6.2 We're getting to the point of counting down to when Elise leaves us to return to the US. I remain hopeful that we will be able to bring her back for the last three weeks we are here, but the consulate in LA is not helping so far. Realistically, we will see her again in July. But hey, that's not that far away! She's started packing the huge new suitcase I bought her today, and is winnowing down a lot of stuff that has become too small or too ratty since we've been here. With the huge suitcase she'll also be able to take some things home for us ahead of time that we thought we'd need and didn't, or did need but don't anymore, thus also cutting down on how much I have to ship in July.

On my way home from Fidenza I stopped in a little restaurant called Trattoria Nausicaa, a name out of Greek mythology. Turns out the owner, Cristina, used to be a classics professor at the University of Bologna! It wasn't busy at lunch so she sat down with me while I ate and we talked about all kinds of things, and she told me I need to come again soon so we can chat some more, and maybe she can lend me some of her books! She gave me chocolate salami for dessert -- sounds nasty, but it's basically brownie batter with a lot of crumbled vanilla wafers in it, so when you cut it it has the light and dark patches like a real salami. Quite yummy.

Elise's grades came out today (Aurora's tomorrow). Not surprisingly, she had an A+ in English and A- in math. The rest were Bs and Cs, but not surprising given that it's only recently she's really been able to understand what was going on around her. The geography teacher told me, "She is obviously a very, very intelligent girl. These grades are not at all indicative of what she can do." I know. I need to do a translation of the whole thing to send to the school in San Diego. Aurora's godfather David LeMoine is arriving Friday to spend Carnevale with us. We will go to at least one and probably two or three different celebrations in the area, as they start Friday night and run more or less straight through in various places till midnight Tuesday. Cristina told me that the parade Sunday afternoon in Busseto, about 20 miles from here, is usually particularly good, so we will try to catch that as well as the party in Pellegrino Saturday night. He'll leave for Rome early Wednesday morning, then we leave early Friday to have a look at Milan before Elise has to be at the airport at 7 am. We'll be in a hotel right down the block so at least travel time won't be an issue! Not to worry about her, though, as Air France will have someone (English speaking!) waiting for her in Paris to take her to her next gate and be sure she gets on her plane. Once on the plane in Paris it's just waiting to arrive in Boston, so it should be a very easy trip.

We've had no snow and warmish (upper 40s) temps for the past few days, so the current snow on the ground is completely gone in the valley and almost gone here. Groundhog didn't see his shadow so we're hopeful that we're coming to the end of the bad weather. I'm definitely ready for some longer doses of Italian sunshine!