The Day Polka Went Missing

Polka was 4 months old but her vaccinations were still not done. So she had to stay confined in the apartment. We used to put her in the playpen, latch it and leave the house. That way, we were sure she wouldn't hurt herself or destroy the furniture. But Polka was getting bigger and soon outgrew the pen. It was time to let her free in the apartment.

The first time we left Polka alone was actually to spy on her :) We went out by the front door and made our way to the garden outside our patio. We stood behind the bushes and waited patiently. Polka was sitting at the door for a long time. After confirming she had the house to herself, Miss 'busybody' went on an exploratory trip. She looked around, climbed the bar stool, sniffed at the scotch on the bar table, walked to the TV stand, stared at the CD case for a while and then suddenly entered the patio. We ducked down - she was small at that time and couldn't see beyond the patio walls but she heard the movement. We stayed down, trying not to breathe - like the paparazzi, hiding, waiting for the coast to clear and then slowly made our way back to the front door. When we opened the door, Polka jumped at us angrily and went back to the patio to investigate!

After that, we started leaving her alone for longer periods. One evening, we went out for dinner at 7pm and arrived back around midnight. We had a bottle of wine and were feeling quite light headed. We opened the door - expecting Polka to jump - but there was no sound! Polka wasn't there! The nice 'after drink' buzz was gone in an instant and we went into panic mode. We rushed out to the patio, looked outside in the little garden, screamed her name at the top of our voices but nothing! Silence. All the doors except the one to the patio were closed - but we went to every room, calling out her name, hoping she will magically appear. When we returned back to the front door, we realized we'd walked into the house without actually using a key! We hadn't locked the main door when we left the house!

Hubby screamed, 'POLKA MIGHT BE STOLEN! She's not microchipped as yet. How will we find her ?' I didn't want to think about that possibility. I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind, 'She's a stray. Nobody will steal her. What will they do with her ?' Hubby stared at me in disbelief ', How can you talk about our Polka like that!' We glared at each other, but as time was precious, we decided to concentrate on the matter at hand.

Our apartment is on the 5th floor which also has the swimming pool and the gym. The main door leads to the elevator as well as swimming pool. The patio is enclosed with a 4 foot wall and the other side of the garden overlooks the tennis court 2 floors below.

It was impossible for Polka to turn the knob and open the main door and at the same time it was highly improbable for Polka to jump out of the patio. But get out she did! Maybe she entered into the pool or jumped the high wall into the tennis court or followed someone into the elevator! It didn't make sense but nothing did. How could Polka get out of the apartment in the first place? Hubby and I decided to split up and search for her.

Hubby jumped over the patio walls and disappeared while I rushed out of the main door.  I called the security guard. Had he seen a dog running around in the building or the lobby ? Maybe someone called to complain about a dog? The guard had heard nothing and was skeptical, 'Ma'm how did the dog get out of the apartment'? I couldn't explain. I went outside the building - there were people stumbling out of the many bars across the streets, teenagers smoking at a corner and and an occasional car whirring by. I called out to Polka and I thought I saw her running towards me. Alas, my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I walked back disappointed. Hubby and me were dejected, blank, trying to think of what to do next. We decided to call her name once more. POLKA! And voila, she appeared!  Polka came running towards us from the pool side, with her ears pulled back, eyes shining brightly and a happy, smiling face!

We were relieved and thrilled and confused! Am still not sure what happened that night. Maybe, someone opened our front door by mistake and Polka sprinted out? Maybe, the door was slightly ajar and she got out closing it behind her? And where had she been all this time? It's all still a mystery! But one thing is for sure - Polka had thoroughly enjoyed her 'solo' night out!

And yes the front door is now locked at all times!

Il Cani D'Italia

The first thing that struck me about Italy were the dogs!
Beautiful places, ancient ruins, modern cities, pastas and dolces, throngs of tourists .. it was all what I expected but surprise surprise - dogs! Everywhere in Italy!

Traveling 2 weeks sans polka was hard - I missed her terribly but the sight of these four-legged creatures was comforting. One could see them in the metros, buses, trams, walkways, malls, high fashion stores, cafes... It was crazy!  Soon it was easy to tell a city by its dogs.

Milan - the fashion capital of the world. A cute little dog waiting patiently with its owner at the metro station was the first to catch my attention. A small bundle of fur looking in the direction of the train - fashionably groomed, stylish, quiet, but with an air of confidence - like the Milanese. The train arrived, the owner picked the little creature in her arms and into the train. No one blinked an eye. It was the most normal thing to see in Milan - a dog sitting on the arm of a Dolce & Gabbana coat!  Or was that just another fashion accessory ?

Florence - the birth place of Renaissance. Dogs walking freely, unleashed in crowded piazzas - soaking in the atmosphere - oblivious to the tourists taking pictures of  Donatello's sculptures, lifting their legs up at the corner of Palazzo Strozzi, window shopping on Via De'Tornabuoni, admiring the latest fashions from Salvatore Ferragamo, looking down their nose at the tourist pasta places near Il Duomo, sitting on the steps of the Uffizi gallery and contemplating life. The 'Dantes' & 'Michaelangelos' of today's Florence!

Rome - ancient ruins and modern city; chaotic traffic and tranquil alleyways; The rich, the haughty and the 'gente commune'; vespas and ferraris; beggar-dogs and fashionista ones!
The beggar dogs lie on the footpath with a bowl placed in front of them, trying to charm passers-by with their droopy eyes and shaggy looks as they wait to hear the clink of the coins. A loving look, a pat on the back and some change please! The fashionista dogs walk by into the Prada store to check out the latest designs. The polished floors, the glass walls, the minimalistic look, the demure lighting -' Shoes for you and his royal highness?'  Rome - where everything and everyone goes!

Naples - the city of contrasts and contradictions. The sturdy, rugged dogs with the 'seen-it-all' look; they have braved many storms, faced harsh realities, survived and thrived in hostile environments. They roam freely on the streets, in the castles and galleria with a swagger, staring right at you as if to ask ' what can you do for me ?'  A city where its 'every dog for himself'.

But after a while, its easy to see beneath the hard exterior; the beautiful eyes despite the 'crusties', the royal walk albeit on litter-strewn streets; the vitality and excitement but no rush to reach any destination; the hesitant enjoyment at a gentle stroking of the head.  These are the dogs of real Italy - Naples - a city everyone loves to hate and hates to leave!