Silvano's restaurant

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This evening we went to "Il picciolo di rame" at the castle in the hamlet of Vestignano (where 20 people live) and I have to say that this is my favourite restaurant, bar none. The experience is sublime. The restaurant is in the old olive press of the castle, in an area where the partisans fought the fascists in the second world war and where paintings of this still adorn the hamlet walls (as pictured here). Silvano is a fantastic host and as he explained to us he thinks of his customers as friends. The restaurant seats 24 maximum and every course (most resurrected from medieval recipes) comes with a story (in Italian). There are 12 courses and the cost is €30 including all wine (made by Silvano's father) and bottled water. So this is what we had to eat.
1. Toasted bread with local olive oil. The oil is less bitter than usual as there was snow when the olive trees were in flower this year.
2. Onion soup made with onion, vegetable stock and flour topped with croutons.
3. Rice and tomato soup with chillis. Until the medieval times, rice was grown in Le Marche.
4. Polenta made with a flour of ground wild peas cooked in onion and pecorino cheese.
5. Lentils cooked in 15 herbs and no salt as it was such an expensive ingredient in the Middle Ages.
6. Ravioli of ricotta in a cheese sauce with fresh truffle.
7. Spaghetti with a ricotta, lemon rind and thyme sauce served with pig's cheek.
8. Vincisgrassi - Le Marche lasagne. A very rich dish that was named by an Austrian General who fought Napoleon nearby in Tolentino.
9. Wild Boar with green beans.
10. Chicken baked in paper with red pepper and mushroom.
11. Local soft salami and bread
12. Custard cream pudding with a chocolate topping.
Coffee and vino cotto.
And then you really need to go home and lie down for a day or two. This is one, if not the hidden gem of Le Marche and I urge anyone vaguely considering a trip here to come for this reason alone. You must book ahead but I can do that for you. I am now several pounds (that's kilos for anyone young reading this) heavier but going to sleep fat and happy.

A wilderness no more

I am amazed that my neighbour has done this. The house is not being rented at the moment so I can't see any other reason for it, other than being neighbourly. Maybe I should follow suit and take the sun loungers off the wall! Let's hope the sun returns tomorrow and we need them. I have just heard a van with a loudspeaker driving around and caught something about an event in the piazza, tomorrow night I think. There should be a Wild Boar celebration soon. Eating it that is, so not much of a celebration for the Boar. I will find out more and let you know.

Goodbye Venice

We couldn't leave Venice without a visit to St Mark's and yesterday morning we joined the queuing masses. It was worth it. Such a spectacular church and I loved the mosaic floors. The only thing that I think is a shame, is that with such a conveyor belt of people traipsing through, it loses any vestige of tranquility. It really annoys me that tour guides stand next to notices on the walls that read "silence", yet they are anything but. Then we sat in a small square, listening to a violin playing, teenage busker, while we ate calzone that we'd bought from a stall. And then it was time to head back to the floating car park and drive home. We stopped to buy some vegetables on route and arrived home around 8pm. Why is it tiring just sitting still while someone else drives? I made dinner, ratatouille and rice and we watched a really bad George Clooney film called "Leatherheads" that should have gone straight to DVD, it was pretty bad. This morning we went to the supermarket to do a big shop for the next few days and had a late lunch as we are going to Silvano's for dinner. I mentioned this place in an earlier post when Silvano mucked up the booking and didn't have any room left for us. I called this morning, just to be on the safe side, and yes we are expected. So we had a late lunch and hopefully by 8pm we will be ready for 12 courses. The morning we left for Venice a man was cutting back the weeds next door and I can't believe what an amazing job he has done. It has been completely cleared of everything, including any remaining fencing. We now have no obstructions to our view of the village. I think my brother is asleep next door but I will take a photo from the balcony later.

Storm Clouds and Seafood

Our afternoon was literally a wash out as it poured with rain and we were confined to barracks. Rather comfortable barracks with crisps and "Will & Grace" DVDs - not such a hardship. When it cleared up we crossed the bridge towards the train station and explored the Jewish quarter. Unfortunately, because of the weather, by the time we got out most of the museums were closed but we had a lovely time strolling about and soaking up the atmosphere. Compared to the much more touristy area around San Marco it was very tranquil. We stayed in this area for dinner and lucked out on a restaurant that served fantastic seafood. I had a selection of seafood to start (carpaccio, scallops, mousse, prawns with pine nuts and raisins) and liked everything except for the boiled octopus. Then for the main course I had monkfish stuffed with ginger, which may sound odd, but it worked. The photos don't do the meal justice. Tomorrow is our last day and although we have only scratched the surface of things to do here, I think we have packed a lot in.

The Peggy Guggenheim welcome

We went to the Guggenheim museum this morning, which is housed in the palazzo where Peggy Guggenheim lived for the last 30 years of her life. This statue is on the steps at the entrance to her home. When asked how many husbands she had had, she replied, “mine or other people’s?”. And I think the count was high. When it was built her palazzo caused problems for the foundations of the neighbouring buildings, which is why (unusually) it only has 2 floors and is overlooked by all the surrounding buildings. The Police Chief , whose office was opposite, always said he knew when spring had arrived as Ms Guggenheim would be sunbathing nude on her roof terrace. By all accounts she had very decadent parties on the terrace and the Grand Canal would be dredged the following day to retrieve all the champagne bottles that were chucked in. Centuries before the fashion was to have lavish parties and chuck all the gold plates into the canal.

We found a great place for lunch, tucked into the back streets and where most of the clientele appeared to be Italian and you ate what was put in front of you. There was a table of Gondoliers next to us and we later spotted one of them on a Gondolier calendar (Mr August) at a nearby bookstall, next to the calendar of priests (which just doesn’t seem right on many levels).

Sandals and San Marco

I have decided that it is pointless actually trying to find anything in Venice. It's too frustrating as you end up wandering around alleyways and repeating the phrase "I sure it's just down here". Much better to stumble on things in a random way and enjoy the moment as you won't find it a second time. The greatest fortune this morning was to stumble upon an outlet shoe shop. Now I realise that you are expecting photos of San Marco and picturesque waterways with Gondoliers. But the thing of beauty from today are my new shoes. And when I saw they were Marc Jacobs I loved them even more. I know this makes me rather shallow but in the purchase of shoes I suggest this is a strength and should be encouraged in young children as it will set them on the path to a happy future. I had booked a table at a very hard to get into and notoriously hard to find restaurant for dinner tonight. So we thought we'd track it down this morning to avoid being very late due to walking in circles tonight. And when we did find it we still walked up and down the road 3 times to confirm that yes it was actually closed for renovation and yes there were several men digging up the floor. So why did they reply to my email confirming the booking and asking for a phone number? Because I had booked a table for August 28th that's why. Clearly a month of not working has turned my brain to putty.

Venezia here we come

We arrived in Venice yesterday afternoon and it is so lovely to be here. Last time I was here was about 15 years ago. It was a slow start though. We'd only been on the road for half an hour when the traffic came to a complete standstill as there had been an accident. After a while we heard an ambulance coming so everyone pulled over to the sides of the 2 lane carriageway so it could drive up the centre. And then, this being Italy, everyone got out of their cars, wandered about, smoked, made friends and invented lots of theories about what had happened. It was more like a street party than the scene of an accident. We were stuck for an hour and a half and eventually arrived in Venice at 4.30. We parked on a floating car park by the causeway and then had a comedy 20 minutes trying to find the exit to the ferry. In our defence the signposting was terrible.
Our hotel is on the Grand Canal and if I lean (and try not to fall) out of my window, I can see the water.

Tetanus and tennis

We went to see a doctor this morning for antibiotics and a tetanus shot. He gave us a prescription and told us that the chemist could give the injection which we thought was a great idea. Except when we got to the pharmacy they said they didn't do that. Seemed too good to be true. By then the doctor had gone so we walked down to the small hospital, amazing they have a hospital for such a small town. Anyway we found another doctor who did the injection. No fuss, no waiting and no fee. So all sorted and now back to the business of having fun. Bit cloudy this morning so looks like the pool will have to be postponed to this afternoon. Just off to book a tennis court for tonight and a stroll. I am sure ice cream will be involved somewhere in the proceedings.

The reason I hate dogs

My brother is training for a marathon so we decided to go for a run before dinner. It's really hilly around here and someone had told me about a track that is about as flat as you can get here. So we headed for that and after a couple of miles, up ahead we saw a guy walking his 2 dogs and they headed straight for us, ignoring his calls and proceeded to bite my brother. I've been scared of dogs all my life and it was really horrible. The guy was pathetic. Turned out to be English. He clearly can't control his animals so I know that makes it his fault and not theirs, but it still makes me angry they were off the lead. All the websites say to see a doctor, regardless of how minor the bite might look. Nothing we can do tonight but we need to find a doctor in the morning. I think there is a walk-in surgery in San Ginesio. Bad start to the holiday. We are now home and drinking (for medicinal purposes of course).

Sunday Lunch al fresco

Sunday Treat

For many people this would appear to be their daily breakfast but I treat myself to a pastry on a Sunday morning as I watch the market trade go by. The choice is filled with confectioner's custard, with jam or plain. I have brought my skipping rope with me so extra skipping tonight! Actually my family arrives today which means plenty of tennis as they all play and as San Ginesio hosts a summer tennis school, the town is well served for courts. They are down by the city walls and I have never seen a more spectacular setting for a tennis game. I then bought lunch at the local mini-mart. The deli counter has a great selection of cold meats and cheese and the staff are just lovely. So my brother, sister-in-law and nieces should be here around 3pm - can't wait to see them. And I know that my mother is catching up on the blog at my other brother's this morning - so hello mum. Is this the blog equivalent to those people who stand in the background when the TV cameras are interviewing outdoors, mouthing "hello mum"? Probably. I have just seen my ex neighbour on the way back from the shops and he was surprised that the owner of the house hasn't been round to tidy the garden. Let's hope he comes when we are in Venice and then I don't have to explain where his trees have gone. Not that he'll care (hopefully).

Customised wheels

This would be my alternative to a Fiat 500. You can drive an Ape here at 14 as the engine is the same size as a moped and the local kids then add their mark as you can see here. Shame school is out for the summer because there is often a line of them parked near me.

Una bella macchina

There was a beautiful car in the square this morning. If I had a garage here I would definitely buy an old Fiat 500. It was the first hire car I ever drove when I was 18. I remember we took it back to the garage as it kept over heating and then they showed us that as we were getting into the back we were kicking the heater lever on. I think they thought we were rather inept and they were probably right.

A quiet afternoon

I varnished the trellising yesterday afternoon as I don't know how battered it is going to get this winter. It may look more trellis, less plant at the moment but we're in for the long run, wait for next summer's update. I wandered down to the piazza last night for a beer and to watch the kids' performance but I decided that, on balance, watching the end of The Wire was a better option.

Eavesdropping

I was in Terra Nostra earlier people watching and listening to other people's conversations (yes I know it isn't polite) and a woman was worried that she had left her phone at home and needed to get an urgent message to someone. So a complete stranger lent her his phone and she made a call to tell her friend that she had done the shopping and had remembered the cat food too. So disaster avoided.

Tap dancing and Tombolo

You know when the summer festivities are about to begin when the palcoscenico (temporary stage) goes up in front of the Collegiata (very impressive church on one side of the main piazza). And this morning workman were putting the finishing touches to it. There is a song and dance performance this evening by the kids of the middle school - Glee comes to San Ginesio. The second sign is that the Tombola shop opens for business. I had to take a photo through the glass but basically this is run like a charity shop in an empty premise, for which I assume there is no charge. All the items are new and donated. It's run on behalf of church charities and every ticket wins something. Ask my nieces, it is addictive, we can't walk past without the urge to try our luck.
Yesterday in Sarnano I bought some slug pellets and when the guy explained how to use them I thought he must be wrong as it's the opposite effect to the ones I use in London ie it attracts them, rather than repels them and what do you know - he was right. So I now have the welcome task of clearing up a slug massacre. Delightful. Believe me you do not want a photo to accompany this.

Posting comments

I know some of you have been having problems posting comments and I have tried to fix that. Have a go and see if it works.

Microwaves and Mafaldine

In London, although I try to avoid it, inevitably I end up slinging food into the microwave. Here there is no option but to cook fresh food every day and I am always reminded just how quick and easy it is. By the time I arrived home I was hungry but as there was no M&S chilled meal to hand I fried chopped onion with garlic and then added fresh tomatoes. If I had had fresh herbs I would have added those too. And then served it on Mafaldine, pasta strips that look as if they have been cut with Pinking shears. Sprinkle of parmesan to finish it off and it took 10 minutes from beginning to end. Delicious.

Sarnano Market

I was up early as I wanted to catch the 8.20 bus to Sarnano for the Thursday morning market. The only problem with taking local buses is that there isn't a return until lunchtime which usually means time to kill waiting to come back. But without a hire car it's the only option. Sarnano is another walled medieval town but if you didn't veer from the road that runs through it, you would never know that the historic centre, with its steep lanes, exists. The stalls in the main square are very similar to the ones at San Ginesio on a Sunday, in fact some are the very same as they do the rounds of all the daily markets in this area. The difference with Sarnano is that in the main car park there is also a big food section selling fruit, veg, fish (fresh and fried) and plants. It's half day closing in San Ginesio today so I made sure to buy lunch at the market as the bus would be arriving back after closing time. I then wandered around the old town, visited an exhibition of local artists and eventually settled in a cafe with a book waiting for the bus back. The sun has returned and I think this afternoon is going to be lazy (again).

Rain and Radio 4

Very little to report today. It has been threatening to rain for a couple of days and it finally arrived this afternoon. I was woken from my afternoon snooze by the thunder. So confined to barracks I listened to Tim Robbins Desert Island Discs. His choice of music was pretty dull and his book was a matchbook. Ha Ha Tim, I can see what you've done there. And apart from a post rain walk, reading and doing the ironing that's been my day. Ironing duvet covers is on my list of things I find a pain, along with drying my hair and putting petrol in the car. All the garages here seem to have people who fill the tank and clean your windscreen too. My hire car had run out of water for the windscreen - I call it "skwishey" and have no idea what it should be called. Nor do I much care to be honest, I can live in ignorance. And the guy sorted that too and wouldn't take a tip for it. Marvellous country.

Garden in bloom

Nature - you've just got to love it. The plants we poked into the cracks in the garden wall are already flowering. Lynne and David had a last cappuccino in the square and then left for the airport. Alessandra was at Terra Nostra, with the baby and she joined us. Hopefully we'll catch up later in the week for a longer chat. So I am now on my lonesome until Sunday. Bed and Breakfast anyone?

Scenery and Starters

As the sun set we went to Le Logge in Urbisaglia last night for dinner, taking the scenic route, via Colmurano, rather than down to the main road which can get very repetitive. Le Logge is run by Andrea, a really friendly guy and the food is top notch. There is always a tasting menu of starters, whatever is seasonal and I am reliably informed that the quality of the meat is very high too. I try and come here every time I am at the house. I did try and put a review on Trip Advisor but it didn't work for some reason. For pudding we shared (demolished) a trio of panna cotta, pistachio ice cream and tiramisu. The photo doesn't do justice to the taste! It was David and Lynne's last night and we sat in the garden when we got back and I have 2 more mosquito bites to prove it, so they too had a fine dining experience last night.

Garden Centres and Gladiators

We've had a very productive morning. It started with a visit to the DIY place near the main gateway. I call it a DIY store but it sells everything from chicken feed and toothpaste to paint and biscuits. It's a bit of an Aladdin's Cave, with boxes stacked all over the place and plenty of opportunities to trip up and impale yourself on sharp objects. I have noticed that shops here often sell a weird combination of things like salami and nail varnish, flowers and deodorant... We bought some trellis and I have ordered a bead curtain to hang over the kitchen entrance to stop moths flying in at night when I am cooking. Then we went to a garden centre to buy an oleander that will grow tall and hide my neighbour's back door. There are some beautiful examples growing outside a church nearby (pictured here). The woman in charge drove us round on a golf buggy and floored it round the corners which was a bit disconcerting bouncing around on the back with nothing to hold onto except for an oleander. The garden centre also sold chickens and ducks and had donkeys (see what I mean). And we finished the morning off with a visit to some Roman ruins with the opposite view on safety where they really wanted to get the point across that you needed to watch your step in case you slipped on uneven ground, tripped up or were involved in any sort of generic danger. Then back for lunch and some planting. As well as the oleander we planted jasmine and hydrangea and some trailing plants that we pushed into the cracks in the garden walls. The colour theme is mainly white - a mini Sissinghurst (if only).

Normal service has been resumed

The view over to the village is back, minus the fence.

Mad dogs and English men

The third assault on next door's garden began today and this time the fence came down. It was very hard work and David and Lynne worked like troupers in the midday sun. The fence was ugly green netting tied to metal posts that was put up by the last tenant as he had a dog. The dog made our lives a misery for over a year as he was ignored, lived in the garden in all weathers, never taken for a walk, had gone mad and barked all night. And the final humiliation for the dog is that they have given him a summer haircut with a stupid poodle tail. Anyway I was promised that the fence was temporary and would be removed when they left but it wasn't. I've since seen the guy who lived next door as they now live 1 minute away (who is a very nice man by the way) and asked nicely (twice) for him to take it down so I just got tired of waiting and my inner garden warrior got the better of me. Next step will be to put some trellising up and grow some oleander to hide our view of next door's back door. Alternatively someone reading this blog could come and buy the house next door. And if you do I promise I will curtail my mania for chopping things down.

A diary malfunction

Yesterday evening we were all set for our 12 course dinner at Silvano's restaurant in Vestignano, a hamlet of 20 people just outside Caldarola. Silvano cooks traditional Marchegiano food, growing most of the ingredients on his land and has revived recipes from centuries ago. There is a movement in Italy called "zero chilometro" where restaurants only serve produce sourced on their doorstep and Silvano's is a great example of that. His father even makes the wine. We love going there as it's small, seats about 25, is in the middle of nowhere in a castle and the food just keeps on coming - for hours. There is no menu, you just eat what appears in front of you. All for €30 with wine and water included. So I really wanted Lynne and David to experience this treat. I'd originally booked for Sunday and then when Silvano said Sunday service was at lunchtime I changed it to Saturday night as I thought 12 courses, in the heat of the day, would just be too much. So we were all set for our culinary extravaganza. Except when we walked through the door Silvano just stared at me and asked why we were a day early. He checked the booking and realised he had drawn an arrow from my name written under Sunday lunchtime to Saturday evening and he'd completely overlooked it, which basically means they couldn't fit us in. It was disappointing and he was mortified so we didn't make a fuss.
Anyway we went into Caldarola and had a lovely dinner at the castle there so the evening was rescued. In the main square they were celebrating the end of a cycle tournament (pictured) which in Italy of course means lots of food and bingo. When I was here at New Year we went to Terra Nostra in San Ginesio for dinner on NY Eve and it finished at 1am with a game of bingo. I was the only Italian speaker on my table so had to translate the numbers and we were the only table not to win a prize, which I think had more to do with translating under the influence than bad luck.
But the Silvano story continues. I called this morning to say we wouldn't be coming for lunch but that I would be booking a table in a couple of weeks when my family is here (to show there were no bad feelings). And Silvano said he was going to drive over to San Ginesio with a gift for my friends as he felt so bad. And he did just that! 15 minutes later he appeared with bottles of Vernaccia di Serrapetrona, which is a fizzy, sweet red wine particular to this area. Such a nice thing for him to have done. I've included a photo of Silvano and his mother (from a previous visit), who does a lot of the cooking.

George Clooney

I was reading the newspaper with my morning (pre 11am) cappuccino and GC is front page news. Great excitement that the man himself has turned up to grace the courts. And an observation that, having spent 2 months every summer of the last 9 years in Italy, he still only speaks a few words of Italian.
I also read about a facebook page where members wear bracelets that can signal to other members if they have too much alcohol in their blood and need a lift home. Now that's a handy club to belong to.
Lynne and David are on their way from Ascoli Piceno and a frittata is ready and waiting for them. It's muggy today and we are expecting a storm tomorrow which should clear the air.

Yellow Dust

Anyone who has had a ski lesson will have been told by their instructor not to eat yellow snow (work it out). But yellow dust was a new one on me. It's a sign that some little critter is munching its way through your beams. I have found some yellow dust in my bedroom so I am just about to start painting the beams with what I hope will send the critters running, or keel over more likely.

Stone Carving and Cheese Pits

I am back from my travels. I drove to San Leo which is in the north west corner of Le Marche. I was told it would take 2 1/2 hours (Italian speed) so I added an hour (get there in one piece speed) and that was about right. I listened to the radio on route and there was much discussion and consternation at the news that in England Tesco has launched the Lasagne sandwich. I am going to set up a facebook page C.A.C (Crimes against Cuisine) - Chicken Tikka pizza anyone?
San Leo is built at the top of a hill and dominated by its castle. This photo of the town was taken from the castle and you can see the Marecchia valley in the distance. I discovered a local stone sculptor at work and took a photo of him to include in this post and then cleverly deleted it from my camera. So instead I have included a photo of the carving I bought of, well I'm not sure what it is but I like it. I was chatting away to Signor Moretti and he was telling me about St Francis (of Assisi) and wanting to show off my biblical knowledge I said he was the Patron Saint of Animals. Sig. Moretti looked at me in a strange way and said no he wasn't an animal, he was a saint. I made a mental note to look up "patron saint" in the dictionary, paid up and left.
That evening I made my way to La Rocca for dinner. I had called in advance to book a table. Lucky move seeing as I was the only person for dinner. Still I had my choice of tables on the terrace. I felt I had to eat at least 2 courses to make it worth while for the cook to have got out of bed, so for pudding I had formaggio di fossa, which is local cheese that is buried in straw lined pits in August and dug up in November, cleaned up by scrapping with a spoon (wouldn't get that through English Health & Safety) and served with fresh figs and honey. If you like very strong strong cheese then I recommend it. The evening finished with fireworks in the square. No one seemed to know the reason but who cares - it looked lovely.
I am back in San Ginesio now and as I walked through the door I thought how lovely it was to be home.

Carpenters and Cappuccini

I went to Sant'Angelo in Pontano this morning to see Claudio, the carpenter who made my kitchen. I was hoping that he could make me a storage box for the garden furniture but the winters here can be harsh and he said that anything wooden would rot in a couple of years. He's given me the name of a company who should be able to make one for me in plastic. Anything to avoid the slugs next summer.
When I was driving back through the main piazza in San Ginesio I saw Quarto sitting at Terra Nostra cafe. Quarto and his wife Marissa are the agents who sold me the house and who have become friends. They are a wonderful couple and really helped me settle in here. I had a chat with Quarto for a while and then Marissa arrived who told me that the estate agency has closed as there are no more foreign clients. Things are really tough for local businesses here. When I would come back and forth during the renovation of the house, I stayed at the B&B in the main square. It has since been sold and is due to reopen next month. It's still covered in scaffolding (pictured above) and I think finishing by August is extremely optimistic. I wonder how well it will do in this economic climate? It's going to have a restaurant so that will be the second one in the square. There are 3 cafes in the square - The Centrale, which is in the same building as the new B&B, Terra Nostra which is a firm family favourite for pizza and Le Logge, which we have always called the Football Bar as it has a table football game outside. In the picture above, you can see the Football Bar with the tables and umbrellas and then to the right hand side is Terra Nostra, which has an awning. I rotate my morning cappuccino around the 3 cafes. The most important thing is to order before 11am. Milky drinks are for breakfast (11am is as far as you can stretch it) and ordering a cappuccino after 11am is "brutta figura". This literally means "ugly face" but signifies that you don't know how to behave properly!
It's really hot here today so I am going to have a lazy afternoon and probably a siesta too. This evening Quarto and Marissa said they would be in the local park with their daughter Alessandra and grandaughter Mathilde. Alessandra was my architect and I haven't seen the baby yet so I will walk up and say hello.

Sausages and Bagpipes

Whoever said "the truth is stranger than fiction" has been to the butchers in Loro Piceno. It's a photogenic, walled medieval village, the other side of the valley from me and this afternoon as we wandered around we stumbled across a butchers that Heston Blumenthal claims makes the best sausages in the world. There is a photo of Heston and Peppe, the aforementioned master sausage maker, in the window. As we pressed our noses to the glass we were noticed by Peppe himself who appeared at the door (the shop was shut) and invited us in for an aperitif.
Turned out to be another of those "you couldn't make it up" moments. The aperitif was vino cotto (pudding wine) with a slice of ciauscolo (soft salami - a local speciality) as a garnish. Peppe then proceeded to play a recording of bagpipes for us to toast to. He also showed us a dinosaur he had made from meat (pictured above) and played a meat trumpet to a musical accompaniment. Absolutely genius half hour. Bizarre doesn't begin to sum it up. Worth getting on a plane for. Just head to Loro Piceno and follow the sound of the bagpipes.

Secrets and Saints

"Secret San Ginesio" was last night and it was fantastic in a slightly surreal way that you just couldn't make up. It started with a walk down to the main gates where trestle tables and a temporary kitchen had been set up to serve pizza. Then back to the main square to join a group for a guided tour of the village. We were standing in the art gallery with everyone when a medieval knight approached (common place round these parts) and inquired if were we the people who had asked if anyone could take them round and explain things in English? So began an enlightening and extremely amusing 2 hours with Roberto, a local chartered accountant/ historian who regaled us with very entertaining tales. The pope gave the town (there were 20,000 inhabitants in the Middle Ages) the relics of San Ginesio to protect them. Except when they arrived home and unpacked his bones they discovered 2 left arms. There is a San Genesio in Tuscany so maybe their saint has 2 right arms?
We also learned that when people died their bodies couldn't be taken through the same doorways as the living so "death doors" were created next to the front door and during epidemics they remained unsealed as they were used so often.
We were especially lucky to see inside the church of Saints Tommaso and Barnaba, which is home to the Brotherhood of the Sacconi. Membership passes down through families although Roberto, our medieval guide, is lobbying to join. The Brotherhood was established to promote Christian virtue and they were renown for their excellent flagellation. In fact I think it was the flagellation and piety that led to the Pope giving them the 2 left armed relics but don't quote me on that. The head of the Brotherhood showed us around their museum and the first thing we saw when the lights went on, was the hooded outfit they wear on sacred occasions, (just like Clan hoods) which I suppose was to hide their identity. They lead the procession of the cross around the town on Good Friday. It was a brilliant night that ended with a midnight beer in the square.

Wiretaps and Castles

I was rudely woken at 7am by someone using a garden strimmer. Don't they realise that there are lazy holidaymakers in the vicinity who need at least another 2 hours of shut eye?
First stop of the morning was at the DIY place by the city walls to buy a saw and then to the newsagents, where strangely they had run out of papers by 10am. Then on to Caldarola where another newsagent told me that all journalists are on strike protesting at a law that Berlusconi is trying to introduce to reduce the number of wiretaps. Ostensibly this measure is to protect citizens, but the press say it is to protect Berlusconi and his cronies.
Nick and Glen are staying with me and we decided to take a tour of the castle in Caldarola, home to the Pallotta family. They famously (?) invented a weapon that consisted of three metal balls dangling from a stick that I presume they threw at people to knock them off their horses. Anyway this weapon became the family crest and is emblazoned on the walls, doorways and even embroidered on the coachmen's coats. There are lots of artefacts in the house, but no examples of the weapon, they must have forgotten to pick them up. In a moment of serendipity (my second favourite word after "tousle") the 3 of us were on a tour with an Israeli woman who lives in the village on the hill opposite San Ginesio, where there is an annual cheese festival, but I digress. She was translating the tour into English for her Israeli friends and, as she had done the tour with guests many times, she knew as much background as the Italian tour guide. So we spent a really pleasant hour with this little group. Transpires that her friends have a hotel in Tel Aviv where I may be meeting my sister later in the year, so we swopped email addresses. And the lovely lady from the cheese village gave me her number and said not to stand on English ceremony and to drop in for a cup of tea whenever I liked.
This evening there is a "Secret San Ginesio" event where the doors to secret places will be opened. But it is so secret I can't actually find anyone selling tickets! Maybe it will all become clear later. I am cooking tonight so I am off to leaf through the Silver Spoon for some inspiration. This is the encyclopedic cookery book that all dutiful Italian brides are given so that they can care for their husbands in the manner in which their mothers have made them accustomed. Think of it as the baton in a culinary relay race and woe betide any bride who drops the baton - mamma will be coming after them.
Once next door's garden is in the shade the saw will be making an appearance.

A recipe for happiness

View from the bedroom balcony
+ Bach's suite for Solo Cello No 1 in G Major = Bliss.
Happy days.

Town Hall

I had to go to the Town Hall this morning - pictured here - to pay my Community Charge. Very laid back office and really friendly staff. The guy helping me thought my middle name was my first name and kept calling me "Celeste" which means "sky blue" in Italian (and which I remember from when I signed for the house at the lawyers they think very amusing). There were piles of files everywhere and I think the PC is a last resort given that it took 5 minutes for the relevant page to open but it was an opportunity to speak Italian and huzzah I did just that. Thank you City Lit and Laura I did learn something. I then had to pay the bill at the bank. You have to lock your bag in safety deposit boxes on the outside wall and then go through a security pod individually to check you don't have anything metal on you (shaped like a gun I expect). My Community Charge for the year is about £150 and the streets are spotless. Islington Council hang your communal heads in shame. I pay almost that a month for, well I am not too sure what for, but not for the pavement outside my house to be swept properly. Forget twin towns, there should be a twin council scheme.

Dawn chorus

It was a slow start this morning. There are 2 bedrooms here. One has a balcony and overlooks a mountain range. The other overlooks the street. I use the word "street" loosely as it is the width of a car and cobbled. Last year some of the stones outside my front door came up. I wondered how long it would take for the council to come and fix it. In Islington probably never and if at all it would have been filled with tarmac. Here it took 2 days and someone lovingly restored it with stone so you can hardly see where it was mended.
This is the view from my window. It is a raised garden of another neighbour - like the electrics - reminds me of my uncle's house in Calcutta. Anyway my neighbour and her friends must get up very early to work in the garden and chat and it is as if they are standing by my bed. I sleep with the window open and the insect screen pulled down or it would be far too hot. And yet again I can't understand a word. I am hoping that they are speaking in dialect. Until the 1960s a different dialect was spoken every 20 km or so. If it isn't dialect then I will be burning my A level result when it arrives, rather than open it.

Job done

Was worth the effort. You can see the wilderness next door. The house was being rented but it is empty now and I have asked the owner to take down the fence that was meant to be temporary as the last tenants had a dog that barked day and night and made our lives a misery but hoorah it's gone.

Blogging spot

The perfect spot to blog and eat biscuits. Think it is going to rain again. I can hear thunder in the distance. Pier Francesco (neighbour who attacked the kiwi) is now going axe mad in their garden. Goodbye trees. Wish I could do the same on the other side. Maybe when Nick gets here he could be persuaded?

Operation Terrazzo

Went to the piazza for a coffee this morning and started chatting to the man at the next table. Well he chatted and I replied in shockingly bad Italian. 4 weeks out of the classroom and it shows! He told me there are 5 excellent universities in this area. Macerata, the closest, is famous (round here anyway) for Law and Ascoli Piceno for Agriculture. So teenagers often study locally and live at home with their parents. He said lots of other things too but only he knows what he said.
Then I spent a sweaty, but happy afternoon cleaning the terrace slabs, washing the huge plastic sheets I wrap the garden furniture in and generally tidying up. When Fabrizia's father laid the lawn he must have cut some branches off the apricot tree and chopped them into logs for the wood burner and stacked them on the patio with bundles of kindling and pine cones on top. So I filled up the wood store by the kitchen door and put some of the really dry logs from last year under the wood burner. It's clouded over, am typing this in the garden, will show you my blogging spot in a moment. Ciao.

Slugs and snails

Been scrubbing the terrace and trying to clean the plastic sheeting that I store the garden furniture in during the winter. Found the biggest slug I have ever seen. Absolutely disgusting. Thought this was going to be a month of pool time? My neighbour cut down the kiwi/triffid which was threatening to engulf the balcony. And I planted up some flowers. Hopefully one more day of hard work and then the lounging around can commence. What I have learned today about Italy - the slugs are monsters.

Hail stones and ice cream cones

Went to the market this morning and bought some bedding plants for the garden. Then we spent the afternoon by the local pool until a storm rolled in. The road outside the house turned into a stream. It doesn't last long though. I was speaking to my neighbour this morning and met her fiance. The trees on the land behind both of our houses are obscuring the view and we want to cut them a bit but we can't find out who owns the land. One of the other neighbours think the church owns it so the search continues. If I had the money I'd buy it and plant an orchard - maybe one day. I have learnt today that "cioccolato fondente" means "dark chocolate" and that €3.5 is enough ice cream to make you feel quite sick although it seemed a good idea at the time of ordering it :)

First time I have seen a lawn here. If you don't look too closely it looks great!

Lavender

Arrived this afternoon. Weather is stunning although it was terrible up until 2 weeks ago which is why everything is still so green. Caro and Andrea are in the garden, hacking back the lavender. Next door has been empty for months now and their garden is a wilderness so we are planning a hacking session in there too before the view disappears. And the kiwi plant on the other side is like a triffid. That's nature for you. Shame I can't stand kiwi. So what did I learn new about Italy today. Um? Nothing actually. Hope for better luck tomorrow.