Middle-aged flash packers

Time to say goodbye to the charming hotel villa de Luchesse. The staff are so nice here, we have enjoyed our stay a lot.

Today we headed north to Verduno, a village just outside Alba. We procrastinated as to which way to go, google map showed journey times as the same- do we risk La Spezia with its myriad of tunnels and potential hoards trying to get to the sea, or Bologna with its plethora of roadworks and city dwellers’ terrible driving? We chose Bologna on the basis it was a Sunday and no-one would be working. As it was, our choice was made for us when on google maps I spotted a huge red line of traffic on the Bologna route and we diverted towards La Spezia.

Good choice as we had a brilliant run with very little traffic. Obviously the tunnels were still in situ,but everyone who wanted to go to the beach must have already got there.

We stopped off at the Spazio Conad in Alba to pick up some food for the next couple of nights. The temperature was 37 degrees when we got out of the car. It felt like being wrapped in a hot towel.

Next stop, our abode for the next two nights. We drove up a very steep road into the village and then a narrow street to reach Salvatore’s apartments.

There has been a revolution and we have been deposed. No longer King and Queen, our lives are now those of lowly peasants. Our apartment has everything we need but it is bijou. If I felt the need to swing a cat, I probably couldn’t.

Small, old and not to be messed with, I suspect Salvatore was a Duke before he fell upon hard times. There were some instructions we needed to follow. The strangest one (it appeared to be levelled at me)was that we must shower before bed because sunscreen damages the sheets “irreparably”. I have never heard of such a thing but being the peasant I am now, naturally I shall obey. Steve thinks he’s referring to tanning cream. Since when did my husband have knowledge of such things?

The other missive that had me quaking in my flip flops was Salvatore indicating that the oven could be used for making breakfast or lunch. He didn’t mention dinner. We’d just bought a chicken to cook! Does this mean we can’t have it? Or only at lunchtime? It’s going to splatter fat everywhere. Bread and butter it is.

We knew in advance but Salvatore didnot include air conditioning in the room price so we handed over €20 for our stay in order to use it. When we went to sit on the terrace (we have an allocated table,chairs and sun beds) I realised we’d left the air conditioning on. While I have quickly settled into my peasant role, Steve has retained some of his majesty and said he would leave it on night and day for that price.

But Salvatore is kind too. He indicated that we must have a swim straight away as it was very hot, so we did. The pool overlooks the vineyards and hazelnut trees of the valley and the view is stunning.

Later, Salvatore brought some local wine for us to try. It was delicious but I would have drunk it had it tasted of battery acid, such was my need to please him. They say some people are born to be served and others are born to serve. Sadly I think I’m the latter.

Steve and I sat on the terrace and drank far too much wine, ate a packet of insalate de mare from Conad and watched dusk bring the bats out, hunting for insects and swooping around us. We could see a storm rolling in with distant rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightning. Before long, huge drops of rain starting falling and it was time for bed.

This simple life stuff isn’t that bad.