Crumbs

7th May 2023

Another week and another public holiday, this time for the Festa dei Lavoratori. After a not so bad Sunday, weather wise, we thought that the forecasters had got it wrong when Monday morning, after a misty start, became sunny and warm, but the expected rain set in around lunchtime, becoming increasingly heavy during the evening. Bastianelli had been right to cancel another picnic among the vines event; I just wonder what they did with all those unsold bottles of wine.

There was more rain on Tuesday morning, but somewhat lighter, when we were up early as we were set for two days of car action, starting with taking the Renegade to Autopompei for its service followed the next day by the Panda – the latter because it was in dire need of one and the former because we thought it a good idea before heading south to Puglia. Stephen dropped it off just before 8.30, and when I arrived to pick him up, he was explaining to the lady that the only thing he was concerned about was a strange whining noise when the brakes were applied. She assured him the mechanic would look into everything fully.

With the early start, we were in Pina ahead of our usual time and also in pulling up outside Conad. That, though, didn’t go quite to plan as all the lights were off and after a few moments to wonder why, we changed to plan B and Coal instead. Stephen found out later through the MSP bush telegraph that water had got into the electrics, so no they had not taken a day off to recover from the holiday nor had there been a family emergency nor any of the other more dramatic scenarios we had come up with, but it did leave us with having to cope with a bespoke shopping list for the wrong purveyor. Life is so full of problems.

There was one problem fewer after Stephen returned to Autopompei in the evening and swapped the Panda for the Renegade. The latter had a clean bill of health – and all free, being part of the purchase deal, and which was a nice surprise as we had forgotten that bit – including the brakes, as the lady explained that was just the noise that they make and nothing to worry about. Who knew? Maybe Lewis Hamilton but obviously not us.

Whilst having only one car was ok on Tuesday, it was slightly problematic on Wednesday as I needed it in the afternoon to get to a lesson, requiring me to extend my taxi service, first to Montegranaro to take Stephen to work after lunch, and then again to pick him up and take him to Autopompei and collect the Panda. That was all in good order, fortunately. Unlike the Renegade, however, as we’ve had it for almost eight years now (just imagine) the Panda is well outside any guarantee so we had to pay – including for new windscreen wiper blades. They had to replace them, the nice lady pointed out to Stephen, as they were the wrong size. “Yes, I know,” he replied cryptically, without explaining that they were all he could find at the Chinese supermarket, not wanting to plummet even further in the garage’s estimation.

The other good news on Wednesday was that the rain, which had become more like intermittent drizzle, eventually managed to peter out in the afternoon, heralding a sunny day on Thursday. The succeeding days continued clear and bright, becoming increasingly warmer until today has been almost sub-tropical. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s going to last but it did prompt Stephen to take action on the furrowed orto. Even I was dragooned into giving a hand after lunch yesterday when I held the canes upright while Stephen battered them into the still spongey soil. He only set up a few, as he is holding out to see how much he is going to plant, which might not be that much given what happened afterwards.

I was becoming somewhat concerned when, getting on for 6pm, some ninety minutes after he set out, he still hadn’t returned from a quick trip to the ferramenta in Francavilla to get some plants. He did arrive shortly afterwards, explaining that as he had been driving through MSP he had been waylaid by bff Manuel, who had a few things to chew over with him. When he did get to the ferramenta, it was closed for some reason. Undaunted he set off to Corridonia, remembering that there is a plant shop there, but again he was thwarted as somehow he took a wrong turning and ended up in Montegiorgio, in the opposite direction. That is the point when he gave up and came home.

We had much more success this morning when we went on a little tour, starting with a very fine brioche at Funari before filling up with petrol and going to the Chinese store just past Girasole. We were in need of a new plastic container to keep our biscuits in, as the current one after many years of faithful service has developed a large crack across its bottom, not ideal if you want to keep a good snap. We found one with a clip-on lid, which seemed a good idea, and threw in a double pack of kitchen rolls on offer and some plastic ties in preparation of having some tomato plants (so no need to tell on us to the Metropolitan Police) while we were at it.

It was then back up the road to the shopping centre where we took a quick look in OVS, exiting with a snazzy beach bag and blue overshirt/jacket for Stephen to replace the khaki one he was wearing till he put a large tear in it, and a blue round-necked towelling t-shirt for me, together with a jazzy blue bucket hat that I had no idea I needed till Stephen saw it. We finished our mini outing by stocking in on sun cream at L’Erbolario, cashing in my bonus points into the (reasonable) bargain. Piano, piano we are getting ready for our holiday, but given the weather forecast for the next week or so, unless the persistent rain due to return in the next couple of days clears by the time we head south, a bucket hat might be an appropriate item of clothing, only just for the wrong reason.