In mid-2009, I landed in Italy for an extended break, as it happened, on the day of the L’Aquila earthquake. During the three months of my stay, I managed to avoid death by falling masonry, but very nearly went crazy trying to buy a house. On one of our periodic treks to find documents and British paint (Italian paint being rubbish) I managed to organise a rendezvous at the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence with the newly appointed Australian ambassador to the Vatican, Tim Fischer.