“I said good mornin’! Good Mornin’! Ain’t it great to stay up late! Good Mornin’, Good Mornin’ to you!”
I woke up bright and early to the sounds of Lorenzo and Martina getting ready to depart for their week-long camping trip (where they’ll sleep outside, make their own latrines – ugh! I’d prefer the Holiday Inn..or the Ritz :-p) My poor sweetheart Lorenzo was dead on his feet, dressed in his scout uniform, complete with two bandanna ties around his neck. I squinted in the sunlight, struggling not to let my morning breath (retainers, you know...) make them keel over as we took a few goodbye pictures, hugged, and said our ta-ta for nows. When they had hoisted their big packs on their backs and loaded them into the car, I rolled back into bed.
A few hours later, I joined Antonietta outside for a café latte and pistachio croissant before going to the market in Campo Felice. Like most European markets, there was a mix of vendors selling home goods, clothes, fruits and vegetables, and fresh fish. And yet I’d never seen someone clean fresh (live!) calamari, eyes bulging and all! Or chop a fish as big as my torso as if he were chopping down a tree. Or live escargot, squirming around in a box (ew! Imagine those crawling in your tummy – gives me the heebe-geebies.) We bought a kilo of calamari for dinner, searched for pretty towels for the bed and breakfast, and tried fresh almonds. Hopping back into the car, we made our way back to the countryside and changed into our bathing suits.
“Blue skies shining at me, nothing but blue skies do I see”….”got my toes in the water, butt in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand, life is good today.”
The mountains rose high above the sand, the sky shone clear and baby blue. I hopped through the burning quicksand towards the refreshing waves lapping the shore. Francesco awaited Antonietta and I in the sea with a paddle boat (our yacht) which we paddled to Gorgo Beach and proceeded to sit around with ice cold frozen coffees, chewing the fat with our neighbors. As I took a few photos of the paradise that is Gorgo beach (imagine white soft beds under a gazebo with billowing fabric and cushy pillows, giving bright spots of color to the sandy carpets), Antonietta snapped some photos of my white (and bright red) butt in my Italian bathing suit (now there’s a story I need to tell!). Laughing the whole way back to our paddle boat, we paddled our way back to the house for a salad fresh from the garden – lettuce, tomatoes, and onions all grown at home with home pressed olive oil from the olive tree! A bit of Pecorino and a slice of watermelon later, we lounged on the porch, sipping more coffee and slipping into a nap.
While everyone took a little siesta, I made my way down the beach to visit with everyone. I sipped a cocktail in the sand, the breeze ruffling my hair and the waves crashing against my toes. I slept until my white bum turned red and then read a bit of my textbook (if people watching while flipping pages is reading..) until Antonietta picked me up and we drove through Lascari to see her newly refinished home in the city. Che bella!
“And a little bit of chicken fried! Cold beer on a Friday night. A pair of jeans that fit just right. And the radio up.”
I strived to bring a little bit of the South (my South) to the table tonight. I picked delicious green tomatoes (heirloom!) from the garden, sliced them, and fried ‘em on up to go with our calamari dinner. We ladies chatted and fried, in an outdoor kitchen my Mama would die for, putting quite a meal on the table. My fried green tomatoes were a hit – thank you Fannie Flagg! Antonietta even brought them to Francesco’s parents to try (I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed this trade as I received limoncello and a lemon granita in return!). I enjoyed so much chatting with Nonna Elvira, Nonna Theresa, and Nonno Gino and all the Butera’s aunts and neighbors. It’s great to be part of a big family!
“She grew up on the side of the road where the church bells ring and strong love grows. She grew up good, she grew up slow – like American honey.”
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