Norjie left after coffee yesterday. In our travels over the previous few days I had acquired a really sore foot…some sort of stupid and annoying tendonitis which had me hobbling along like some sort of old duck. Anyway that was my excuse for a fairly quiet day yesterday. Its hard to get motivated to be doing during the day like I was before the heat hit, and a sore foot lowers the motivation level even more. However there was the issue of Italian lessons to resolve. Something I knew I had to do but had been procrastinating about it something shocking. I really have found my lack of progress depressing.
So it was on to the bike (thank god for the bike) and off to school to talk to Angelo and Daniela about what the hell I should do. They are so lovely there, they really are. I chatted to them (I was almost in tears!!) and have resolved to give it one last hit. This is 2 weeks of class (I told them I didn’t want to go up a level like they thought I should) and the first week while Norjie is away I’m also having 3 private lessons in the afternoon with my dear Ele to see if we can push me a bit harder. It was lovely seeing Ele again, it’s like meeting up with old friends. I have to miss a day of school to go to Bologna next week for my dental hygiene!!
After going to school I went up to the wall and peddled for a while (the heat has reduced the distance I go!!) to make myself take deep breathes at taking the challenge of Italian back on board. Then home to cool off and put my foot up. Chris and I are in regular touch at the moment as we plan our 2 weeks of travelling together in August. Chris has found us a magnificent house through friends of friends on a cliff top over a private beach (80 steps down to it, but I’m sure the incentive will be great) just out of Trieste. The plan is that we use this lovely place to explore Slovenia (thanks Ham and Ariane…this plan came out of my suggestion which was your suggestion!!). So Albania is now off the table and Slovenia is confirmed with Trieste as the base.
My challenge is to get myself from Matera to Trieste. If I’d known this is the way things would go I wouldn’t have gone south after Lucca. I also have to cut Matera short by 4 days which of course I will need to pay for at this stage. All very small prices to pay!!
This morning the foot is feeling much better but I’ll stick to the bike today just to be sure.