Travel woe

Now that I am home and still recuperating my strength, I cannot believe what I lived through during my recent trip to Italy.

My presence was required due to negotiations for the sale of a house I co-owned in northern Italy. The prospected buyer was in a hurry to close on the deal because he wanted to re-adapt the street floor during the summer months so that his business (a restaurant) could get into full swing in the fall. So I was forced to make quick plans and leave New York right after July 4th.

The weather has been consistently hot and humid also in Italy, but I survived it somehow. The house is a 4 story building with thick walls and no elevator. My task was to completely empty its content before the closing and I made it, but I cannot remember perspiring so much, while drinking more than 4 liters of water a day, and trying to get a few hours of sleep, here and there, only with the help of a table top fan.

The work, both mental and physical, was totally exhausting and lasted one full month! I had to deal with furniture and furnishings, linens, apparel, books, papers, documents, and photographs that belonged to 3 generations. The house has been in the maternal side of my family since 1894. I had spent time in it during my youth and I relived many memories while clearing it up. It was hard to give it up, emotionally, but a necessity.

During this stay in Italy I declined several of the invitations I usually receive from friends and relatives alike, so that I could meet the planned deadlines, but I had the chance to enjoy a couple of dinners in good company that I'll describe later on.