Here we are on our last day in our apartment, in the middle of doing one last load of laundry, getting ready to pack, etc. - and the power suddenly went out a few minutes ago. Sigh. Really hoping it comes back on soon. This is the second time we've had a power outage here. The first time it was out for just about a whole weekend, and was an issue that actually affected much of the comune. I just sent Paolo out into the streets to see if this is a comune-wide problem, or a just-us problem. We'll see what he finds out. UGH.
I was just thinking about what things I will miss, and what things I won't miss when we leave.
Things I won't miss:
- constant vigilance against muffa
- the crazy plumbing issues in our apartment:
- the very loud, drawn-out moaning noise the toilet in my bathroom makes when I flush
- the fact that lately, in order to get hot water from any other faucet or showerhead, you first have to turn on the faucet of the sink in Paolo's bathroom (it's crazy, I know! We don't know why this should be, but it is!)
- having to drive 45 minutes to an hour if we need to buy something other than basic staples (gas was about €1,75 per liter here last time I checked - about $1.89/liter, so well over $7/gallon)
- having to dry laundry in the house if it's raining (or having to wait for a sunnier day to do wash)
- Italian drivers, particularly on narrow, curving mountain roads, or in cities, or...well, pretty much anywhere, really
- the lack of "ethnic" food - while we've been to a handful of good Asian restaurants in big cities, there's just nothing like that in most small towns; and other types of ethnic foods / cuisines from other countries (even European ones) just aren't available (for example, no Mexican restaurants - although you can purchase a handful of things like tortillas and salsa in the big grocery chain stores, they are not the same and definitely not as good; the salsa is particularly weird)
- Italian bureaucracy - one does get used to it, but honestly, for those like us who don't speak the language well, certain aspects of it can be a real struggle
Things I will miss:
- friendly neighbors - even if we don't speak the same language
- seeing dogs everywhere (Italy is very dog-friendly; people take their dogs just about everywhere, it seems. Since our own Very Good Boy passed away last summer, I have missed having a dog)
- the weekly market with its fresh, inexpensive produce and bread
- bread and produce trucks stopping by twice a day
- the local bakery! I swear we get the best, freshest bread in Italy here, not to mention all the other scrumptious goodies they make
- walking down to the local bar to hang out with neighbors, people watch, and/or cheer on the soccer matches on the big screen
- being able to just walk down to the mercato with a backpack to pick up basic groceries, or to the farmacia (pharmacy) for those needs
- being able to ask for advice and get good recommendations for basic OTC medications at the local farmacia (Paolo has gotten a few things there, including one medication he regularly takes that requires a prescription in the US, but not here, and a skin cream that helped soothe a minor skin irritation issue he'd been experiencing)
- travelling around Italy by train whenever we feel like going somewhere new - just pack a bag and go catch the train in Termoli
- real Italian food!!!
- cheap cell phone and internet services, no long-term contract required - just top off your account online or at the tabacchi
- the tradition of afternoon "quiet time" / siesta when almost everything is closed in the middle of the day for a few hours (except the bars) - I know it sounds like that would be inconvenient, and occasionally it is, but for the most part, I find it's actually quite pleasant and peaceful
UPDATE: the power has just come back on! It seems it was a just-us problem this time; our landlord came by and flipped the breaker and all is well now. Whew! Admittedly, we feel slightly silly for not having figured that out for ourselves. But in our defense, we didn't know where the breakers were - it turned out that they are located downstairs in the foyer of the building, not up here in the apartment.
I suppose I should get back to packing now...sigh. Later, we have plans to meet a friend at the bar for good-bye drinks.