J's birthday

Well, kind of. Her birthday in NZ as I write, but not yet in England.

We have spent Easter weekend trying to get our trip sorted and still haven't managed the first hurdle - our accommodation in Abruzzo. It is hard to understand why this non-tourist area can be demanding E500+ a week when we only pay E900 a month for our apartment! At least Mum has confirmed her flights although they were a problem for her and I think she's paid a bundle.

We went back to Glastonbury, this time in the daytime. We climbed the Tor and felt the cosmic energy rippling down the ley lines into our chakras. Actually I just felt puffed, and feckin' cold. The town is full of shops selling magic and new age garbage, which didn't seem to help the lamb roll I bought which appeared to have been made using the same principles as naturopathy - the presence of lamb had been so diluted it was only the memory of lamb that remained. The Abbey was quite something though, again more for the memory of what once was than for what was actually there. For more 'Glasto' pics follow the link on J's page.

Other than that outing we didn't get up to much at all. In fact I stayed in my dressing gown for all of Easter Monday - how decadent, but strangely familiar to some!

JP has sent the latest version of the manuscript to read, and I have nearly finished my own article, save for bits that can only be written after the Italy trip. My own test readers haven't done a great job of reading the draft of the Cassino chapter from my book for me, so get a move on lads...

Last week I installed a laptop screen for our Italian neighbours so A is doing some letter writing for me in return. I hope to get into 'The Crypt' at Cassino if at all possible this trip, so we are writing to the Institute of the Sisters of Stigmata for permission. I rang L as he hasn't returned emails since we left last year. He wanted us to stay in his house but that is the one thing we have managed to arrange in Italy so far so we had to say no. I'm not sure if he's read that bit yet - it may be another year before he checks his email!