Cortina contd.

2-17-2009

It’s Tuesday. I have managed to survive the first two days. Now I have a sinus infection. I told Camilla I needed to go to the pharmacy. She tells me that it is better to let the mucus drain than to take medicine to stop the cold. Well, I disagree. Have the Italians heard of pseudoephed? Camilla also told me once that when you are sick, it is better to be cold than warm. Umm … What? When I am sick I want it to be warm and humid please. I don’t have the flu. I’m over that. I have watery eyes, runny nose and congestion. I am constantly sneezing. I swear I am allergic to the cold weather.

Today after the girls are off to ski school, Camilla gives me the morning off. Elena will take Pietro to his cousin’s house. She says I should take some time for myself this week because next week Elena will be gone and she will need me all day everyday. Wonderful. I just want to get back to Rome where I only work ½ a day. This is way too much. I don’t have anything to do, so I ask Camilla if I can make dinner tonight. She says OK.

When Elena leaves with Pietro, I head to La Cooperativa to buy groceries for dinner. Camilla gave me a shopping list and money for groceries. I like this chore. I get to pick out everything I want at the store. What fun? La Cooperativa is a strange place. It is a department store, a grocery store, a newsstand … all in one. There is nothing you won’t find at La Cooperativa and it is huge. I buy the groceries and some postcards and begin the trek home. I have to carry the groceries all the way to the house. I should have thought of this before. How stupid am I? I didn’t buy much, so it’s not too bad.

I get home unpack and prepare the dinner. I put it in the fridge to cook later tonight. Elena comes back with Pietro and I make him pasta for lunch. I am now completely addicted to Parmaseano Regeano. We did not have any when we arrived to Cortina and I thought I wasn’t going to be able to eat. I am also in love with a kind of lentil and vegetable soup that Camilla and Elena cook. Mmmmmm. Who knew lentils could taste so good. After Pietro eats he goes to bed. I tell Elena I will be back in 20 minutes and head to the pharmacy in pursuit of a decongestant.

The pharmasist only speaks Italian, of course. I don’t know how to say sinuses in Italian. So I tell her, “Male gola. Hachu hachu. No influenza.” She gets it and gives me exactly what I was looking for. The medicines are all the same brand at the pharmacy. There is no Dayquil or anything. The box reads, “ Per la cura dei sintomi del raffredore.” I don’t know what raffredore means and I don’t have my dictionary. I trust the pharmacist and take one immediately. Ahhh, an hour later … relief at last. Motlo buono.