MORE GOODBYES

August 22, 2006

We said goodbye to Virgil and Jean last night….today they’re driving back to Rome and flying to Vancouver. Goodbyes are always difficult, but I think this one was even more difficult because Jean and Virgil don’t plan to return.

Flying from Vancouver has got to be a killer flight…I’m sure it would take me a week to get over the jet lag, so for anyone to make this incredibly long flight it’s got to be taxing. Since Virgil and Jean are 81 and 79 years old, travel has become just a little more tiring, a little more strenuous. For this reason they’ve decided to concentrate their travels in North America.

We have to say that Virgil and Jean are our role models….they’ve been traveling the world for the past 24 years, often staying for months at a time. They’ve seen so much more of the world than we have, and probably more than most people. I’m sure that their travels have kept them young and informed.

Although it was sad to say goodbye, we’re so glad that we met Virgil and Jean, and of course the rest of the family as well. The house in San Venanzo was bought for their children, and we know we’ll be seeing Damon, Rachel and their families over the coming months and years.

Virgil and Jean firmed up the renovation plans for the house with Mauro before they left. Damon and Rachel had been able to talk about their ideas while they were here earlier in the summer, but final decisions had to be made, and now everything is set. Mauro said that the work probably won’t begin until the fall, but since no one will be in the house, that won’t be a problem. Hopefully when the next family member visits the pine paneling will be off the walls and the bathroom will have a nice large shower in place of the next-to-useless hip bath that’s there now.