Hey, What, Pardon?

Tuesday 14 June 2011 – I wake later than usual, it’s 07.40 and before I get up I lie there for a while listening to the sound of birds. As the kettle boils I open the doors, a warm zephyr enters the living room and Toyah finishes exploding.

I’ve woken up deaf in my left ear: well to be honest it’s self inflicted. How many times are we told not to stick things into our ears? I decided upon finding some cotton buds to clean mine, and have managed to push wax deeper. With music muffled on one side of my head, I try the old ‘olive oil’ treatment. Ten minutes later and there’s no improvement, just a peppery odour to the left side of my head.

I decide to pop to the chemist for a remedy. I’ve practiced saying, “Avete, gocce per l’orechio per cerume?” As I drive away my neighbour waves, I stop to tell her of my plight, “Almond oil.” she says. I park up and walk the few steps to the Farmacia, only to find it closed. Lesson learned: Remember this is Italy not England and the shops close in the afternoon and re-open in the evening.

I drive back only to be met by two more grasshoppers, these two, (Vic and Bob) are climbing over the gate. As I open the gate Vic gets a bit testy and rises up and wiggles his antennae at me. I leave them behind to do whatever it is grasshoppers do – probably hop in grass, and plant my tomato plants out. It’ll be interesting to go through a growing season in another country.

Tuesday evening brings Italian lessons, these are followed by a trip to the chemist in Castel Frentano, where I am served by a very handsome young man, as I leave with my ear wax remedy, I’m already wondering if it would be ethical to dream up new illnesses each week just  to be served by him?

I wind down in the evening with a couple of G&T’s and a few episodes of Rab C Nesbitt on DVD.