It's Monday and King's Day! How special that, despite our emigration, we can just join the festivities in NL now that the C-virus has made it a Housing Day this year. Nevertheless, we leave our Mulino - for the first time in almost two months - to visit a shop, because the agricultural shops in Italy open their doors again today and that means we can buy a lawnmower. Dressed for it - with mouth guard and gloves - we enter the shop in Cairo Montenotte and close right behind a policeman. Sweat breaks out on us, we are already whispering to each other “shouldn't we leave soon?”, but why, we don't actually do anything wrong, but because it's the first time in weeks it still feels like doing something you shouldn't. Anyway, the policeman in question is not at all concerned with us or anyone and, as it later turns out, on the spot on an errand for himself. Pffff! In our best Italian, we then explain to the shopkeeper exactly what we are looking for to get and keep Pian del Nasso looking neat and tidy. An hour later, the deal is done. Fully in style with this day, it will be an orange grass machine. It will be delivered tomorrow!

The following day, at precisely 07:30, our contractor and his employees arrive to begin the renovation of our house. For us, this moment feels extra special because, due to the C virus, it is 1.5 months later than planned. We are so happy that we can finally start and that, as it looks, we will meet our moving date of 3 June (originally 15 April). And the work is certainly being done hard! Only un caffè in the morning and otherwise they mostly want to work through. Within a day and a half, we have already moved from the demolition phase into the construction phase. How fast this is going. By the way, Social-Distance measures are being taken very seriously here. For instance, a fence has been erected around our house with the text ‘lavori in corso’ and the construction site is provided with signs inside and outside with regulations that everyone must adhere to (mouth mask, washing hands, 1.5 metres distance, etc.) and there is a folder in which all these rules are once again described in detail. This is very important, because should they be checked and the rules not enforced, it's over and done with. That afternoon, our trattorino arrives. As it is raining, we postpone the mowing until the next day. At first it is quite exciting to have to drive over the sometimes steep slopes. I also find the machine wobbling quite a bit, especially over potholes and stones. It feels like mounting a camel for the first time. But by now it is starting to get used to it and smooth mowed lawns really do appear on the horizon.

Our renovation apparently inspires, because a little bird has taken advantage of our ‘open’ house to build a nest inside. It is so expertly built of straw, hay and wood. So pretty, but darn, this is of course not at all convenient, because soon our house will be closed again and the bird couple will be trapped in our kitchen with their young. And on top of that, there will be sandblasting next week ... All we can do is remove the nest, so we sweep it off the beam onto the floor. There then lies the nest in ruins..... (it just breaks your heart anyway). The next day when we get back to the house, I almost dare not look at the ground, but the remains of the nest appear to have disappeared. When we look up, the nest has been completely rebuilt on top of the beam. How clever and endearing at the same time! And so now we have to remove it again. With pain in our hearts we take the nest away again and put the remains under the bushes a long way away in the garden, hoping that ‘our’ little bird will build a nest there. Now fingers crossed that the nest has not been built in the kitchen again tomorrow.

And then, before you know it, it's time to get the swimming pool ready for summer. This morning, a neighbour from the village, who helps us get the pool ready for summer and winter every year, will be here to give us a significant head start, as it's still a big and serious job. First, the rainwater needs to be pumped off the winter cover, then the enormous cover must be removed and finally cleaned. After that, the pool itself is next, the pump needs to be started, and the solar heating system needs to be switched on. All in all, it's a good day's serious work. But as things stand at the moment, tomorrow, Sunday, the pool will be filled and, thanks to the solar system, also up to temperature. The weather forecast is also optimal: 21 degrees Celsius. We say: time for a day of holiday at home!