Facciamo le spese (Running Errands)

The new Permesso di Soggiorno with its fancy sleeve.


Dom admiring an old but immaculate Moto Guzzi parked in front of a shop in Borgo Giannotti.

Yesterday was a day of running errands. In the morning we had a 9 am appointment at the Lucca Questura to pick up our new Permessi di Soggiorno (long stay permits). We arrived a little after the hour and got in line about 5 people back. Amazingly the line moved quite quickly. Within twenty minutes we had our shiny new cards in hand and were on our way to the next stop. Since we renewed our PdiS two years ago they have implemented a new system. Now they give you a credit card type document covered with interesting looking holograms and embedded information. They will certainly be easier to carry than a thick full size document. The latter made quite a wad when folded up and stuck inside our passports.

After that we went to Borgo Giannotti so Dom could get a haircut. I walked over to the post office to mail a card and then wandered around the area until I came across Dom. Our next stop was Media World for new CDs. Then we went to Flash Computer to sign up for ADSL (DSL service). Yes, we plan to finally spring for high speed internet. It has been available here in the village for at least a year but we kept thinking the house would sell so… Unfortunately, the person we needed to speak with was not there so we needed to go back in the afternoon.

Of course, now that we have signed up for it the house will probably sell right away. Things are picking up on the house sale front. We have had one showing since we came back and we hear that the market is heating up.

The weather was high overcast but it was warm enough for lunch on the patio. Dom found a problem with the bathroom sink plumbing so he worked on that while I caught up on email. Later we went out again. Back to Flash Computer, a stop at a real estate office in Ponte a Moriano and then on to the ferramenta in Diecimo for a plumbing part. They did not carry it so we went on to Ghivizzano to a plumbing supply store.

Back at the house Dom made the repair while I called my mother for a nice chat. We had a quiet evening in.