Basta Pasta

Our first full day in Italy and what should we do? Rest after a long and tiring journey (especially for the drivers)? Organise ourselves and sort out all the stuff we’ve brought? Acclimatise and familiarise ourselves with our new environment? No, let’s go a first communion instead…

Before that, however, it was another early start as Chris set off on the return journey shortly after 7am – on the wrong side of the road. As we didn’t hear a loud bang or receive an s.o.s. we assumed he’d realised his mistake before meeting an Italian driver haring along the road at some bizarre speed like they do.

Harry and Bella were introduced to the Stefonis’ large garden and enjoyed running round and round the house. We were slightly concerned when Harry started his barking when a woman opposite the back of the house closed her gate, then followed her, still barking, as she walked up the pavement. Fortunately, Flavia thought this to be a positive thing as it meant he was a good guard dog. We didn’t disillusion her with the truth – the he is just mouthy and would scarper at the first sign of bother.

After that, it was unpacking and stowing our things away in the upstairs apartment before taking the dogs out for a walk in the spring sunshine then changing for the lunch to celebrate Chiara’s, one of the younger Stefonis, first communion.

We had been excused the actual church service so were taken to the restaurant, which was some 25 minutes away, by Remo for one o’clock. You may think that starting at that time it would have all been done and dusted by 4pm at the latest. Wrong. Italian meals go on forever – not because there is so much to eat (which there is) but because of the long time between courses and their love of wandering and talking. We learned later that Remo had actually gone back to his car and had a nap between the antipasti and the pasta. Coffee arrived at 5.30, just as we were leaving, which people tried to make us have standing up because how could you not finish a meal with an espresso? Easy, when you are knackered.

So it was home for a nap as we had been invited to Marco and Maddalena’s for post-dinner coffee. Needless to say, Stephen and I hadn’t eaten any dinner, still being full from lunch and the army of antipasti, two types of pasta, two meat courses and profiteroles. Marco opened a bottle of something fizzy to welcome us to Italy and after much chat and chewing of fat we headed back to our temporary home.