The last few days have been all about leaving Modena. Getting ready, packing bags, doing all those things I want to do before I bog off for a few weeks in the sun with the lovliest in the land. So on Tuesday I met up as planned with Bastian and Catherine to go to a little restaurant called Aldina where they serve local food at cheap prices, and drown you in lambrusco. The meal was great, and we spent a good couple of hours there. In the evening I dogged it (an Australian term meaning not going out when you are fully expected to), and didn't make it to the Modena City Ramblers gig in the Piazza Grande. Shame shame. But the guys did turn up afterwards, and we drank some wine at mine and I cheered up. It is a real shame leaving the place again, especially as I was getting back into it all nicely. But it certainly isn't a hardship moving about, and I don't want to make it sound like one. It is a great privilege. Spelling?

Yesterday I got up very late, nipped over for a final Schiavoni (keep up, the panino man of legends), a final lard bun, a final wine, all that stuff. I then procrastinated till the very last moment to do my share of flat cleaning and bleaching everything out of sight. I did this to the sound of Franz Ferdinand, dancing while mopping, while Francesco looked on, looking very confused. I packed.

The guys waved me off at the bus stop, and Bastian ran after the bus with a nuts grin on his face. It was great. I'll miss them.