A good heart

18th July 2021

Last Sunday we went to sleep to the drone of the combine harvester; yesterday it was the less soothing tones of the Italian fans gathered at Cantina Bastianelli over the way to watch some football match or other on the large screen there. Whatever it was must have been important as, while we were lying in bed, we heard a massive cheer and the former silence went on to be filled with whoops, whistles and other generally encouraging noises. These must have worked, for some time later, when we were actually asleep, we were woken by the sound of a multitude (or so it seemed to us) of fireworks being set off in celebration. I couldn’t help but wonder if the same was happening in England…

The week itself began with Ivan’s funeral, which took place at the Campo di Tennis as the main body of the church in MSP is still unsafe from the earthquakes. For the past couple of years, weddings and funerals have been held in the crypt below the church, and this is what was originally proposed until someone pointed out that given the number of people who would want to attend the overspill would bring MSP to a standstill by clogging up the roads around it. And indeed it would have, for inside the Campo, which also serves as a five-a-side venue, all the seats were filled with more standing at the sides and back. What Stephen and I didn’t realise, however, till we left at the end of the mass was how many were outside, not only gathered by the openings to the Campo but also under the trees by the car park. It is reckoned that there were around 500 people in attendance.

In “The Wizard of Oz”, L Frank Baum wrote: “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.” It may be some consolation to Ivan’s parents and family in time to come to know that their son’s heart was immeasurable.

As for matters domestic, Stephen returned to the doctor in Francavilla on Monday evening clutching his results, with which she was very pleased. The figures for everything are much healthier – so pleased is she, in fact, that she gave him permission to continue the sterling work and stick to the dietary regime seeing as it is doing him, and me, so much good. There was one thing, though, that she thought needed further investigation, requiring Stephen to make an appointment at the Casa di Cura for a scan on his abdominal area, particularly the urinary tract, which he did for yesterday morning – and which is I think about as much as I want to say on that in mixed company.

So what else can I talk about?

The tomatoes continue to be the gift that keeps on giving, which is especially welcome as this year for some reason (maybe the netting) they are particularly delicious. Apart from eating them in salads, Stephen has a good few grilled and in foil trays in the freezer along with a generous batch of sauce for pasta come the autumn. On Wednesday he garnered a particularly fine crop of the small, orange tomatoes, some of which he took to the Carellis as they were intrigued to see and sample such an outré arriviste to the world of the MSP l’orto. (At the of writing, no mention of these abominations has passed the lips of any member of the family.)

Thursday we were back in Fermo for another walk round the market, and aperitivo at Artasylum. This latter was so enjoyable that we booked again for next week – why spoil a winning run? As for the market, we did purchase this time: two sachets of ground cumin (an unknown entity in our supermarkets) as well as a bottle of Cuor di Visciole and a small bottle of sapa from a very nice lady who spoke very slowly so we could understand and who would be sent by central casting to play a kind and slightly dotty but stylish grandmother in a rom-com. She, with her husband who turned up while she was chatting, are touring the local markets with products from their azienda, of which we bought, as I said, a bottle of liqueur, made from sour cherries and grape must (the Marche version of sherry, she said) and a bottle of sapa, an intense must syrup that Stephen likes to use as he would balsamic vinegar, to give a kick to a salad or to fruit.

Which brought us to the weekend, and a respite from the ceaseless burning sun what with it being somewhat on the rainy side – though, in the event, not as rainy as the forecast had predicted. Today wasn’t too bad but the morning was firstly drizzly enough and then dull enough to make a walk on Porto San Giorgio beach not really a thing, before clearing this afternoon. Yesterday started out very wet, and we went through some hefty downpours as we headed for Stephen’s appointment in Casa di Cura in Macerata.

By the time we arrived, just after 8, it had slackened to a slight drizzle, so the walk to the medical centre was almost pleasant in the cooler weather. Once there, we paid the fee then joined a queue for the doctor in the ultrasound department, with Stephen being seen only 45 minutes after his due time of 8.30. He left with a CD of the scan to take to the doctor and the welcome news that there was nothing major to be seen, though it was likely that he will have to see a urologist just to confirm everything was all right.

Having made an early exit from LCDDB, and with Stephen being forbidden to eat or drink anything except for a litre and a half of water (now that was a challenge) before the appointment, we thought we deserved a spot of breakfast so popped into a cake shop with a coffee machine on the main street by the alleyway to the car park – and what a wise decision that was. The lady who served us could have been the sister, or at least cousin, of the sapa lady, being equally well turned out and considerately chatty and of a similar vintage, but not quite as chatty as her mother who joined us while we were having our coffee and brioche, and explained how hot it gets in the afternoon when the sun is directly over the buildings opposite and shines straight into the shop. There is, you see, something to be said for grey clouds and drizzle, and also something to be said for the two pieces of cherry jam crostata that we treated ourselves to – and why not.