Catching Up

The Villa Muscato - an artist's impression

So, darlings - how have you been? We've had something of a stressy week in these parts, not least because, as you can see, our dear Villa Muscato has been under some much needed renovation. The reality is only slightly less dire than the illustration.

Most houses here, you see, are built of concrete, which is lovely in terms of soundproofing and general solidity, but less so in terms of leaking, damp, and any necessary update to any of the many sluices, wires, and other goings-on concealed within the walls of the modern home.

The short story long is that we have had to have all the carpets up, pictures down, furniture upended, and bibelots tossed about with heart-attack inducing abandon, all of this involving an army of workmen (none, alas, houseboy material, or even vaguely fetching) and more noise and dust than has been generated in any of my abodes that were not actually under bombardment (yes, that's happened too, but thank heaven not here and is in any case another story entirely). A flood in Tilling could hardly do more to discommode one.

As our week ends, the end too of the process may be in sight, but it has left the dog unnerved (he hates anything that hints of change), the housekeeper disheartened (she is the sworn foe of dust and of careless bibelot-handling) , and Mr. Muscato and myself highly annoyed (we miss our living room, not to mention little niceties of life like access to the refrigerator).

Fortunately, there is a bright spot looming large on the horizon, for our dear chum The Hotelier has come for a brief respite from the hurly-burly (not to mention the gloom and doom) of Dubai, and we shall be brunching together today (Thursday, you must remember, being our Saturday) at one of our favorite spots, an oasis of calm, nibbly bits, and what the proprietors only slightly optimistically refer to as Champagne.

So if any posts later in the day seem a little...hiccupy, blame The Hotelier - he's a very bad influence. And isn't that a lovely quality to share with friends on a fine weekend morning?