Wednesday July 7, 2010

Wednesday July 7, 2010

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This morning I went to the biblioteca to retrieve the USB port I left in the computer yesterday. Can I possibly lose one more thing? I find a fantastic new store in the centro storico; truffles and truffle products. I ask if I can find their products anywhere in New York and the young woman tells me that they sell in the Chelsea Market. Outside of the store, at the entry door, there is a life size replica of a Cingale that is incredibly life-like. I take a photo.

As a matter of course, I get lost on the way to Jenny and David’s. It’s difficult finding one’s way in a place that seems to have an aversion to efficient signage. In addition, we are in the country, where directions are constructed according to landmarks – a concrete wall, the white road, a yellow house. After much trial and error I arrive at their lovely home, La Favetta. They have held up lunch for me and Tino and Ari are impatient. Tino asks me if he can drive the car. I tell him no, since the car is rented. I have enough difficulties here without risking the possibility of having to explain why a 15 year old without an International Driving Permit (or a regular license, I presume) has wrapped my rented car around a fence.

In addition to Judy and I and the children, there is another guest, Carol, a British friend of David and Jenny’s, who are also British. Jenny has made a terrific lunch starting with home-grown melon and prosciutto, followed by a lasagna made with salsice, green beans and a mixed salad. The lasagna is fantastic and served with wine made on their property . David is a doctor and he and Jenny have spent many years living in Hong Kong, where David has developed a penchant for collecting Chinese objects that no one else is interested in. He buys most of the stuff either on ebay or from a dealer he knows. He is excited to show Carol and I his collection of jade, agate, glass and erotica.

David is a lovely chap, but his enthusiasm for his avocation has comletely run away with him. While the subject matter has a certain fascination, he has clearly gone over the deep end. He has hundreds of objects, all of which he is eager to show and explain, to the point where the details have stopped sinking in. At one point I beg off, telling him that I am not able to retain any more information. I feel badly since he means well, but for my own mental health I have to call it quits. Dessert is apricots from their property along with several flavors of ice cream, one scoop of each. Moderation is a word that hardly occurs to me here; I just tell myself I will work it off back home, I’m on vacation, blah, blah, blah. It’s all a crock, but I’ll think about it next week.

Judy and I head for the pool, where Tino and Ari await the opportunity to harass us. Diving, splashing, hitting us with a soccer ball – anything will do, so long as it annoys us. Essentially they are sweet children, but they are boys and adolescent boys to boot, so irritating grown ups is what they are programmed to do.

In the evening I head to Collazzone, to Al Leone, a ristorante with an outdoor terrace overlooking the beautiful landscape. I meet an American couple, Pat and Tom – she’s an artist and he works for the Metropolitan Museum.. On my way out I meet another couple, John and Cindy, who are into swapping their house in Captiva, Florida, for other places around the world. She is recently retired and has developed workshops for women. They are very chatty and friendly and ask me a lot fo questions about how I came to buy property in the area. I work quite hard not to seem pretentious or affected. I realize how easy it can be to come across as smug when talking to people who find it fascinating that I’ve purchased and restored a house here.

After too many glasses of wine, I head back to Le Cselle. It’s a 35 minute drive and I am very careful when navigating the roads, especially to road up Monte Peglia. But I am getting used to it. It’s sort of like living in a seventh floor walk-up. When you get to the top, if you have forgotten something you don’t go back down. You do without.