Clean start and Johnny Stecchino
Knowing that, if not a diversion, a change of scenery might be good for us today, Alessandro and family invited us to join them for a swim in the sea at Letojanni. The water was brisk and invigorating and the sun was scalding.
If you watch Italian films, or are a fan of Roberto Benigni, this town may sound familiar. It is a tiny fishing village, barely known to others until a decade or so ago, and before that, was where scenes of Johnny Stecchino (1991) were filmed.
We took off from the vigna after caffe with Mariella; Alessandro drove and all the gals sat in the back seat. We each got a turn to pick music. I choose Bohemian Rhapsody, Teresa chose a song from Anastasia, Rachele requested several Maneskin songs, and Agnese chose things I couldn’t understand, until one of her selections—Singing In The Rain. Joe went with the flow, and Alessandro made several attempts to play Gregorian chants, but was overruled.
Arriving in Letojanni, we met with Alessandro’s friend, Giuseppe, and left our things at his summer house, which is “exactly 67 steps to the sea”. Then, granita and brioche for breakfast! I asked about the gelsi flavor. Giuseppe’s eyes lit up, saying I must try it. He ordered half gelsi, half pistachio for me and mmmmmm … sorry; I drifted off to a dream, just thinking about it! Gelsi are translated as mulberries, but are more a cross between them and blackberries. Silky, slightly tart, berry sweet. And pistachio’s perfect foil.
Where we had a granita breakfast
After grabbing towels, sunscreen, chairs, and ombrelloni, we set off for the beach.
Heading to beach
The sun and the beach were hot, but the water was cold. I stepped in, then made the plunge. The sea dropped off quickly, so I swam back and forth, parallel to the shore. It made for fun people watching. After a couple of hours switching from swimming to sunning on repeat, we decided it was time for lunch. Giuseppe booked a table at a fantastic seaside restaurant, serving fish/seafood, pizza, pasta, and more. We ate and ate and ate, then topped it off with dessert, caffe, and digestivi.
A short riposare at Giuseppe and Kata’s place, where I looked at his rooftop terrace to sketch some ideas for an expansion, and outdoor kitchen, and some privacy plantings, then back to working on becoming abbronzata from the Sicilian sun.
Finally, a quick change of clothes, a passeggiata aka Johnny Stecchino tour, and ending the day at a beautiful bar on the beach for cocktails.
Despite the horrendous traffic home, there were beautiful things that happened for us today. We’re grateful for all of them, especially Everett’s hopeful turn.
Good night.
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