Arrived at my sister-in-law's (Luisella) appartment in Mirandola, near Modena. Am staying two days with the family before journeying on. Time to play with the children and catch up on family news. My mobile phone refuses to talk to England now I'm in Italy, so Luisella took me down to the Vodaphone shop and we bought an Italian SIM; in the process, I was allocated an Italian national insurance number by the assistant in the shop. Not quite sure what to make of that . . . never mind, I'm back in touch at last. The children and I - and Franco their dad - spent a happy hour cleaning the bike ready for tomorrow. The high point for the children were the rides around the appartment car park on the back of the Honda.
We also arranged to get the missing part for my helmet from a shop in Modena. I'll pick that up tomorrow on my way to Florence. I seem to be talking a lot of (more than usually execrable) Italian this holiday. Not to worry, unlike the French who are often helpful but prone to be critical of anyone speaking their tongue, Italians are so amazed that a stranger attempts their language they are full of encouragement with cries of "Bravo, bravo."
