Molto Caldo

Here I am working in my new shady spot. See, it is not all fun and games in Italy.

Kathy Lunn wanted to know what we eat, so here are two dinners. The one above is a specialty of the region. Lamb kabas.

A typical Jim meal. Note all the fresh produce behind the table.

The most important word you could possibly know in Italian this week is, “caldo”. Or “molto caldo”. Followed by pantomiming wiping sweat from your brow or panting. Caldo does not mean cold. It means hot. If you see a C on a faucet it means hot water, so watch out. Our house is staying cool in spite of the heat wave. An advantage of two - three foot walls.

Today’s other excitement is that we had two more beds delivered. Now if you come when we are here you will not have to sleep on an air mattress, unless there are three of you. The mattress guys had said they would be here between 3:30 and 4pm and they were here at exactly 3:30. JIm had told me to expect that. When was the last time that happened to you in America? When I paid them for the mattresses they didn’t give me the right change. I figured I had misunderstood. As always in Italy, even for a gelato, they handed me the receipt, so I was expecting 20 euros in changed, but got ten. In about 30 minutes they called back to apologize. Jim said to forget it and keep the ten euros, but no way. They are bringing it back this week.

My last question is: If you back up a one way street are you going the wrong way? The traffic in the no traffic zone of the piazza had gotten so bad that the town put up a new sign. On the first day someone backed over it. The laughing was so loud I could hear it where I was painting. Later I found out what had happened. I really am afraid I am going to see a small child run over.

We found a good spot in the shade to paint downtown this morning. There are many views in this shady spot. I will be happy when it is not too hot to go out in the fields and paint. This afternoon I finished my painting of the church through the archway. Several people wanted to know the price, but were shocked. I said 100 E. One guy thought I said 10E, and it may come to that, but not yet. I want to bring them home. So now I have to find a new afternoon spot. How I suffer. As well as art, we finished painting both the rooms upstairs. I might think about doing some on the terrace, although the time we usually paint indoors in the heat of the day and that will not work too well on the terrace.

Our house is so beautiful and had so many nice things in the cave. So far this project has only required imagination. Close your eyes and imagine you are in Italy, specifically in this valley where everyone is nice, call you to apologize if they give the wrong change, where the vegetables are cheap and delicious and you can eat gelato every day, chocolate and strawberry for me, and drink rosato with frizzantte every night.