We meet everyday at the same cafe

I told you I get to go inside the store where my kibble comes from.  And, I get to go to the gelato store, too!  Well, guess what?  There's another place I get to go to now and it's called a café.  I don't get gelato, but I did get a whole cup of ice cubes!  I love ice cubes!  And, when my pack was finished with their stuff I got to lick out a tiny bit of their tasty foamy stuff...it was good!  I really love it here and I am getting to be a very relaxed kind of guy.  But, having four beds all to myself in my house helps me feel very relaxed, too...haha.  

Now that spring has sprung, all the cafes are putting tables and chairs outside once again and Harry gets to visit more places.  Actually, some have no objections to people bringing their dogs inside, but as Americans we are very hesitant to do so, especially since Harry is not accustomed to being inside cafes!

We took him to the Café Belvedere (the "nice to see" café).  I ordered two cappuccinos and a cup of ice - per il cane (for the dog).  The young lady behind the counter looked perplexed.  Water?  No, please, ice.  He likes ice.  Yes, I know it seems weird.  Oh, dear.

Everything worked out very well, we had coffee, Harry had ice and was a happy pup.  Mr. Spotter is becoming quite the sophisticated man about town.  I bet he can't wait for gelato (yogurt) day!

What's your name?

Hi!  Hey, in my book I talk about how many names I have.  I have lots!  And now I have another one!  Gosh, I have so many names.

People here always want to know my name but they have trouble saying it. I don't know why, but it just doesn't sound the same as when my pack says my name.  So now I have a new name. Want to know what it is?  It's Arrigo!  Yep, my new name is Arrigo.  

I'm not used to it yet, but I keep hearing it.  I'm a smart pup so pretty soon I'll be used to Arrigo just as much as Harry or Pootie or Mr. Spotter!

There is no "H" in the Italian alphabet. It is difficult to explain the name "Harry" -  there is no "Y" either!  A neighbor, just as an aside one day said, "By the way, his Italian name is Arrigo."  Perfect!  
So now, when people ask "Come si chiama?" the answer is "Arrigo!"  Che bello!

Can you tell me what's ailing me?

Uh-oh!  There was a big noise outside our door, in the place where we all walk through to get to our doors.  It's a little chilly out there and like everyplace else, the floors are cold and hard too.

So we opened the door to see what happened and the lady upstairs fell down!  She was on the floor!  While Dad helped her up, Mom ran for tissues.  Good thing we have a seat out there, so she could sit down.

I tried to help, too.  I gave her some licks and put my head on her knee.  She liked that.  Mom said I was "Doctor Dog." Gee, I like that!  I'm Doctor Dog!  

Mom also got a bag of ice because the lady's hand was red and it was swelling up.  Then we all went outside in the cold and rain to find someone to help because we don't have a car anymore.  Mom was ringing doorbells all over but nobody was home.  Then a car drove up - YAY! - and my neighbor friend was in it.  He is kind of old but he is very, very nice.  He is a Great Dane mutt and we know each other.   His person came inside and talked to the lady upstairs and she took her to get help in her car.  

I hope she gets to a Doctor Person.  I'm really good at warm licks, but I don't know how to fix up a hurt hooman.  

Something made an odd sound in the courtyard.  The elderly woman upstairs had slipped on the bottom - thank goodness, the bottom - of the stairs. About four months ago she had fallen outside and broke her right wrist.  This time she had hurt the left and it was swelling up badly.  She also scraped her nose and was getting a large lump on her forehead.

We did what we could to settle her down - a glass of water, a box of tissues, a bag of ice that I gently wrapped on her wrist with an Ace bandage.  Then I went to look for help, since we have no car to take her to the Emergency Room.

It was raining and quite cold.  I went across the street, but I noticed that there were no lights on.  As I thought, no one was home.  I tried next door to them and it was the same story.  There is a married couple, both lawyers, down the block.  They live above their office and there were lights on.  After I rang the bell, the woman appeared in a third floor window.  At first she didn't understand me, but finally she got the message.

In the meantime, another neighbor pulled up - with her old Dane mix in the back of her car.  She understood my not so great Italian and came right in to help.  Then we had two people helping!  At any rate, our neighbor was taken to the hospital and she had, indeed, broken her wrist.

Sweet Harry behaved very well.  He was quiet and he gave the injured lady gentle licks on her good hand and hung out by her knee, just to make sure everything was alright.  Doctor Dog, to the rescue!

I turned and you were gone...

Oh, boy!  I really like it when the whole pack goes for walks together.  We all went out the other day because it was really nice outside again.   Doot, doot….this way.....over to the good smelly butcher and the good smelly food store.   C'mon guys, up the hill!  Up to my favorite spot where it gets flat again, and there are some big trees.  Behind a fence is a funny dog who always comes to see me, but then she acts scared and runs away.   She's silly.  

Hey, wait!  Where did Mom go?  Where is she?  Nope.  No, no, I do not like this.  Gotta go find Mom.  I don't want someone coming along and putting me in a car and taking me to a giant flying monster again!  Nope.  Follow me, Dad, we have to go back and find her!!  

Back to the good smelly stores....nope.  Not here.  This way, follow me, hurry....can't you walk any faster?  I'm going to call her.  "Mom!"  "Mom!!"  Maybe she's waiting at the door.  Mmmmm, nope.  "MOM!"  "Mo...uh...oh, there you are!  What are you doing back home?  You scared me!  Didn't you hear me calling you?"

Did I hear you calling?  You bet I did and so did everyone else!!!  The whole town could hear you! Holy cow!

We happened to pass a small store that sells, among other things, small over the shoulder bags.  The last time I saw one I liked, someone else snatched it up before I had a chance.  So, I wasted no time and marched right into the store to purchase the bag.  Harry and his Dad had already continued up the hill, so I decided to go back home.

When Harry turned to look for me and didn't see me he did an abrupt about face and headed back home, too.  I'm told he was very adamant about coming back and continued to pick up speed as he walked along, dragging my husband. (haha) When he got to our street, he started yelling.  I could hear him loud and clear, it was the same bark he gave the day he arrived here, unmistakable!  

Izz okay, Harry....I won't leave you.

Places to go, people to see

Whenever I hear "Andiamo!" I get excited because I know that means I get to go outside!  It's so much fun to go outside here.  I get to smell and see things I never got to smell or see before.  And I make friends everywhere!  I still see Hugo a lot, but I met a little girl puppy the other day, she was fun.  And I met an old guy, a spaniel.  He was nice, too.  

Sometimes we go on big walks all the way up the hill, or sometimes around the walkway that takes us back to our house.  Sometimes I don't feel like a big walk, so I just go up to the good smelly places and come right back home.  

And here's the exciting part - I get to go into stores now!  Yep!  I even know where the ice cream store is.  My pack was laughing because I know exactly where it is and I go right in!  It's not the same as frozen doggie ice cream like I had before, it's WAY better!  And my friend Hugo likes it, too!

There is another store I get to go to.  It's where my kibble comes from!  I get to go inside and smell the food bags and I get lots of pets from the man in the store, and anyone else who is there, too!  Oh, boy!  I never had so much fun!

Harry is becoming quite the cosmopolitan pup.  He loves walking these streets and meeting people.  The people here clearly love dogs, too.  While waiting outside to buy kibble, the owner, Donato, opened the door and said, "Come in!"  Harry had never been inside a store before other than a Petco.  Donato has two dogs of his own, Labrador mixes.  When he asked for Harry's name (which is rarely heard in Italy)  I said, "Like the Prince in England."  Donato replied, "Ah, he is the Prince of dogs!"  Well, he lives like one!!

The gelato store is on the promenade.  By the third time we went there, Harry knew the way and the store.  In fact, he marched right in this past weekend!!!  "C'mon guys, time for ice cream!"  

There's a party goin' on right here...

Wow!!!  There is some kind of big party here.  The whole town is a party!!  Everybody is outside.  Everybody!  And lots of people are dressed up in funny clothes and there is lots and lots of noise.  There's funny stuff on the ground, too.  It's not snow.  It's kind of like snow, but it isn't cold.  I don't know, people are funny.  

This party took days and days.  Someone was banging a drum right in my sensitive ears.  It was sort of fun, even for me, but I'm glad it's over, because even though I am a big boy now and not so scared of everything, I like things better when they are nice and quiet.  

I saw a parade!  It was a very strange thing.  This is a very interesting place!

It was Carnevale in our little hill town in Abruzzo.  The "parade" went right by us, and I was amazed that Harry was more curious than anything else.  He even got some pats from the participants!  After awhile the noise got to be too much for him and he starting pulling me towards home.

Sunshine, lollipops and...

Ice cream!  Ice cream!  Ice cream!!  There's ice cream here!!!  Oh, boy, I'm SO happy!  

On No-Monsters-Day we take a big walk now because it is getting nicer and nicer outside.  Where I lived before, No-Monsters-Day was the one day when those big, scary, noisy trucks didn't come by.  I hardly ever see them here, anyway, but No-Monsters-Day is still the quietest day of the week and that is just the way I like it! 

On my walk I met a "king."  He was smaller than I am, so I don't know why he is a king.  But he was nice and we rubbed noses and wagged our happy meters.  I met a soldier dog, once, his name was Shadow, but I never met a king before! 

Then when we were heading home we stopped at a store.  They had lots of places outside for hoomans and dogs.  Then I got the best surprise ever!  A cup of vanilla ice cream just for me!!!   It's the first time I had ice cream here.  It was wonderful!!  It was so tasty.  I had water, too.  I think I really, really like this place!

ConAmore is now open on Sundays.  Harry was delighted to have what is really vanilla yogurt (ice cream isn't good for dogs).  He was so delighted I thought his eyes were going to bust out of his head!!  And, we didn't realize it until we got home, but the nice people at ConAmore didn't charge us for his yogurt.

Since we will be "frequent flyers" I will have to insist that we cover his expense the next time we go.

Harry also had a pleasant encounter with a King Charles spaniel and a large shepherd, too!