Moments in the leaving: some early repeats but with a new feel

Lago di Bolsena.  Emanuele comes with us.  The kids play on a boat with a slide for an hour and a half laughing laughing.

Lago di Vico.  Don't swim there! American colleagues tell us.  You'll get blisters!  Italian colleagues tell us we'll be fine.  Sebastian and I play frisbee in the lake.  Connor has a water gun fight with friends.  Mary sits in the water for hours talking with her friend Benedetta.  Daniel swims out a bit.  (Hannah's at a sleepover at Alessio's house.  His mom sends a photo of the two of them sprawled out on the couch surviving the 98 degree day, likely just watching tv.) 

A walk around the walls.  This week I've gotten back to my wall walks, and there's something wonderfully calming and ritualistic for me.  Yesterday I invited Sebastian to join me, and I was surprised when he said yes.  I thought the 98 degrees would deter him.  Mary agreed to come, too.  Hot hot.  The three of us talked , did the loop around the park at Porta Fiorentina, and then sat at a bar by the Porta, one that always looks quite happening and one that I've never frequented.  We had Fanta and Coke, and the rarity was the ice in our glasses.  (So rare to get ice in Italy.)  We sat outside under cover, talking some more.  I told them, I don't usually stop halfway through my walk for a drink.  Our hour walk and bar stop changed the day for all of us.  Packing remains.  Cleaning remains.  But the outing made the three of us happy, relaxed, content.