Yesterday’s rains have cleared the air of Verona and our view of the rooftops and the bell towers from the Columbare hill is sharp, full of color and contrast. All the trees are in leaf or blossoming cheerfully, the spring air is perfumed, the grass is thick and wet. No Charlie or Charlie’s dad, sadly. Been a long time since we’ve seen them. Mary has fun anyway, sniffing around the thousand tree trunks. We have an awesome palestra visit, running and maxing on all routines, then roasting like lobsters in the sauna. After pranzo, a pleasant nap in the sunny bedroom, with the long white curtains billowing in the breeze.

This is labor day weekend in Italy, and they are staging a Festivo per Bambini in Verona. In Centro, it’s baby carriage gridlock. Lots of balloons and clowns and storytellers. With Pasqua two weekends ago, celebrations for the end of WWII last weekend, and Labor Day tomorrow, the Italians have had three long weekends in a row.