Time to go home. A last lunch on the Lido. (Of course dogs are allowed at the restaurant.)
I am thinking of this shot for my passaporto. What do you think?
Arivederci Italia! I will be back. And thanks for joining us.

Our last days in Italy were spent by the sea in Tarquinia. B and G were there to see the Etruscan tombs and I dutifully went along but I preferred the beach. The sand is black so it was very very warm and inviting. I settled right in for some well-needed (and well-deserved) snoozing.

A lovely visit to her very beautiful and sanctuary in Siena. Siena is a busy place but it was very tranquil there. (And unlike the Duomo, I was welcome there.) It was another of those places that requires SILENZIO and I behaved. I think I am getting the hang of that.

We spent a wonderful week in the Umbrian town of Panicale. It is picture perfect but a real town too. My next door neighbors were five cats. I tried to terrorize them but they paid me no mind and by the week’s end we cohabited quietly. The town bells rang every hour on the hour in the square outside our apartment beginning at 8 in the morning and continuing until 11 at night. They startled me at first but I quickly got used to them and loved the little square where B and G let me go off leash in the morning and evening.The restaurants in the town square were very dog friendly. Aldo, Victor and Simone all welcomed me and we had some truly delightful evenings which even included gelato for me.(Grazie , Aldo.) It is a terrific place to stay.

La Foce is absolutely spectacular. It is an English garden designed by Cecil Pinsent and Iris Origo that was created in a place that was practically barren until the Origo’s brought water here in the 1920’s for the house, the garden and the surrounding farmland. ( It was actually Iris’s grandmother who brought water to La Foce because she paid for it. She had loads of money and was apparently appalled at what she found water-wise when she visited.) Even with the water, the garden was ultimately more successful than the farming because the soil is really poor and not strong enough to support crops year after year. We didn’t mind at all that it was raining for our visit. It was magical: it was like England with a Tuscan background.

I am officially a member of the EU! I have an official EU pet passport. We visited a lovely vet today and she certified me. I met a sweet puppy there. Poor little one ate a sponge and the doc was helping nature take its course. Puppies are cute but basically have no clue. Here I am at the vet. They call me il bisono tedeschi here.

We have spent the last few days looking for St. Francis and he has not been hard to find. So far, my favorite part has been walking Isola Maggiore. Assisi is spectacular but I was asked to leave the Basilica which I did not think was very Franciscan. (At least the guard showed us out via the Giotto frescoes and we took our time exiting. ) My so-called behavior was very good except for two incidents both of which, curiously, involved nuns and upset B. First, going in to see where St. F’s father locked him up, I barked at a sister who just got too close . When I am in my bag that is very disturbing to me; I feel very out of control. B really over reacted. Does she think nuns are some kind of endangered species who require careful handling? Sister seemed no worse for the encounter. (One photo here is the church on that site.The others are on the Isola.)The second incident was at St. Clare’s San Damiano. I didn’t go in and was fine sitting outside the convent as B and G went in individually. Then two women stared me down when I was with B and I had to tell them to back off. Again, B was a little nuts because I broke il silenzio. Mi scusi.

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Yesterday I visited Marge in Provincetown to begin my trip preparation. I had a full grooming so will just need a touch up before we go to Italy. I will also look my best for the return to NYC this week. The standards there are very high but I don’t have anything to worry about. Marge worked wonders on a girl who has spent the summer at the beach without a care. (Dare I suggest B might do something similar?)
By the way, did you know Provincetown has been voted the most dog friendly town in the United States? I am not clear on who did the voting- I was never asked-but the place is awash with dogs and I have never seen a sign that says no dogs allowed.
B and G are back on my “restaurant behavior” so I have been out with them twice in the past week. A Scottish terrier joined us at one place and I had to bark just to let him know he needed to stay under his own table. Other than that, I was pretty much relaxed. (Scotties are very aloof and I appreciate that; too many dogs are just too friendly. What’s the point if it’s unlikely we will meet again? I prefer deeper relationships.)

Dear Friends,
I was so good on the last trip that B and G are ready to do it again. The flight to Rome is a little longer than the one to Paris but I should be fine. I was in my bag for a VERY long time on the trip home from Europe in November because of a snafu coming through customs and I suffered through it quietly so an extra hour in the air really shouldn’t be a problem.
My medical papers need updating but this is an easier trip on all that. Unlike Ireland and England, Italy does not require that pesky parasite treatment five days before arrival. Although B learned that many people simply ignore the USDA stamp that is required, G thinks it best we get it again. (B would probably wing it.) It turns out the vets at JFK can issue the stamp so G will go and do that before we leave.He has already spoken to them and was assured that it is no big deal.
We will be staying in Umbria on the Tuscan border and following the steps of St. Francis. You probably will not be surprised to know he is my favorite saint.
Ciao for now!