Gold

Gold — page 7 — every detail of the world and people around him In contrast his wife Pam is at least a foot shorter and is always neatly dressed Her honey-blond hair is stylishly cut and she’s wearing a bright flowery summer dress and carrying a new Italian-leather shoulder bag She sees us smiles waves and heads over Jack gazing at the low sun painting the front of the cathedral a dramatic gold stumbles into a busload of Japanese tourists Hello you two Pam says as she glides between the tables kisses us both on the cheek and sits down She loops her bag over the back of the chair and looks out onto the square Jack is untangling himself from the tourists who keep trying to take selfies with him I don’t know how he ever gets anywhere Pam shakes her head and 6 John Wilson

Gold — page 8 — catches the attention of a waiter As Jack finally stumbles to our table and slumps into a chair Pam orders two coffees and two more colas for Annabel and me Do anything exciting today Jack asks Annabel immediately starts telling him about the buildings and art we’ve seen Jack who teaches history chips in with facts and questions When they begin to discuss which sculptures on the front of the cathedral were done by the fourteenth-century architect Lorenzo Maitani Pam and I look at each other and raise our eyebrows This has happened before So Sam Pam says I think Maitani’s very overrated Don’t you agree No I think he’s easily the best central defender the Italian soccer team’s ever had 7 Gold

Gold — page 9 — Pam laughs out loud Jack almost chokes on his coffee and Annabel punches me on the arm But seriously Sam Pam says What was your best part of today The caves and tunnels I reply instantly The entire hill this town is built on is honeycombed with thou sands of rooms and tunnels Most are just wine and food storerooms under houses but some of the tunnels and wells date back to the Etruscans thousands thousands of years ago even before the Roman empire He kept wandering off Annabel says The poor guide had to keep calling him back It would be embarrassing Pam says if we had to tell your parents that we’d lost you in a tunnel But there must be tunnels under here that haven’t been explored for 8 John Wilson

Gold — page 10 — centuries maybe rooms filled with gold and silver I say I doubt it Jack says People have been digging in the soft volcanic rock under this town for hundreds of years It’s very unlikely that you’ll find any long-lost treasure He winks at me I must look disappointed because Jack quickly adds But there are lots of hill towns around here that are built on the same rock I’m sure there are still things to be found Are you still planning on going to Bagnoregio tomorrow Yeah Annabel replies The buses are pretty good so I think we’ll set off early Are you sure you don’t want to come We’d love to Pam replies but Jack still has some research in the archives and I have to do some shopping shopping for gifts to take home before we head back to Rome So you two go off 9 Gold

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