The only thing stranger than receiving company while traveling abroad is sending them off while you remain. After our whirlwind week together with the extended family, we were exhausted. Everyone (except me) slept late. We starts the day slowly, sharing coffee and pastries. And we reluctantly said our goodbyes. They were headed to Milan to spend the night near the airport to be ready for a very early departure. In a weird way I wanted to leave with them, but I was glad to stay here in my little house for the few more days we had left in Italy. I always feel the separation from family deeply. I think it is just a symptom of feeling so full of good feelings when we are together.

It was raining heavily and by the time the family left it was later in the day. My husband and I decided to just piddle…you may recall that I use this word when I want to wander aimlessly. We started on the “pedestrian only” streets of Arona, aka the shopping district. I didn’t want to buy anything…just to go window shopping.

As the rain picked up, we found a pastry shop. Cappuccino and a cannoli can do wonders for my mood. We met a lovely American couple who were vacationing in Arona. It was nice to chat with fellow Midwestern residents. Midwest “nice” is always a welcome encounter.

It was funny that we also found the exact shoes that we had walked across Milan to find for my brother. We also found a shop selling pipes next door. Both siblings could have found their wish list purchases not twenty steps from where we ate dinner (not once but two times!) I guess we should have walked down that street earlier. It could have saved us a few miles in the rain.

Eventually, we headed to the suburban area of Dormeletto. The road was lined with all sorts of Italian stores. It was fun to just wander around the shops and see how the Italians live. Families out for a Saturday afternoon filed in and out of a variety store where you could buy everything from pet food to pizza cutters. Next door a designer outlet sold sweaters that cost more than some of our furniture. We are not sure how people afford to dress if those are the discount outlet prices. In a more reasonably priced row of stores, my husband gave in and bought the fancy Italian sneakers he had been eyeing the entire trip. I had no more room in my suitcase for purchases sadly, I just browsed..

Italians have a weird fascination with the American West. We had someone tell us earlier in the trip that they thought America was full of cowboys. There were Western connections all over Italy. Maybe from the days when “spaghetti westerns were filmed in the Italian countryside. There were several “American-style” steakhouses near us. All with western themes. This day, we tried The Old Wild West Steakhouse. I had a surprisingly good smash burger, and had fun looking at their “old west” decor. We even had to exit and enter through a covered wagon.

On the way home we stopped in Meina to have a look around in the rain. We tried to visit the local museum. Nothing was open, so after a short walk we called it quits.

The day ended with a whimper. The rain and the busy week finally caught up with us. We headed home where I curled up with a book, and a hot cup of tea. Eventually we settle on the couch for a James Bond marathon. Sometimes you just need a day to regroup.