July has passed with lightning speed thanks to the purchase of our new house in Puglia. Administrative hurdle after administrative hurdle aside, it’s been lovely to have a place to call our own. We have been working hard through 40+ degree Celsius heat to improve the house, make it liveable and a nice retreat for us.
We take time each week to go to the beach, to let the Adriatic sea wash over us and rejuvenate our spirit. The closest beach is in a pristine natural reserve, so the sea is crystal clear, enough to see small fish swimming around your feet and into the nearby corals. We are fortunate to have access to such calm, clean waters to bring us back to life.
At home, we are learning that owning a home in the Italian countryside comes with many surprises. The most surprising are the pets we’ve inherited including outdoor wall lizards and geckos, who dart around our walls and terrace; indoor geckos, who hide behind our kitchen cabinets waiting for insects (thankfully); oh so many bugs and bees and, our favourite, a litter of kittens concealed in our back garden. One morning, a tiny grey tabby with cloudy eyes was bumping into brush, unaware the rest of the litter had already fled. Thinking he was blind, we scooped him up and brought him to a local veterinarian. The poor creature had a common respiratory infection. After a few days of drops, canned tuna and lots of love, he’s been nursed back to health and we’re looking for a permanent home for him.
It’s hard to find a greater joy than playing with a tiny kitten for whom everything is brand new. We’ve spent several days and evenings playing hide and seek, or hide (on his part) and seek out a kitten who fell asleep hiding under furniture (on our part), receiving tremendous affection and cuddles and being followed from room to room by a grey fluffball no bigger than your fist. As I attempt to write this, someone is “helping” me type on the keyboard with tiny claws grasping the back of my hand.
There is always work to be done, but it’s nice to have an unexpected reason to slow down again and enjoy simple joys.