I had my first guests of the season from 'merica this week: a friend who goes back to convent school days in California (she showed up with a Sister Mary Merlot tea towel - perfect) and her niece who is twenty-two and studying opera. On the last night they were here, my friend from the waiting room at the Italian consulate in New York, who needed a visa to come on her Indian passport, had also come for the night and V gave an impromptu concert: a Mimi aria from La Boheme. When she finished her amazing performance (we were all in our jammies), there was applause from the street and we looked out to see about eight of my neighbors and friends here in the village who were applauding her. Great fun.
Last week I got a washing machine and a TV monitor for a new CD/DVD changer with radio and recording options. G came over and set it up and we all watched Chicago and sang and danced around the living room.
Am going to avoid restaurants for at least a week since I've been to Torrenieri for pizza, Rosa del Trinoro for a very fancy dinner, I Poggioli and Il Cassero during the last five days. The new bar, Ritrovino, is turning into a success and we hung out there quite a bit with the friends I've made in the village. We were also invited for homemade cake and prosecco one evening at a neighbor's home.
It seems to be true that when you live somewhere, as opposed to being on vacation, the only time you really devote to tourism is when friends come to visit. We went to Montalcino, Sant' Antimo, Monticchiello and Chiusure to see the sights and visit friends.
The house is very quiet now and as lovely as it was to see friends from home, I'm enjoying the downtime. It was in the mid-80's here today but the house is cool.
What a great day! Went to the bank and picked acacia blossoms in the yard of the nearby medieval church. Then faxed documents to the shipping company from the local stationery store. By afternoon it was pouring down rain (living up here in a cloud) which was much needed. Went to the nurseries near Montepulciano and got soaking wet buying lavender, roses, herbs, chives, rosemary, basil, thyme and other plants for which I'll have to learn the names.
Came home, lit a fire in the stufa, made batter fried acacia blossoms and opened a bottle of red.
Tomorrow we plant everything in the garden.
Well, the permesso di soggiorno won't be ready until mid-June but in the meantime my friends found me a car. It's not what I was planning to get but it's in great condition and irresistible for the price. It will do until I find the one I really want.
On Friday, Telecom Italia showed up to give me a land line and let me connect with dial-up to the internet. I'm waiting for high-speed in a few weeks via satellite. No ADSL here. Technologically
in ritardo.On Saturday there were equestrians clip-clopping through the village from somewhere. Nice sound. Went to dinner at the new Trattoria Il Cassero behind my house and found it terrific and cheap. Met a man there who was ten years old when WWII came through here and hope he will be an informant regarding the history of my comune. And there's a new bar/enoteca called Ritrovino in town that beats the competition hands down for style and class.
Sunday the men's chorus was out in the street going from house to house. Heavenly voices. I worked in the garden all morning and then went off to see the car my friends are practically giving me. Finished the evening at I Poggioli in Buonconvento and got a lead on a great dentist from the owner/chef.
Shopped at the COOP this morning and put a peach colored rhododendron on my terrace.
I made a list of things I love to do when I'm alone:
Read!!! Fiction, history, Italian (when I can) and take notes about what strikes my fancy.
Garden.
Try to learn to cook, for example, I made my version of Diva's sweet and sour onions this week. Lovely.
Plan and work on fixing up my new home.
Sort and edit my photos.
Go on-line (and sometimes write).
Draw.
Paint (watercolors).
I'm off to the questura again this morning in the (perhaps vain) hope that my PdS will be ready. It has been a week of gardening and chores and eating with friends at home or out. One night we went to a place in my town that I discovered my Parisian friend is now running and it was so great to see her.
My garden is now nearly unrecognizable. It has been weed whacked and pruned to life and I have planted my first rosemary, sage, morning glories and a little purple flowered ground cover thingy that might be called
campagna.I went up toward Sovicille to spend the night with my huge group of friends at the Comune. That farm just keeps growing and improving every year!
I have been to see the donkeys at Monticchiello, scrubbed the downstairs loo (now sparkling) at the house, received mail in my new mailbox, had phonecalls from movers and my lawyer (contract signed for the apt. in New York!), and, in short, am now actually really living here! I like it!
I can grow old here. I can
be old here! "The Old Woman, her body becoming the tortured ruin of a lifetime, is the true goddess of travel. Her knowledge and experience now have no material purpose except reflection. Travel is where we truly meet ourselves. The goddess's physical beauty lies only in her eyes. Her allure is the life of the mind." I will become her, but not yet. Not yet.
On Thursday, April 28th, I started my engine in the parking lot at Fiumicino at exactly 9:58 a.m. and via the Aurelia, then through Canino to Aquapendente, then up the Cassia, I arrived at Chiusure at exactly 12:58 p.m. My friends took me in, pampered me, and whisked me off to the Siena questura first thing Friday morning.
The officer at the desk in the questura said the next appointment for applying for a permesso di soggiorno would be on August 2. But then he looked at me and said (and he was mad cute), "Oh, but I see you have all of your documents with you! Sit down. I will do it now!" When asked my civil status, the reply was
nubile (single) to which he replied, "Then we all have a chance." Not just a PdS (miracle of miracles!), but a touch of chivalry. Off to a great start! We went to dinner in Buonconvento at I Poggioli to celebrate and be welcomed into my new status as an Italian resident.
On Saturday, Z and I went for lunch at the Cantina della Rocca at Castiglione and then opened my house to air it out. This was the moment: did I do the right thing? Oh, yes. Yes!
On Sunday, I moved in and was called on by my friends, C & E, in town who welcomed me warmly. After going down to see P's new land and his donkeys behind Monticchiello and garnering more warm welcomes from friends there, I went back to spend the night at Il Loggino. Sono a casa!
First thing Monday, I drove up the road to the great hardware store and purchased a commodious mailbox to affix to the front of my house. I stopped in at the P.O. to tell our postmistress to let the deliveries begin! I dropped off laundry at the two day a week service and the geometra and his assistant walked every inch of the house with me again so we could prepare the permit papers and hope to start construction in three weeks.
My brother-in-law had sent his best childhood mate my way and we had a great afternoon in the house and garden before I saw them off to Montalcino. G and Z came just before they left so G got to meet another couple of Aussies. Mad progress was made on the garden. Of course, the shady bar owner from down the way stopped by to warn us of
vipere. It seems someone was bitten while picking wild asparagus up at the Rocca just the day before but do we believe him or figure he's just messing with us again? P also called to tell me I would have phone and internet service within two weeks! I went back to Chiusure for a New Orleans style meal that G & Z whipped up. Yummy!
Tuesday was Sinalunga market day and paying my slightly overdue home insurance and then a speed shop at the COOP . Then I went home to Castiglione and ran into another friend there, S. More warm hugs. I then took a long nap, made a little dinner, went to bed early. The weather has been spectacular. Blossoms everywhere. And so green. There was a little sprinkle during the night, but Wednesday dawned glorious again.
I went to my local MPS to change my address and take some cash, hung out with friends in the main piazza for a bit and then returned to Chiusure for dinner and computer tasks.
So everything is everything here. And I'm so glad I came.
