Dove, Fish, Fairytales

This morning started great. Joe and I delved into the Colomba (pistachio) that we were going to bring for Easter (we were told not to, as Fr. Giuseppe was bringing two from Brontë, which he didn’t btw), and ate it with our coffee. I then took a quick shower, managed a few chores, then got on my voice call English lesson with Marco.

I started by saying, I’ll only speak English (he has a good foothold already), but some things were faster to explain in Italian, which I followed up with in English. 

Today we talked about a few same-word, different-meaning words, such as “still” (can mean yet, can mean unmoving), “watch” (as in a movie, or what you wear on your wrist, or a guardianship), and, because he is a diving teacher, he wanted to make sure he knew the English word for corrente—current. I told him that also has two main meanings; current, as in the water undertow, and that it is also the opposite of the past. “In these days” is current, or currently. He laughed and asked, “So it is correct to say, Currently there is a current”? I love when people are smart enough to joke in a foreign language. He’s a gem.

Before we ended, he said he had one more question. “Ok! Go ahead!” He wanted to know how to pay me.

Sigh. This is the wrong answer, and why I’d never succeed in business. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat, since, first of all, Lilliana has done a great deal for us—as has this entire family—but the main reason is that it’s time to pay it forward, beyond what this wonderful family has done.

I would know nothing, zippo, zilch, nada, niente, of speaking Italian if it were not for regular conversations with my dear friend, Davide Ferro. He spent, literally, hours and hours listening to me massacre the beautiful Italian language, and calmly corrected me and taught me more than I had ever learned through Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, or my long list of language classes. He gave me vocabulary and pronunciation; I’m still butchering the grammar and tenses, but 95% of the time, I’m understood. So I’ve been in Marco’s shoes. I want to help. Besides, transferring euro/dollar payments is exhausting.

“How about you make nice excursion next summer; I may have family and friends here?” He loved that idea!

Joe’s sister Linda may be up for a “big” birthday trip July 2024. I’d love to do Calabria first, then come here. A day on the sea, stopping to eat and drink along the way, sounds like a perfect way to celebrate. Also, our old alley neighbors, the Broshar family, said they want to visit Sicily. If they’re in the Catania area, this excursion would be 100% their groove! I see this as nothing but a big win.

After “working,” I wanted to get out for a nice walk on this hot, sunny day. I suggested we walk to Scandura.

We got there around 11:45, and thought about having lunch, although my stomach was more ready for a granita. But Joe loves a good sit-down. I ordered a non-alcoholic aperitivo. Our server, Riccardo, is always so sweet to me. I was wearing a fuschia duster jacket, so he made a drink to match, carving a beautiful strawberry rose for a garnish.

We ordered, but I saw Riccardo and the chef come to the door right behind Joe, probably in response to Who the %#€@ is ordering pranzo at breakfast?!. I winked at them and smiled, after which Riccardo said it will be a few minutes.

After 1:00, a respectable lunch hour, our food arrived (remember, we sat down at 11:45). I respect that. 100%. And now my stomach was ready for lunch. We ordered the grilled seafood mix, which included one of my favorite rare things—razor clams! And we split an insalatone. The chef came out to make sure we loved it. We did. I remembered to take a photo after we began our dig-in.

We paid at the cassa, and I asked if the gentleman was “Fratello di Alberto,” he cut off my question. No argument the two are brothers! This one is named Vincenzo. I laughed, “Giuseppe, Salvatore, o Vincenzo—sempre!” He laughed along.

Joe saw a cigar box on the liquor display. He grabbed two to add to the bill, but Vincenzo shook his head; “un regalo,” —a gift.

We hustled home in case Ettore actually wanted to show up at 2:30, which he did, and our plan was to go to the park. We surmised that the stroller was still in the Clio from Pasquetta Monday. But as soon as Elena told me Aziza will be coming at 4:00, so I’d wait and go to the park also with her, Ettore turned on his heel. No convincing. Well.

Around 3:45, Mariella came up, car keys in hand, beckoning me down. I thought we were getting the stroller. I should note—my hearing has gotten worse. Next thing I know, Mariella is shooing me into the car, her jacket on, and holding Ettore’s (yet I’m in a t-shirt and sweating). Ok! We’re driving to the park! As Alessandro says, they drive everywhere, even to the Mother Church (which is about 50 steps from our door). But no, we’re heading to Agnese’s school theater performance of all the fairy tales. But Mariella—Aziza arrives at the house in 10 minutes! She thought for a nanosecond, then said, Rodi is there. Rodi, the former caretaker for Vincenzo’s mom, and a beautiful person, is now taking care of Matteo—and Nonno, on occasion. I didn’t see how this benefited Aziza, but at this point, we were here, including Ettore, so there wasn’t much I could do about it. And my phone only works with WiFi.

Agnese and all her friends put on an adorable play. At one point, Agnese saw us in the audience, and lit up.

Agnese’s friend, Aurora, had a big part.

She sees us!

Ettore, on the other hand, had no comment.

We flew home. No Aziza at our place. Rodi said she went upstairs, but…. No one at Elena’s. I feel responsible in some ways, in others, not at all. Many things are fly by the seat of your pants, which is exciting, but sometimes things fall through.

Ettore came up to play, refreshed and happy after his brief nap. Mariella came to get him a little before 7:00, so I worked on some designs for Elena’s terrace before starting dinner.

I was missing a couple of key ingredients, but it was an ok cobbling together of fresh pasta, zucchine, basil, chili pepper, and, since we’re oddly/unknowingly out of parmesan, I added pancetta, for flavor. I grated some hard goat’s cheese into a separate bowl, in case more salty flavor was needed.

And tomorrow is Friday already. Two more of them before we take off to Puglia.