Holiday...What Holiday?

Today was Ferragosto in Italy - it's the 'big' summer festival and loads of people (like millions) arrange their annual holidays around this date. It's usually a time to get together with large groups of family and/or friends and a good excuse to book (sometimes months ahead) for a multi course meal in an 'out of the way' restaurant or 'agriturismo'.

Last year the family (including 'Moi') went to a small place near Piona called 'Il Mercante', and the year before we all went right up to Clusone - above Bergamo - for the same reason.

But this year? Zilch! No one has mentioned a thing - no forward planning - Nothing!!!! No phone calls, no surprise visits from anyone. So it was a quiet, light lunch, then a snooze in the armchair with the 'mutt' this afternoon. No one was answering the phone so they must have been doing something else - somewhere.

I couldn't let Ferragosto pass by though without a 'little' celebration of kinds, so this evening I went to a little pizzeria that I know well, and had a pizza, and a quarter of wine (250ml) and (Ssh don't tell anyone) my very first taste of 'pancotta' with strawberry syrup. Didn't think much of it though...a bit like white, tasteless blanc-mange.... So I sat there and chatted a bit with the owner (Cristina) and with a middle aged German family at the next table. Then? Well then I came home..... I don't usually mind going out to eat on my own. But for some reason 'today' seemed different and I didn't enjoy it at all. In fact I wish now that I'd not bothered.

posted by Carole B @ 10:09 PM