Pavia in the sun.

Day 37.

I didn't go to work this morning. Shock horror! I went to Pavia instead, with Ivana, Simone, Erica and Kleidi. They were going on a small shopping trip, mainly buy work shoes for Simone. It was lovely to see Pavia in the sun at last - it really is a beautiful old town. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the cathedral, but hopefully I'll be able to see that properly another time.
When we returned I had a quick lunch of focaccia and tomatoes before heading next door, hoping Simone had managed to source the live streaming of the Reading game (final game of the season). Eventually he managed to get it on his iPad, so I sat and watched it. He joined me in the second half. Sadly, due to results elsewhere Reading didn't make it into the playoffs. After the match had finished I went back to my flat and took a nap before playing some accordion. I then spent about two hours on Skype to Stephanie, which was lovely. We had a dungarees cat walk, made plans for when she comes here and had lots of laughs! After Skype I played the Beltramis a video of Stephanie singing - they were desperate to hear her the other day - and they loved it. Back home again for more accordion practice before a dinner of ravioli accompanied by Vicar of Dibley DVDs.

Before I sign off for today, I'll explain a bit about my experience in Pavia today. The capital of a province by the same name, Pavia was abuzz with people spending their Saturday morning shopping. The old cobbled streets were full of people walking and window shopping. Lots of cyclists were ringing their bells impatiently as they tried to weave their way between the pedestrians. So many people had dogs, too. Most of the shops allowed dogs inside. Strange. In the centre of the town almost of the buildings are old, with some gorgeous shop fronts and structures. The chemist's shop has fantastic wood & glass cabinets, which stretch from floor to ceiling, full of old medicine bottles, as well a wonderfully ornate dark-wood front desk. The river runs alongside the town and there is a stunning, covered, pedestrian bridge crossing the river. I fully recommend a visit to Pavia if you get the chance.

Arrivederci x