September 17, 2026
Real Life Thursday
Lake Garda, Italy (Calmasino to San Floriano to Sirmione to Bardolino)
Oh Jeez! I looked through my small daypack last night on the way home. It seemed like I was missing something. Then, halfway through today, I realized I had not seen my purse anywhere. Noooooo! The thing I didn’t want to do on this entire trip. We are 17 days in and I lost my purse.
Please, please, please let someone graciously find it and help me get it back. We have today and tomorrow before we will never be back to this area. As I thought back to last night, it was actually an odd ending to a night. We left the kids at the apartment and went to the thermal springs spa in Sirmione. I had a bracelet to gain access to my locker and at the end, neither of us wanted our change of clothes so I kept everything inside the backpack. I did not double-check my locker before leaving and before I knew it my bracelet was in the collection bin and we were out the door because it was closing time.
To back up just a bit further, I was flustered from the end of the night routine where you take off the blue bathing cap they make you wear in the water … and they actually require you to have nothing on as you go into the sauna for an evening ritual – together – with 20 of your not closest friends. You sit on the hot wooden benches with your towel, of course. But not with your towel because you must let your whole body absorb all of the heat and the musical sounds and the smells. This is totally normal for whole cultures of people. But not for my new American arse that just landed in Italy at a thermal spa with a Finnish end of the night ritual.
Wow. So I was flustered as we were told it was closing time so kindly exit and do not go back to get water or any purses you may have left behind.
It was in the midst of driving to our nearest Mailboxes, Etc (this business has nearly vanished in the U.S. but it is thriving here) that I realized my purse (and money and credit card and library card) was gone. I mention library card because you know they ask for that number every 10 minutes and you can’t keep your Libby books going without verifying that dang library card number.
I had to make the call to the Italian thermal spa – and I prayed they would be ok with my English and my hope that a purse would still be there. In the meantime, we pulled up to mail a barrel of local Extra Virgin Olive Oil home (it seemed like a good idea at the time). We stuffed a boxed with neck pillows and all things we didn’t feel were necessary anymore. We arrived at 12:25pm. They said they can help us and they weighed it and gave an approximate shipping price. We said ok. And then he firmly said, you can come back at 2pm because we must close now for lunch. I just LOVE and really don’t love the Italian lunch hour (and a half).
So, our real life Thursday continued, being 30 minutes away from the apartment and not knowing where my purse might turn up. In a small town in wine country in Italy, you look for the local bar (which is also the amazing bakery and coffee shop), then you walk to grab the groceries you are supposed to bring back for the kids. Then you tell them you must wait until 2pm to do the mailing transaction. What do you do with the time?
Find a winery.
I thought surely we were bothering this woman as we were the only ones who wandered into her courtyard and asked for a wine tasting. She was marvelous and took time to explain all about the growing region and harvests she has experienced with her family for generations. And I got the email – they have my purse!
After standing at Mailboxes, Etc. for 45 minutes to do paperwork and re-sort the box as it can only contain olive oil, we were offered a second shipping label (if we like) for the remaining items. They are definitely not worth the cost of the shipping. So we have shipped the oil – hope to see it in December – and then, olive oil for everyone!
Got the groceries back to the kids – we all made avocado toast with copious amounts of olive oil and salt – and then decided Noah and Eric would do the drive back the other way 45 minutes for my purse. I don’t think I needed to remind them to get themselves a gelato.
The girls continued with school. I felt relieved.
Then, finally, at 7pm, we drove to our favorite local town, Bardolino, for one last dinner in this area. While nothing like our real life, it was as real as a day has felt with all the ups and downs that come with living life. There was no way we were going to make it until 10pm for dinner. And that’s ok – the amazing pizza and pasta tastes just as good at any hour.
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