May in Italy (Thursday) two days until the wedding

Tension and excitement are growing in the household.

Marina, Marta's mother, was up early today, making fresh potato gnocchi.

Marina, Primo and I ate alone at lunch. We had gnocchi with two sauces: gorgonzola and ragu. So so yummy. Marta will arrive later around 1 o'clock and will eat warmed up lunch. The newlyweds from last year, Rosa and Mattia, are at their work places outside the city. 

Enriche called from Milano several hours ago when her flight from Berlin arrived at Malpensa. She is catching the train down.

Marina and I are watching TV and the weatherman predicts rain for Saturday! Not even her favorite soap operas give her comfort today. She is worried about Enriche out in this weather.

Now Marina is pacing. A huge thunderstorm has moved into the area and she's anxious for Enriche to call again to give us an update of her exact location. She wants Primo to go to the station to pick up Enriche, but it's impossible when we're not sure of her arrival time.

It's after 3 o'clock and in the kitchen, the buzzer rings, indicating someone has requested entry to the compound. From the balcony, Marina can see Enriche has arrived on foot at the front gate.

Using the wall phone, Marina releases the gate's lock and we wait for Enriche to pass through the courtyard and enter the building.

We open the house door to her and the poor thing is soaking, dripping wet. She's walked home from the train station and is drenched. Marina hugs her and sends her off to the bathroom to change her clothes and dry her hair.

We've been hearing great claps of thunder with lightening flashes nearby. One lightening strike sounded very close. Too close. We're relieved to have Enriche safe and sound inside.

Enriche has brought only one small suitcase from Berlin. Besides her clothes, she has fresh cheese and other ingredients from Germany to make cheese cake for tonight's dessert.

When Marta arrives home at 4, Enriche and Marina prepare the cheesecake and put it into the oven.

Last night, I was invited to an outdoor nightspot to celebrate girls' night out with Marta, Rosa and two of Marta's friends.

One friend arrived with a tulle bridal veil for Marta to wear. During the evening, thankfully, my new camera with 2 gig of memory, showed the message 'out of memory.' I still have time to purchase another memory card before the wedding on Saturday.

This afternoon, the storm left as quickly as it had arrived. I walked all over town and could not find even one memory card to buy. As I walked in the gates at 5 pm, Mattia was heading out on his bicycle.

Mattia is such an angel. When I asked him where I could find Sony memory tomorrow, without hesitation, he turned around and went back to get his new red Vespa. Enriche was thrilled at the prospect of a ride. They zoomed off in pursuit of the memory card.

The cheesecake was still in the oven! I checked on it and we pulled it out, just before it started to burn on the top.

Missing only Mario, the groom, we all had dinner at 8.00 dinner. It concluded with Enriche bringing out her wedding gifts, which Marta opened, while we ate almost the entire cheesecake. It was delicious.

Just before 9 pm we all walked to the old church, as we had done on Wednesday night. This is the month of the Madonna's birthday and the tiny church is filled with parish members every night to say the rosary.

When we entered the chapel, a woman handed Marta a shinny small red packet. As we sat in the pews hearing the rosary spoken, Marta opened the gift. Ohhh...a gorgeous rosary made of fresh water pearls. I discreetly snapped a picture.

When the rosary had concluded, Marta made her way to the front of the chapel. Marina told me to follow her, with my camera of course. She wanted pictures. Such a change from Rosa's wedding, when my picture taking was ... a bit too much for Marina.

The chapel had emptied out leaving me, Marta, the couple who had gifted the rosary and our parish priest Don Attilio. He hugged Marta and then brushed his hands over my cheeks in greeting. Marta handed him the rosary and he blessed it.

Later, leaving by the side door, Don Attilio hugged us both again with a buona notte.

We walked home, loaded up the car with recent wedding gifts and drove over to Marta and Mario's new apartment. Rosa and Mattia led the way on the bright red Vespa. They looked so cute and happy together in matching helmets and GAP sweatshirts.

Inside the apartment, I saw signs that Mario, a true handyman, had been hard at work here. A ladder, tools and hardware, which had not been here yesterday, were setup in the kitchen.

We spent an hour unpacking glasses and dishes. Marta put them straight into the dishwasher. Marta showed me their new kitchen wall unit, which came pre-fabricated with the refrigerator, dishwasher, sink counter and cupboards all attached. It's not unusual in Italy to find the kitchen "missing" when renting or buying.

I pulled out towels from a box, to put them away and crash! Out dropped the small yellow French garlic dish I bought years ago for her at the Mostra (fair) in Firenze. It didn't quite shatter but it's broken into four pieces. These tile floors are unforgiving when something is dropped on them.

The apartment has recently been one of several carved out of a contessa's palazzo. She and several grown children still live on the premises.

The two bathrooms are tiled in a fabulous bright yellow and blue motif. The terrace has a stone sink with an antique brass faucet and water spout.

Getting tired and punchy, Enriche and Mattia are having fun making noises popping bubble wrap.

Marta is busy nesting and now vacuuming while Enriche, Rosa and Mattia collapse onto the new sectional couch. Mattia demonstrates how it can be moved apart.

Leaving the apartment, we return home and I can't believe the time. It's almost 11 and we still have things to do. We find Marina and Primo in their part of the house, watching televison.

Rosa after a long day, disappears off to bed with a buona notte. I still need to install the new memory and adjust camera settings.

As I finally retreat off to my room, Mattia and Marta are still working at the computer, heads together, updating the wedding mass booklet. Nearby, Enriche is quietly strumming on her guitar.

I love this family.