New friends, new projects

I am so very happy.  Our new friends, Nancy and Luther, have decided to buy an apartment in the Centro Storico of Umbertide. We are so excited to have new people who choose to live here.  I met Nancy through this blog! She emailed me, told me about her desire to retire in Italy, and we agreed to meet.  It was as if we had been friends forever.  Such a great feeling.

They live in Virginia.  He worked in IT for IBM and she worked as a web designer.  They lived in Germany for many years, so the shock of living in Italy should not be too severe. I have really missed having female friends here, so I am very excited to have them join our community.

Nancy writes a blog that I encourage you to read.  It is about her househunting experiences here in Umbria.

http://nancygoestoitaly.com

The Stoic One and I have resumed our Italian classes.  This means we go to Perugia Mon. Wed. Friday.  We decided we couldn't go every day, as it was just too much.  Our teachers are as charming as usual, and I see no way around it but to learn the subjunctive tense.  I have been dancing around that tense for years now, but I think I am finally ready to attempt it.

We have had loads of rain here, but I am not going to weather complain.  We are so lucky compared to many other places in the world.

My latest idea is that I would like to write a book about Umbertide and World War II.  There was a bomb that was dropped on the town on April 25, 1944.  There is a historian in town who has written several books about the subject.  He is 94 years old, and still quite lucid so they say.  I have all of my questions ready, in Italian, and am ready to meet with him.  Wish me luck.

Here is Luca in his latest sweater.  I think this is the favorite of the town's people.  They call him "elegante" when he walks by.