Second hand news

Following last week’s bumper double issue, it’s now back to normal with random musings on the usual mundane events of life in our quiet backwater. Still, it’s exciting enough for us.

Actually, not everything was commonplace and it was almost joy unbound at the start of the week thanks to two happy events. The first was on Monday when the continued fine weather and a slight but steady increase in temperatures, which also prompted the return to intense scurrying by our resident geckos, reminded us that it was time to think about summer protection for Bella and Harry. As this necessitated a quick trip to the pet shop in Magliano di Tenna, the other side of Rapagnano, we decided to stop off on the way at the driving school to see if there had been any progress on the licence front - and to our delight, and surprise, there had been. Whilst there was still no sign of Stephen’s (though he is a week or so behind me in the time frame) my licence had arrived the previous week and was duly handed over to me. The nice lady said that she had been trying ‘all day’ on Friday to contact us but the line was continually engaged. By whom we have no idea, but who are we to cast nasturtiums when we are just overjoyed that one of us is at last driving legally with the full blessing of the Italian state.

And the other cause for celebration? It transpired that, due to the enormous success of Sergio’s play and the public demand for more, more, more, it is to be staged three more times to satisfy the demands of Monte San Pietrangeli’s cognoscenti, in which we would like to include ourselves. Losing no time after spying the announcement on Facebook, Stephen phoned up and bagged four for the April 17th performance, two for us, one for Maddalena and one for Marco, who may have to be dragged there kicking and screaming as his idea of an evening’s dramatic entertainment usually involves 22 men and a ball. At least we hope we have tickets; with our recent luck in telephone bookings I won’t feel happy until I am sitting in my seat with a packet of soft mints.

After a run of very fine days the weather broke on Thursday, oddly enough while I was sitting in the dentist’s chair as she was drilling away with gay abandon at one of my molars. ‘Temporale,’ she muttered, while brandishing her instrument. Not that it came as a surprise, as the forecast had promised us a bit of a storm and Stephen was hoping it would arrive and give the lotto a good soaking before he had recourse to wielding the hose. In the event, we had a pretty wet afternoon, prompting us to pop to the ferramenta in Francavilla, from where Stephen had bought some highly satisfactory geraniums while I was on my hols. We purchased a few more of these highly underrated plants as well as some more stock for the lotto, namely: courgettes, peppers, a variety of herbs and two black leafed plants that, even if they don’t produce the promised fiery black chilis, look dramatic and will make a talking point for summer visitors. Included in the herbs was some mojito mint, which seems a very good idea for when we crack open the patio furniture – and who knew you could grow your own cocktail ingredients?

Friday morning proved to have a hangover from the previous afternoon’s thunderstorm, but was cheered up when my students, Erica and Mara. presented me with a rather fine looking Easter egg, hand-decorated and extra fondente. Now I don’t want offend anyone but personally I feel that those people who profess to love chocolate but then eat Cadbury’s Dairy Milk are living in denial; this intensely dark chocolate egg looks like it will pack enough of a punch to satisfy the true chocolate lover. As for the weather, by noon it had returned to clear skies and temperatures to match, meaning Stephen was able to install our new vegetation in the lotto. It does seem the best way, climatically speaking, to have a wet afternoon sandwiched between a string of warm, sunny days. That way, every so often you have an excuse to curl up on the settee with a good book while the garden gets a good soaking.

Today, Sunday, has been a pretty domestic one, with a trip to Cuore Adriatico this morning for our monthly shop at Iper and Stephen, this afternoon, planting up the geraniums in some new terracotta pots. Yesterday, though, was much more exciting – well, by our standards – as Stephen answered a plea from Computer Luca to help him find some new shoes. The pair’s tour of the local likely outlets proved fruitless and they eventually ended up at… Cuore Adriatic. If only we’d known before hand, they could have done the shopping and saved us a return visit today. Still, Luca joined us for lunch and showed his gratitude (or exasperation at our helplessness) by sorting out, online, a telepass for the tolls on the superstrada. We are very much looking forward to fixing the pass to the car’s windscreen and being able to sail through the booths rather than joining queues of cars stuck behind someone who either (a) hasn’t thought ahead about needing money to put in the slot, or (b) parked too far away from the machine to reach it, or (c) both.

After we waved Luca goodbye we headed north in the afternoon sunshine to Villa Potenza and the grand annual second-hand market held there. Stephen was on the search for a large metal tub to transplant his lemon tree into from its temporary home. In the event, there was an embarrassment of choice and we came away with not one but two. We were at a bit of a loss as to what to call them, or, indeed, to know what their purpose was. Again, though, Computer Luca came to our aid and, following a bit of research after he expressed incredulity on seeing the one already in situ that anyone would want one in his life, he messaged us his findings. They were, he said, used for shifting stuff (!) and not as pig troughs as was his initial reaction. As for the name, in local dialect, and by that we mean the good town of Loro Piceno, they are known as mbuzzatore. Now try finding that on Google Translate…