Live. Work. POSE!

This past week has been one very much of general bits and pieces with nothing too demanding, but with temperatures for the greater part of the week hitting the high 20s in the shade, (therefore somewhat higher in the glare of the sun) that seems like an advisable policy.

So what can I tell you about anything?

It did start off very exciting, at least for Harry, when we crossed paths on Monday morning’s walk with what must be Mario’s new hunting dog – conveniently called Bella like his other one. This is a liver coloured spaniel, and like most Italian dogs comfortable in its own skin as it ambled around the lane completely ignoring Harry’s crazy barking. As it later joined Billy the Lab while Mario and Luigi were working on the barn by the house, which lasted for a couple of days, Harry had plenty of exercise running up and down the terrazzo and making his voice heard. The bonus for us was that by the time evening rolled round he was exhausted.

As for the work on the barn, the first part of this was repairing the gaps to the rear wall with reclaimed corrugated iron. Whether this meant that the brothers were pursuing an ecologically sustainable policy or had managed to take a few unwanted sheets off someone’s hands, I’ll leave for you to judge. This was followed by serious pruning of the ivy that drapes the greater part of the barn, which is prone to collapsing in strong winter winds, and serious lopping of the pine tree that overlooks it, giving the whole area an almost spruce air.

It was also on Monday that Stephen returned from the factory with nine freshly laid eggs from Mrs C. Actually, that’s not quite true, he actually had ten eggs, but as one was on the smashed side that ended as part of Bella and Harry’s tea. So what to do with nine eggs? The first part of the answer was to make Diana Henry’s Greek Courgette Pie, a sort of quiche but without the pastry, which calls, being Greek, for feta and which prompted a very pleasing discovery when we found that it was available in fresh blocks from the deli counter at the revamped Conad supermarket. “Making something Greek?” asked the mother of the family, serving us and smiling as though we were a little simple. Well yes, and we will make sure that we use lots of feta in the future to make sure they keep stocking it as such an exotic item could be destined for a short life in MSP.

So what else can I tell you about anything?

After a few weeks of a steady tomato supply for our day-to-day needs, they are starting to come on stream to a greater extent. There isn’t quite the amount as in previous years as not so many vines were planted this time but enough to warrant Stephen cooking up a batch of sauce on Wednesday and then grilling some this morning, all of which was portioned up for the freezer. In a slight aberration, Stephen also managed to cook the two beef tomatoes that he’d picked to make Caprese salad for lunch and while not a disaster, mozzarella and charred tomatoes didn’t quite hit the summer spot that raw ones doused in olive oil would have.

We may be heading into the main holiday period but that doesn’t mean thoughts of work were not hovering around. On Tuesday I sent out messages to my students, furloughed since March, saying that I was hoping to start lessons again in September and would be available, either in person or by Skype, as and when they wished. The response was very positive, even if the idea of lessons over the Internet wasn’t - which suits me. As for the possibility of some work at the private school in Civitanova I mentioned last week, Paola called on Thursday and it was arranged that I would go with her next Tuesday to see the owner of the school at her home in Montegranaro.

Thursday was also another step forward in the brave new post-lockdown world when we took an evening trip to Fermo to visit the market. It wasn’t, obviously, quite the same as usual with fewer stalls and – though admittedly we were early by Italian standards – fewer people. As for masks, the wearing of, there was quite a variety of ways to sport them (if at all) and we, choosing to put ours round our nose and mouth, were at odds with the casually stylish (or, if you prefer, stupid) who seemed to think that you caught Covid-19 through your arm and opted to wear their masks round their elbows. We managed to augment our collection of this year’s must have accessory with a camouflage print mask each, in different colourways, while Stephen bought a bracelet and I, more prosaically, bought a large jar of artiginal honey and a bottle of vino cotto.

Before our wander round the stalls, we had aperitivo at Artasylum – I dread to think how long it is since I have been able those words. This was a very welcome return for us, with the added bonus that having such a light tea meant that when we returned home we could have a large bowl of the ice cream Stephen had treated us to (strawberry, coffee and amarena) when he dropped by Bar del Borgo that morning, with almost a clear conscience.

Anything else?

Well, Friday morning was more or less as normal though we did stop at the Post Office on the way back from shopping/haircut, not something we have done for a while. With the sun shining it was one person at a time in the office itself while the rest of us waited outside in the shade at the side of the square in that inimitable Italian way of queuing where you don’t actually form a line but everyone knows his or her place in the order. When I say everyone, there is always the rider that some elderly lady will try to work a fast one and on this occasion the excuse given was that she wanted to queue jump to ask Paolo if it was worth her while waiting her turn for whatever she wanted to do. It would be an exaggeration to say that this simple question took almost as long as if she had just taken her place initially, but she did reappear after several minutes, and took her place in the shade, apparently happy now to await her turn.

In the afternoon Stephen had to go to the factory while I got on with the a few bits and pieces in the workroom downstairs. He said he wouldn’t be long, but I was still a little surprised to hear, about ten minutes after he left, what I thought was him returning. It wasn’t as I found out when I looked out and saw a black run-around drawing up in front of the house. I went out and a smiling driver opened his door. He was a little put out however when his jolly hail of “Caffè!” drew only blank looks from me. “Mogliano, numero ventiquattro?” he asked. Yes, another misguided tradesman, to add to last weeks unfortunate frozen food salesman, who had also trusted too blindly in his sat nav.

I explained the situation amidst his apologies, and did my best to say it wasn’t his fault but technology’s, all the while thinking that he didn’t know what he had let himself in for. I gave the usual advice: first gear, hit the gas and don’t stop. He nodded enthusiastically then left, still apologising. The good news is that he did better than last week’s incompetent; the bad news is that he had to take two runs at it, not fully appreciating my advice till he stuck near the top and churned the road up nicely for us before edging back. Maybe we should get on to the Comune for a large flashing neon sign saying “lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate”, but that might only work for those who know their Dante.

It was just as well the coffee man made it out when he did as not long afterwards the wind started to whip up in that way that we have come to know so well, blowing the plants in the herb garden almost horizontal. After days of unremitting sunshine it was time for a rainstorm and this one didn’t let us down. Whilst the initial ferociousness lasted maybe ten or fifteen minutes it continued to rain on and off into early evening, with a fair smattering of cumulus clouds linger late into Saturday. This made yesterday much fresher, with Bella and Harry able to lounge on the terrazzo at their pleasure for the whole day. It also suited me, as with four eggs still left over from Mrs C’s bounty, I had set aside the afternoon to use them in a spot of baking, knocking up a batch of rock buns and, in an Anglo-Italian concordat, a lemon drizzle ciambellone, in relative comfort. And in case you are worrying that we might have to break out the sweaters, don’t; things have been hotting up again today, with the promise of temperatures in the mid-30s by Wednesday.

There were some people who would definitely have been pleased about the drop in temperature and they are the members of the town band. Yesterday was the their annual Night Under the Stars concert, but in the world of social distancing instead of setting up their stall in the mediaeval courtyard of the Casa di Riposo, they were taking the concert to the people, following a route that covered more or less the whole of MSP with their music if not with their actual presence. That is why after watching the last episode of the second series of Pose (yes, we are a bit late to that party, but binging is not something we do – we like to eke out our pleasures) Bella and Harry took their last walk of the day to a brass accompaniment. I’m not sure how impressed they were, but standing on the terrazzo and listening to the music as it soared up into the clear night sky was a very pleasant way to end the day.