Big Update in an Italian Thunderstorm!
Dear Friends and family,
As I write this long overdue blog update there is thunder and lightning and the falling of rain, much needed to clear the humid, hot air....if you feel up to filling in some of the many gaps in our travels, take a look at the following Polarsteps album where we have been sharing bits and bobs about our journey since leaving France a little over a month ago.
Follow me on our trip ‘Chateau Dumas to Alsettimocielo and beyond...’ at https://www.polarsteps.com/
We had a wonderful time living in France and the area around Toulouse is quite stunning. It was difficult to give up the routines we had created and say good bye to new found friends and neighbors after 7 months in the area. Just before we left, we had a flurry of great outings and visits. Particularly noteworthy were two different couples we know from Bainbridge Island who were independently traveling by boat: The first, Karla and Randy, along the Canal du Midi and the second, Jo and Rick along the Garonne. We enjoyed spending a couple of idyllic days joining in on their adventures dealing with lochs and generally catching up.
Herman and the Mathers - Canal du Midi
At the time of our departure, Herman's father was receiving his second round of treatment for non-Hodgekins lymphoma. Our plans were to head to The Netherlands directly after the three week house sit ended. We had about ten days to travel from France to our next house sitting arrangement (Al Settimo Cielo or "Seventh Heaven") near to Orvieto, Italy. Herman's father had gone into the hospital after his second round of chemo treatment just a few days prior to our arrival. My thoughts looking back on this time are that even paradise has a price...
View from Al Settimo Cielo
Herman and I arrived and had a three day overlap with the owners of our new house sitting location. During this time we got up to speed on the extensive garden chore list and how to care for the natural swimming pool. The owners departed and Herman's father took a turn for the worst. We booked him a ticket to The Netherlands and he landed about the same moment that his father passed away. This left me alone, with a very labor intensive house and garden to care for, grieving in a country where I did not know a single person or speak the language. Needless to say, this time in Italy was kind of rough. Herman stayed on for eight days and helped his mother and siblings with arrangements for the funeral and ceremony. I was alone in "7th Heaven" an undeniably beautiful place, dealing with the loss of my father-in-law.
Thankfully, our dear friends, Clo and Betsy had been scheduled to visit, which turned out to be so fortunate. I was VERY happy when Clo and
Betsy arrived; we spent three days together (wine tasting and sharing several great meals). They drove
me to the train in Orvieto and I was able to make it to my father-in-law's
funeral. Thankfully the owners lent us their jeep. I absolutely could
not have managed driving the camper in that area on my own with all the
hairpin turns on small and rough roads. This experience has led me to
driving the camper a little every day we travel. I don't enjoy driving one
bit, but I am getting more comfortable with managing the size and slow
steady speed of our old SAM.
Good luck with your travels back to the Netherlands and then on to Washington. Hopefully it does work to see you both while you are in the Northwest. Big hugs and love the blog!
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