spring break Termoli!

I take a train tomorrow morning to Termoli, down south on the Adriatic coast. My research is at a dead end for the moment (something about the landlord changing locks, not distributing keys at the archives, my documents are locked away) so I'm taking off a little early for Easter. M's family has invited me - they're curious about this American girlfriend and I'm curious about these Molisiani, the aunts that only speak dialect, the uncles who make sausages and grow olives, the brother in training for the priesthood...
who knows what the week holds. I've been instructed to bring both beachwear and a skiing jacket since there's still snow in the Gran Sasso and the days are warm enough at the beach for bikinis. I'll have to remember the names or the hundred or so relatives, including the 5 sons of nonna R, who have been described to me as identical short pot-bellied jovial types.

I'll describe it all when we get back. Until then, go out and rent "Io non ho paura"/"I'm not scared". One of the best films I've seen in months, and I watch lots. I watched it tonight to distract myself from the recurring Bush-Gore nightmare of election returns here. Prodi's won, no Berlusconi, no Prodi, no... I just succumbed to temptation to check on last time tonight, the numbers are at 50.51% Unione-Prodi / 48.97% CDL-Berlusconi for the Camera dei deputati (house) 49.11% / 50.03% in the senate. A @#(*&%ing mess. We'll see what new numbers they've guesstimated tomorrow morning.