Local Girl Should Make Big!

Aug 18

Yesterday we spent most of the day at the beach after lunch and shopping at IKEA. 

The concert last night was the best band I have ever heard here. There was a woman singer from CVS and a male flutist, lead guitarist, bass guitarist who also sang, and a drummer. Each song was different unlike the previous night when every song sounded the same. The woman had a huge vocal range and was able to sing so fast in a “skat” manner. The flutist was as good as I have ever heard and I have heard Ranpaul. The lead guitarist was equally amazing and played intricate riffs and excellent backup that complemented the singer’s voice. All together: amazing. And they are named after the Brammen Town Musicians. We were so tired that disappointingly we could not stay for the whole thing, but the magical music followed us all the way home and sang us to sleep. Well, not really for me, but it sounds good. I went to sleep listening to “The Deadly Hallows”.

IT WAS ALSO THE MOST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER SEEN FILMING AT A CONCERT. 

Today was a business day. We had breakfasts, said good-by to some people at the market, sold three pastels to the woman who owns the hardware store. She wanted to pick from two, but I took three and she took them all, and headed to Pratola to go to our bank. At the bank you push a button and a door opens. Your picture is taken, without glasses, and then it lets you through the air lock and into the bank. We go there once a summer. On the wall is a large screen TV that shows the same guy looking at his computer. Sometimes he picks his nose. Why is he there? What is he doing? Who knows? There were two clerks working. One guy helped one person the entire hour we were waiting. He was still helping him when we left. What was HE doing? Buying a house? There were six people ahead of us. It takes tremendous paper work to deposit cash in the bank. Jim had to sign three different papers. There are books for sale in the bank including “The Little Prince” in Italian. I thought I could read it so I decided to buy it. That took two signatures. Then I had some questions about on-line banking, but you can’t do it in the USA. I also wondered and still do why we have so little money in the bank so the woman printed out our statement for this year. I still don’t know why so much money has gone out of our account. We will see. Now I am going to pay attention. To exit you go in the little air lock, have your picture taken after the door into the bank closes and then go out the door to the outside. We did a little shopping, mostly looking, and have returned to CVS to have lunch with our amazing neighbors. I hear the plates clinking downstairs so I guess I better get going. 

Surprisingly, (not), pranza or lunch was excellent. The only bad thing was that she did not make cake, but everything was delicious. It was like Sunday dinner. First cantaloupe and porchetta, next bow tie pasta, it is called butterfly here, with tartuffal, then hamburgers, for the Americans, and a sauce made of peppers, tomatoes, onions and one anchovy. There was bread that apparently the correct way to eat is to break off a piece, put it on your plate, stab it with your fork, and sop up the juice. You may not eat the salad at the same time. That comes next. And then some pecorino cheese, and then some more fruit although this you can eat with your fingers, and then gelato, and then caffe. It only took two hours to eat lunch. Yes, there was wine. Now it is nap time. We are running out of time here. It is so sad. Time went really quick this summer and, because it was so hot, we did not see our friends very much, we went on vacation from our vacation, and had guests. I did not do nearly as many paintings, but I have other things I want to do in life besides paint. I was feeling guilty (surprise!) but I have spent a ton of my life painting and now a couple of hours a day is plenty. 

After a nap we decided that we could not just sit around and do nothing even though we were tired. it was cool so we drove to Goriano Scoli to walk around in the Centro Storica. This is the town where Esher did his first lithograph and started his Italian style drawings. 

Many buildings are finally under construction after the earthquake. This is a sampling. 

See the blue paint?

The big church had just been restored before the earthquake and I don't think they plan to do it again.

Restored

Small thing

at least 40 guys sitting in the piazza while their wives cook dinner. 

From Goriano we went on to Corofina: a place we have only driven through. The town starts with evocative Roman ruins.

A time you wish you had bought the smaller car.

Add caption

Exploring followed by a coffee

 On the way home we stopped at a pull out where we usually just fly by and took some pics of the valley.

Tonight at 9pm a couple is coming over to pick out a pastel. That is an unusual time to go shopping, but their money is good any time. There is no after nine discount. 

FYI I sold five paintings yesterday!