Leaving Umbria for Northern Italy

We find out on Friday morning that our departure of Sunday is actually Saturday, so we have a bit of packing to do. Mum, dad and nonna are heading to France on Saturday morning so Friday night is pretty busy getting everything organized, and packing up the last 2 months' sprawl in our house in Monte Castello di Vibio.

In all the packing, dad manages to find a surprise guest in his shorts... (ouch! fortunately Umbrian scorpions are not deadly, in fact they are harmless...however my father thought it best not to leave things to chance and this little guy had a nasty encounter with a shoe)

Helena's prized (read 'bloody hot') chills, that she generously gifts to my much appreciative dad

We manage to organise a quick, light breakfast of tiramisu and coffee with Helena and Danilo for Saturday morning before we leave. Despite Danilo's best efforts, he is unable to fix the light that Charlie has lassoed in his bedroom with a curtain rope and broken (hanging by one precarious wire), so we will be getting the bill for that one soon I'm sure.

Car is packed, full to the absolute brim, and not long before our departure we realize that one of our tyres is completely flat. Despite it staying up after we pump it up with the bike pump, Danilo gives us a good tip on where to get it fixed. 10 euro later, the offending drill bit is removed and the tyre repaired and we are on our way to Biella, for the next stage of our adventure. I have to admit I am ready to move on but am sad to leave as well, and saying goodbye to Helena, Danilo and Anthony brings a tear to the eye after they have become an extension of our family, and the boys absolutely love them.

Where are the kiddies?!!

A couple of hours out of Biella we decide to head to Ikea outside of Milan to stock up on doonas, pillows, sheets and towels. Unfortunately due to the lack of room in the car, the loot ends up on us for the rest of the trip and I start wondering about whether airbags coupled with vacuum packed doonas/pillows, etc would reduce or increase passenger protection in a car accident on the autostrada.

In what seems like no time, probably because the kids are sound asleep and finally quiet, we are in Biella, pick up our apartment keys and head to our new home.