Bellissimo

Hard to believe that half of the year has flown past already, and yet here we are, almost at the end of June. This is the period of the year I have been looking forward to since last December - in a week's time we'll be in Palermo, full of pizza and Peroni, looking forward to the next week of driving our Fiat Panda to Enna, Etna and back. At least, it'd better be a Panda. You can't do a road trip in Italy in an Opel Corsa or Renault Clio. I will be expressing my displeasure unless we see a Fiat, capiche?

We're off to the great outdoors this weekend. You'd be surprised at how difficult it is to book somewhere for a weekend in the cotswolds at 24 hours notice in the middle of a heatwave (unless, unlike me, you're entirely realistic about the prospects of there being anywhere with availability), and as a result we're going to be camping in what essentially seems to be a field in the middle of nowhere - the only thing making it a campsite is that we're being charged £6 a night for pitching our tent there. But hey, we're there to get back to nature, right?

With this in mind, I have my readybed packed along with the tent - might try and hunt out a sleeping mask and some earplugs as well.... The reason we're heading to the Cotswolds rather than Kent as originally planned is the arrival of the aforementioned Isobel T. Had we not been able to make it over to see her this weekend it would have had to wait until our return from Italy - and the poor girl couldn't be expected to get through 3 weeks of her life without being introduced to her favourite uncle. I dunno, I must be getting broody in my old age.

Bring on the weekend. Going with our mates Euan & Laura - my initial enthusiasm is tempered by a 5 year gap since I last slept under canvas and the forecast of rain on Saturday. I'm well aware I may end up being Renton to Euan's Tommy...