Nearly the end of the 'Visitor Season' - alas!

Well here we are at the end of the summer. This morning it was only 14°C at 10am and that is quite a drop over recent days. There is a decided 'chill' to the air these days and last night I had to get out a ''light trapunta" (eiderdown) for the bed. I have what are called 'mezza stagione' (half season) ones which are just right for early autumn and late spring, then of course the heavier "duvet's" that are either 'twin' TOGS that can be separated and the heavier 13TOG ones. But that light trapunta was really welcome last night - it's not frosty (yet) - but I sense that frosty mornings aren't too far away... I always sleep with my bedroom windows open and the 'persiane' (shutters) closed. NO heating either...so a good trapunta or duvet is really a neccessity.

But tomorrow sees the arrival of Pat (aka Paddy) for a week here with me... it maybe her last this year. I might have to turn the heating on for her - only set at maybe 20°. I don't want her getting a cold. Mind you - I've got a real 'stinker' at the moment. I got cold on Tuesday when we had some pretty awful storms here - accompanied by high winds. Something hardly ever seen hereabouts. We do get - at this end of the lake - a breeze every afternoon about 4pm. It is called 'The Breva'. Each part of the lake gets a breeze like this and all have their own local names for them - like the 'Tivano' found only at the southern end of the lake at Lecco, and from time to time the north wind called the 'Vento' or 'San Vincenzo '... as you can see here these winds are great for para surfing and sailing - but can be treacherous too....

Just four weeks ago two 15 year old boys from my village were canoeing when a sudden violent gust blew their canoe over - one managed to swim ashore - his friend didn't. His body was found the next day. A tragic moment for his family and for us all here in the village. Both boys were brought up 'on the lake' so to speak and despite their young years were very aware of the dangers - but this time the 'Breva' beat them!


I've never known a country so taken with giving names to 'winds' that always arrive from certain directions.... A few that Italy has/uses are the Scirocco, Bora, Libeccio, Mistral and the Levantera!


But leaving the weather aside for a moment - tomorrow (Sunday) it's a nice easy journey (no weekday rush hour traffic) to Orio al Serio airport at Bergamo to collect Paddy. She's flying this time from East Midlands airport instead of Stanstead. EM is better for them as they live near Banbury - but we'll see what advantages there are over Stanstead.....at least I know that Jozef (DH) won't have to get up in the middle of the night to get to the airport in time. The EM - Bergamo is a later flight and gets here at 2.55pm!

Paddy is my last 'scheduled' visitor this year. Though No.1 Son is due some time in October. It's the "BIG 40" for him on 10th October, but he will be in London then. He'll celebrate with me later in the month - who after all wants to be reminded of the 40th? Not him, I know....and certainly NOT me as his Mum!

Geez - FORTY YEARS - where HAVE they gone?

posted by Carole B @ 11:07 AM