Back in Sicily

Happy New Year everyone. I had a lovely Christmas in Mossley, the first time I've had a week staying at home not doing much for a very long time. And of course the best thing about it was that it snowed! I had lots of fun going for long walks in the snow.

This one was about 15 km around Dovestone Reservoir, including a rather scrambly climb down the gully from Indian Head. I went with a friend from Mossley, so I finally learnt all the local names for the various features.  That added a lot of colour to the walk!

This is me after the top of the last and biggest climb of the day, heading towards "Pots 'n Pans", after being told that the pub was still 2 miles away.  A somewhat less enthusiastic smile on my face! 

Some of the rest of the time at home was spent cleaning the house and doing those last finishing touches on the cellar.  I had decided finally to get in a lodger, which was quite a tough decision.  After all, I haven't lived with anyone that I wasn't married to since I was a broke student.

Still, if I can continuously rent the cellar out for 2 years, it will have paid for itself.  And of course with me still in Sicily, there's no real impact on me.  I won't try and rent out the rooms on the first floor until I've left Mossley.

So, it appears that I've found a lodger.... and guess what nationality he is?!  Yep, you guessed it, Italian.  Although he sounds English, so I think that just his father is Italian.  So maybe I'll have someone to practice my Italian on when I get home.  Although really it's French that I want to perfect, after all I spent 2 fairly intensive years learning that.  The good news is that French and Italian are so similar that I've been able to astound the locals with my instant vocab.

For now though, things are hotting up on site.  All the different contractors are racing each other to finish first and so the one who's going to be delay keeps changing like a game of musical chairs.  And the areas of my responsibility were critical path just before xmas; I think I have a small breather now but not for long!  We're heading towards first firing of the gas turbine by the end of February which means flat out for a while and not much time to worry about learning any new Italian beyond go go go.

And for the visa?  Well, rather worryingly they let me through immigration at Catania without even asking why I was there when I had long outstayed my normal Schengen zone permitted stay.  So I went to my appointment at the Questura.... long story short I have another for February!  If I can keep this up for the next few months I'll be ready to go home!!