water front.

On Monday we went back to a favourite restaurant of mine at Bellano - the Hotel Meridiana. They have recently 'downsized the hotel and created a large condominio on the site, but they have retained their restaurant. This is at lake level and the views are stunning as you can see. Though it was a bit dull with a pending storm hanging around.











Later after lunch, we went down to lakeside at Colico for an afternoon 'aperitivo' and to watch the 'passeggiata' on the holiday Sunday. The 1st of May (Tuesday) is a national holiday here and many Italians take a long weekend (Sat, Sun, Mon and Tuesday) to get away from their everyday lives and enjoy themselves.

The lake was busy with small sailing races and the stiff wind, called The Breva here was really whipping up the surface and forcing the yachtsmen to use all their skills to stay aboard their tiny craft













There were also a number of intrepid 'para- surfers' too...they are really exciting to watch -especially on their turns as the sudden change in direction often means they actually 'take-off' and then somehow or other (sometimes) manage to land safely and continue.


But all in all it was a nice start for Paddy's holiday, and the rain held off until we got home in the evening - by which time we didn't really care what the weather did.

posted by Carole B @ 10:55 PM