I see that more time than usual has passed since I posted anything about the most-beautiful-city-in-the-world, and I apologize.

I suppose I could just stop there, but if I had a note from my mother to present to the teacher it would say:

“Please excuse Erla from not writing anything on her blog.  She and all of Italy have been suffering from an extreme heat wave which has destroyed her will to live, which flickered out only slightly before her will to write.  The heat wave comes from North Africa and is called ‘Charon’ (“Caronte,” in Italian), the name of the mythological man who ferried the deceased across the rivers  Styx and Acheron to the world of the dead.  Unfortunately, he seems very happy in Italy, what with the pasta and gelato and art and all, so he’s showing no signs of wanting to go elsewhere. I don’t know what he’s done with the dead people.  She’ll be back as soon as she escapes.”

I would gladly send a post from Lapland, or Baffin Bay, or Queen Maud Land.  But I’m stuck here.

More on other topics when I can manage it.  Sorry.