24th Dicembre 2014

Christmas Eve was the first day of the Christmas Holidays. I slept in for a little while, then I did some tidying, reading and general pottering around. For lunch we had pasta with zucchini, and then, at 2 o'clock, Giuliana left to go to work at the Medici con l'Africa.

I washed the dishes from lunch, and then, at half-past 2, walked to the bus stop where I met Sylvia, one of the neighbours who goes to the same school. She had invited me to go into the centre with some of her friends. Her mother drove us to a piazza just outside the limited traffic zone and I was there introduced to Sylvia's friends. There were 9 of us, altogether: Sylvia, and two of her friends, her friends' older brothers (one each), one friend of the older brother, her younger sister and one of her friends. And me.

We wandered around the centre from 3 until about 5. It was quite boring, as the older ones were doing practically all of their Christmas shopping, and a lot of time spent waiting outside shops. It was, however, a good opportunity to practise my Italian.

I did buy a small nativity, and a 1970 Poirot omnibus in Italian, that I have promised myself I will one day be able to read.

At 5 o'clock, the others went home and I went to the shop. It was very slow, but there were a couple of customers that bought paintings and lots of trinkets, and, in total, items to the value of  sold items to the €290, almost $450. 

We came home at about a quarter-to 8, and had minestra con zucca, or pumpkin soup, and salad for dinner. Then I read and sort of watched television for a couple of hours before, at half-past eleven, going to the midnight mass at the local church, which was built in the 18th century. It was very full, so I had to stand. It was a long mass, just short of an hour and a half, and I didn't understand much. I am glad I went though, it was very atmospheric.

By the time I got to bed it was almost ten-to 1!

Below are some photos of the shop and the decorations outside Caffe Pedrocchi.