Tag: living in italy

Where Has Norma Been All My Life?

by midgeguerrera, posted in Food - Eating In and Out!, Stops Along the Journey - Sites Off the Tourist Track

Not just any Norma but Pasta alla Norma! Who knew that my favorite summer vegetable – melanzana – could be part of a pasta plate so scrumptious? Just thinking about it puts a satisfied smile on my face. Probably all of you knew about the Sicilian primo piatto. A delicate blend of eggplant, pasta, crushed tomatoes and… Finding Norma for me was an incredible accident or a woo woo moment.

My niece, Alessandra, and I were exploring Benevento. Our provincial capital is a fabulous city – particularly the historic center. Walled in by Mura Lonogobarde it is full of museums, art, shops and of course bars. Early in the day, we parked in Piazza Risorgimento, stopped for collezione at – a bar, stared down Corso Garibaldi and planned our unplanned day. Knowing we had to walk off the cappuccini and croissants, we started our exploration by walking around an interesting old looking building. Actually, it was not just old but ancient. The huge tower that attracted us was built by the Lombards in the 6th century. Two guards were outside – young and gorgeous I might add – so we figured the place housed something precious. It was the Rocca dei Rettoi e Giardini della Rocca. That translates to the fortress of the rector. The exterior garden was lush and offered an amazing vista of the city below. “Attenti” we heard. Looking over at the older gentleman who had bellowed, I wondered if we were standing too close to the edge of the overview. Whoosh – first the sound and then nooooo – the water. He had started the sprinkler system. Laughing but wet, we skidaddled over to the building. Shadowing us was one of the guards. Hmm, what wonderful stuff must be housed here. Or was he shadowing my gorgeous niece? There was an internal courtyard that is used for cultural events and features some ancient pieces of architectural sculptures. Slabs outside and inside, I’m told, were a collection from the ancient Via Traiana. The advertised museum was closed. We found il bagno, used the necessary resources and moved on.

The Torrione is 28 meters tall.

A bit above the tower was Villa Comunale. I kept looking for a big house but Villa Comunale is the name of the park that overlooks the city. One can meander on shaded paths, sit on a bench to watch the world go by or some nights listen to classical music under the stars. We found the bandstand but couldn’t figure out if people brought their own chairs, stood around or if the city set up chairs. One of the things I love about the Italians here is their ability to reuse, repurpose and create something from nothing. At the entrance to the park is this interesting piece of art. Is it a serpent, a reindeer, a crocodile, a…

This fallen tree becomes a work of art! Looks prehistoric to me.

Corso Garibaldi is a wide avenue that has been closed to traffic. It meanders down hill from Villa Comunale all the way to Piazza Cardinale Pacca and when one is walking downhill feels like it is a scant half mile long. When a woman in her third act is walking back up the hill is at least a pazzilion miles long. It is full of history and Italian designer shops. Being modern women with no purpose, we started with the history. I had never visited Santa Sofia, a small Roman Catholic Church that was built in the late eighth century. Thank the goddesses, no one tore it down to put up a McDees. In 2011, as part of a group of seven buildings inscribed as Longobards in Italy – Places of the Power 568-774 AD, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sitting on the ancient wooden benches – Alessandra gave me the “you are my pazzo zia” look because I mentioned that I actually felt my grandmom next to me. But I did! To attend festivals in Benevento, she and my aunt and uncles would walk all the way from Pontelandolfo! They camped out in fields along the way. I figure a significant place like Chiesa Santa Sofia, had to be a stop along the way. Sitting there was a powerful and our first woo woo moment.

Baptismal Font in Santa Sofia

Time to hit designer shops – not that the museums aren’t a draw, they really are. If you don’t believe me, go to the Campania Tourism Website and check it out. We enjoyed shopping with only our eyes so much that the morning raced by. Growls from our bellies made us realize it was time for lunch. Alessandra opened up the Trip Adviser app and looked for local restaurants. She found one that had 300 positive reviews and was ALLEGEDLY close by. We walked and walked and I bitched and bitched and then we found it. A takeaway place that, though they obviously have lots of friends,looked to smarmy to enter. We used our native noses and found our way back to Corso Garibaldi. Now down which tiny medieval alley will we possibly find a restaurant? WAHHHH – that was Zia Midge crying. We couldn’t find anything. Time to do aggressive searching. I went into Arcos, a wonderful museum of modern art and Egyptology. The man behind the counter was so nice.

I’m not from here, I just work here and I don’t eat here.

Ok, Ok, I did not give up. You may not eat here but must have heard of other people going somewhere to eat.

Well there is a place around the corner, directly behind the museum.

Fainting with hnger we dragged ourselves behind the museum and saw a sign that said, Trattoria Santa Sofia. We walked in to a fairly empty space and wondered what we had gotten into. The owner escorted us to a dark room with about five tables preset. The only diner was a priest. As Alessandra went to sit down – her chair moved. A magical move – enough to feel but not enough to make her fall on her butt. We looked at each other. Was it the priest? Santa Sofia? The owner walked over and recited the meals of the day. We both heard the word melanzane and still weirded by the chair said we would take whatever was made with eggplant.

Alessandra looked at me with dreamy eyes and said,” I hope it is Pasta alla Norma.”

Who is Norma? A mom of a pal?

Aunt Midge, Pasta alla Norma is in every Italian restaurant in Los Angeles.

(Obviously, she lives in LA and is a casting director in the biz.) I had never heard of it. She explained that as a vegetarian – yeah, LA – she always looks for scrumptious meatless meals. Then she described Pasta alla Norma – a heavy pasta with a light fresh tomato sauce, sautéed eggplant and onions with bits of fresh mozzarella teasing the palate. She sighed. Seriously, a big sigh for a pasta.

A lovely salad came out first and we annihilated it. The accompanying bread was wonderful too. Looking over my shoulder at the owner carrying in plates of pasta, Alessandra began to smile and clap with delight. She knew exactly what the pasta plates were – Pasta alla Norma. We ate it slowly and with great dignity. Savoring each morsel of pasta, eggplant and mozzarella.

There are lots of different recipes on line for this dish, which is a Sicilian staple. Many have ricotta cheese, others do not. Our wonderful gastronomic moment was sans ricotta cheese. We will return to Trattoria Santa Sofia located at Via Stefano Borgia, 7 in Benevento. Don’t be confused but – Trattoria Santa Sofia is right next to Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore!

Who knew that Norma would also become my favorite chef. Norma, I don’t know who you are, where you lived or how you did this but Grazie mille.

Ci vediamo!

Midge – www.midgeguerrera.com

Annarita Mancini and I finished our Pontelandolfo Guide!
An Italian Treasure Hunt –
The Quest for the Crests of Pontelandolfo!
Una Caccia al Tesoro Italiana –
Alla Ricerca Degli Stemmi di Pontelandolfo!

Click Here for the E-book which is perfect exploring.

#ArtToThePeople

by midgeguerrera, posted in Stops Along the Journey - Sites Off the Tourist Track

That title makes you want to raise your first in the air – Huzzah – right? In my mind’s memory book, I can still see and cheer on the bigger than life puppets that led sixties political rallies. Gorilla theatre took our messages to the streets. In Milan and being anti-tourist site snobs, Jack and I – OK maybe it was me – saw #ArtToThePeople on a poster and I had to find out what was happening. It turned out Art to The People was a fifteen minute walk away in Bicocca, Milan’s old industrial neighborhood.

The Pirelli Hangar Bicocca Foundation, located at Via Chiese, 2 in Milan, is committed to bringing contemporary art to everyone. #ArtToThePeople is their tag line and they have been doing it for close to twenty years. Everyone actually can get to see the art! The museum is free! Free, gratis, costs niente, free. There is no cursory box with a volunteer looking at you to toss in some $$$$. Artists displayed in the 15,000 square meters of exhibition space are both Italian and international. There is a focus on public engagement and a calendar of cultural events, music, talks and films.

As we walked from our hotel, the industrial zone felt very hip and safe. There were young couples and school groups wandering to the museum. I love the fact that Italian students get to see, feel and understand the arts of all the eras that surround them. Larger than life graffiti was the first thing we saw. It reminded me of the street side sculptures that lead patrons to New Jersey’s “Grounds for Sculpture.” That well placed urban “graffiti” let us know our walk was winding down.

At the entrance, still not believing it was totally free, we were greeted and told which building to walk towards. The museum is well staffed with pleasant guard/guides – except for the creep in the cafe who wouldn’t let Jack sit down while I was at the counter getting our orders.

Take a breath Midge, don’t condemn the place because your husband’s back was acting up and some cretin wouldn’t let him sit.

Sigh, why not?

Because it isn’t a fair assessment.

Man, I hate it when my conscience blasts rational thoughts in my ear.

The place is enormous and sadly we didn’t see the permanent exhibition by Anselm Kiefer. The Seven Heavenly Palaces is a site-specific installation that according to the website was “drawn from the palaces described in the ancient Hebrew treatise, the Book of Palaces/Sanctuaries.” The pictures on line are so interesting that the next time we are in Milan, I will go back. Go to the website and look at it. The lesson learned is that when one is given a map of a museum, one should read it and not bumble along.

The exhibits we did see were in huge spaces. The artists were Gian Maria Tosatti and Ann Veronica Janssens. I wandered, I read the brochures and – and – and for me – the work was almost as strange as the room of dirt that was funded by the Dia Foundation in New York. Really, look it up – we paid to smell and see an apartment with rooms filled with dirt. Ooops, Jack just pointed out that it was called the Earth Room. It was a room of dirt. But hey, to each his own. Instead of relying on my tainted appreciation of modern works, let us just move on to the video.

Italy is a wonderful place to explore and it is exciting to find hidden gems like the Pirelli Hangar Bicocca Gallery. I will go back. Enjoy your journey!

Ci vediamo!

Midge

Click Here to Find Out More About Me.

Theaters and Teachers
Need a play perfect for students and audiences?
Want a different kind of holiday show?
How about something based on an Italian character?

Check out my:
Mamma Mia La Befana?!

Published by Next Stage Press

The Lamb is Burnt – Buona Pasqua

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo

Happy Easter! If you don’t celebrate Easter, Happy Day. Like many people, I was up early getting ready for family, friends and food. Food being the key ingredient. Smiling, I walked past my set table. Last night, the china was placed, napkins were fashioned into cascading waterfalls dripping down the wine glasses and the silver was polished. Sigh, I am a great planner. All I have to do this morning is cook. Well actually, I didn’t even really have that much to cook. Jack had cut the rutabaga up and it was ready to boil. I had prepped the broccoli rabe. Guests would be adding to the feast. The lamb, the wonderful organic, grass fed and running happy in the fields lamb was my primary responsibility.

I love lamb. Rare lamb is my favorite Easter dish. Yummy, stop rolling your eyes – a carnivore is a carnivore. Following an Ina Garten recipe that my cooking pal Kathy sent me, I had marinated the leg of lamb in yogurt, rosemary, lemon rind, olive oil, salt and pepper. It did look like someone had vomited in my refrigerator, but the marinade was guaranteed to make an incredible tasting lamb. I pulled the lamb out of the frigorifero and left it on the counter to warm up While the oven was pre-heating, I had a Bloody Mary and thanked the universe for a terrific day. Each time I walked into the kitchen and saw the lamb, a smile appeared on my face.

Wiping off the yogurt – which was disgusting – I envisioned the crispy outer shell and rare interior. My mouth was watering in anticipation. We had calculated that an eleven pound leg of lamb would need about three and a half hours in the oven. At 11:30, the leg of lamb went into the 450 degree oven. “Alexa,” I bellowed, “set timer for fifteen minutes.” I puttered anxiously waiting for her dulcet beeps. The oven was lowered to 350 and I went into my office.

I’m doing the Dramatist Guild’s April challenge, “End of Play.” That means put your butt in a chair, let your creativity flow and finish the play that has been percolating for days. I’m researching WWII Italian Prisoners of War who were incarcerated in the USA. The stories are amazing. I really got into the research.

Suddenly, Jack stormed into the room. I looked up. “Midge, there is smoke in the kitchen. Who is watching the cooking.”

“I am. Just from my desk in the office. I can kind of see around the corner to the stove.”

Then, I saw the smoke. The oven must be filthy – didn’t I clean the oven this year? Sighs escaped from my lips and I shuffled over to the kitchen. Yup, there was smoke. Yup, it was coming from the oven. I opened the door – the lamb looked crispy. Grabbing my instant read meat thermometer I took the lamb’s temperature. What the … 146! No, no, the guests wont be here for two hours and the meat is done. While it rests it will cook even more. It was supposed to take three hours – what – it has been three hours? The beep of the smoke detector filled the room. The windows were opened. Crispy smoke detector activator lamb may have changed my standard Easter menu. Merde.

What to do? I took the lamb out of the oven, covered it with tin foil and opened a bottle of red wine. Red goes with lamb. I hope there will be some left for our guests.

A Taste of Wild Boar!

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo
Amazing Night!

As soon as we got out of our pal Jeff’s car, the succulent scent of slowly cooked cinghiali, wild boar, wafted over us. At 8:20 PM, Jeff, Marianne, Jack and I headed down the hill toward Pontelandolfo’s covered market. Since nothing here has ever started on time – ever – we were surprised to hear music playing and see everything organized and ready to go early! Sponsored by La Squadra Cinghiale Lido, wild boar hunting club, this was the best organized food centered event that I have ever attended in our little village. No, I mean, the best organized event ever! The club members thought of everything – starting with arrows and signs letting you know just where the event was. For years, I have whined about the lack of audience or tourist considerations. This group rocks and understood how to help everyone enjoy the night.

We got down to the covered market and joined the line to enter. The line flowed like a fast moving stream. We paid our €10 each, got a ticket and were whisked along. (Signage let us know exactly what to expect.)

A tray was placed in front of us, first stop – wine! That glass of full bodied red would be perfect with cinghiale. (You could also buy a bottle.) The tray slid down the counter and a club member filled a bowl with cavateli smothered in sauce teaming with chunks of boar. He pushed the tray on to the next station. A local hard roll – wrapped in plastic so no sticky fingers touched it – landed on the tray. Next stop, a scoop of cinghiale slowly braised with onions and garlic filled a tray cutout. That must be enough for ten bucks right? Nope. The final cutout on the tray was for an enormous scoop of cinghiale that tasted like it had marinated in wine and was slowly cooked with tomatoes and herbs. OMG it was ottimo, the best.

Well organized assembly line.

My neighbors – Nunzia and Amadeo – waved us over and created spots for us. The place was already full and tables had reserved signs. I had a chance to look around and appreciate the transformation the market space had undergone. Cafeterias style tables were set up and covered in yellow table clothes. Lots of them had reserved signs. I was happy that Nunzia called us over. The club had fashioned the cassa – place you pay – assembly line and enclosed kitchen at one end of the enormous space. The other side of the open space was the realm of Gabrielle Palladino, Pontelandolfo’s true renaissance man. He is an accomplished author of numerous books, a singer and theatre professional. He is also works in city hall. As they chowed down, the music he played and sang entertained the crowd.

The food was “to die for” and the convivial surroundings made the evening a spectacular success. After we finished eating, we didn’t want to leave. But the long line of hungry people waiting to come in, made me realize we should let them turn the table. The efficient volunteers had been coming around and bussing tables around us. What shall we do? Grab a bottle of wine and dance the night away!

Young, old all enjoying a wonderful night together.

The hunting club is housed in the old village nursery school. They get it for very little rent or free but maintain it and pay all the bills. La Squadra Cinghiale Lido is an asset to the village. Wild boars are really destructive and seem to multiply like rabbits. They have even taken over streets in Rome. My fantasy is that the organization also form a cooperative and get licensed to hunt beyond the season and sell the meat. I would be the first in line. Grazie La Squadra Cinghiale Lido for a perfect Pontelandolfo evening.

Ci vediamo!

Midge Midgeguerrera.com

Every year on September 12th, I remember where I was the day before. To deal with my own sadness, fears and sense of loss, I started writing a play. The play I wrote, Email: 9/12 was based on the emails I received from friends and family around the world. It tells the story of 9/11 from very personal perspectives. It hit me today that the youngest members of my extended family weren’t even born when the Twin Towers went down. I’ve shared my play with them. The play would be a wonderful component for any social studies or history class and a catalyst for discussion. It is published by Next Stage Press.

Fernando Fiat and the Sand of Morocco!

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo

Fernando Fiat loves an adventure as much as any other Fiat. (Those of you who have read Cars, Castles, Cows and Chaos have tracked his journeys.) The other morning I got up, looked at Fernando, shuddered and screamed “Where have you been?” The car was covered in sand! Did it take me on the quick trip to a beach on the Adriatic? Had it accompanied me to the neighboring village’s Beach Volleyball tournament? No! The 500 XL shuddered a bit and looked at me with “do you still love me“ headlight eyes.

Then it hit me – like a dune in the eye. Morocco! The high flying Sahara sands had covered my poor Fernando and he/she never got to enjoy Morocco. Seriously, there were no gifts on the back seat from open air bazaars, fabulous food containers were not perched on the back seat and make my tummy dance music was not playing on the radio. There was just sand. Years ago Mario, my cousin Carmella’s husband had explained the Moroccan connection. Being a testa dura, I had put the story away as folklore. Bo, it isn’t lore! Look at Fernando!

Itchy sand covers Fernando.

Everyone here knows about the sand. Everyone but me believes it comes from Morocco. I did what any baby boomer would do, I googled it. There are websites dedicated to the flow of the Sahara sand from Africa to Europe, the Caribbean and even the United States! Even NASA follows sand storms! NASA, seems to like the sand, and alerts us to this hurricane factoid – hurricanes hate flying sand! More sand means fewer hurricanes.

Dust plays a major role in Earth’s climate and biological systems. Since it is rich with iron and other minerals that plants and phytoplankton need, it provides natural fertilizer for ecosystems when it lands downwind. The airborne particles also absorb and reflect sunlight—altering the amount of solar energy reaching the planet’s surface. Dust can also promote or reduce cloud and storm formation, depending on other atmospheric conditions.

According to that same NASA article. Dust sounds like a good thing.

Living in Southern Italy I learn something new every day! Usually, it is about preserving a healthy harvest. I never thought that the unwashed Fernando Fiat could help me understand that sand, a simple grain, can have such a global impact.

Ci sentiamo,

Midge (www.midgeguerrera.com)

Have a happy rest of the summer!
Put some drama in your life!
Read a Play!
I am blessed to have – E-mail: 9/12, Wanda the Girl who Cried Witch, Many Snows Ago and soon Mamma Mia – La Befana?! – all published by Next Stage Press.

The Empty Piazza

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo

The other night and again this morning as Jack and I sat at Bar Elimar, I realized something was different. The vibe was different. The sun was still shining and the piazza dogs were still smiling at Jack. (Jack tends to drop things off his plates on purpose, hence the smiling dogs.) The silence hit me. The piazza was empty. I mean, not literally empty, but fewer people were lingering over coffee. We easily got a table in the shade. It is still August but summer season is over. The Pontelandolfese who returned to their roots have flown off. For some reason, I found this quiet period depressing. I, who hate crowds and backpacks, actually felt sad that there were less people out and about. Perhaps, I too am entering a new era or turning back the clock to a time when I couldn’t function unless there was a crowd to sap the energy from. Brrrrrrr. This is sounding too contemplative.

Snap out of it! This is the perfect time to be here in Pontelandolfo. The air is crisp. The sweat has stopped pooling under my boobs and the mosquitoes have stopped using my bare legs as a buffet. It is a pleasure to sit here, stare and sip my cappuccino.

Midgeeee! Tutto posto? Cheerily said a couple of men as they passed by our table on their way into the bar. Maria, the ever efficient barista/waiter knew exactly what we wanted without our asking. The silent piazza was still home for us. Full or empty we belong here.

Ci sentiamo dopo.

Midge

Not too late for a summer read of my Pontelandolfo based book, Cars,Castles, Cows and Chaos!

Teachers need a lesson teaching Halloween play or a play about America’s first people? Check out my plays on Next Stage Press.

I’ll Sleep in September

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo

Noooo! I can’t.

Yes you can, you will love it.

I have a headache.

You never have a headache.

Jack, who takes a nap every afternoon, dragged my tired, pajama clad butt off the couch at 9:00 PM and told me to get dressed. It was time to head to the piazza. How many nights in a row could I drink, eat, drink, watch performances and go to bed at 2:00 AM???? Hell, I’m 73 years young and pride myself on my “youngness” but even I in the prime of my third act can’t go out every night for an entire month. (Jack said I am exaggerating it is only seven to ten days. Feels like a month to me.)

There is more to come!

During August, Pontelandolfo becomes an arts and entertainment hotspot. We do compete with other towns for the crowds but our Folk Dance Festival can’t be topped. Gruppo Folk Ri Ualanegli, our internationally acclaimed folkloric dance company, produces a festival that brings in dance companies from around the world. This group takes our dance heritage seriously. One of the big draws on the opening night is our junior company. Children as young as three and four stamp, twirl and dance the dances of their ancestors. Click Here and check out the photos and video on their FaceBook page. This year dancers from Mexico, Serbia, Poland and other parts of Italy danced on the outdoor stage in Piazza Roma. Incredible. Absolutely magical.

Mexico Parades into the Piazza

The August nights also resonate with music and movies. Comicron 2022 – 7th Edition, a three night festival of short comic films, is an annual event. Created by celebrated film director Ugo Gregoretti, it provides young film makers with an incentive see comic shorts as an art form. Check out the Pontelandolfo entry, Il Re dell’Oblio written and directed by Gianluca De Michele and featuring my cousin – Valerio Mancini!

Notice how may other neighboring towns challenge us to stay up late.

You thought the festival was only a week? Actually, the official Pontelandolfo festival is about a week long. Notice, the other villages enticing us to leave our couches and venture forth. During the month in Pontelandolfo other events pop up . Who could resist this musical night –

I will absolutely go to this.

I challenge you to join me next year and see every event! Here is the drill, we get to the piazza – If I am still walking – at about 8:30 PM and hunker down in our reserved table at Bar Elimar. Bar Elimar is directly across from the stage so we get great seats, food, drinks and conversation. Often, I leap out of my chair, being careful not to spill my Campari Spritz, and race into the crowd to get closer to the stage. At about 1:00 AM we walk up the hill to our car and head home. Now we are too jazzed to go to sleep. Repeat. We repeat this lifestyle for a bunch of days. Next? Sleep for a week.

Today, I am drinking water at my usual table and staring at the piazza. Tonight will be another late night. Maybe, I’ll head home, take a lesson from Jack and zzzzzzzzzzz. And you – rest up and get your body here next August!

Ci Vediamo!

Midge – www.midgeguerrera.com

PS –

So excited – Next Stage Press just released my Eastern Woodland Native American Play – “Many Snows Ago” in September! Elementary School teachers will love it. “Mamma Mia – La Befana?!” comes out in the fall. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of my book about life here, “Cars, Castles, Cows and Chaos.”

Just Another Day in Pontelandolfo

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo

” Why, I just put one foot in front of the other and keep on smiling.”

“No, but really what do you do? I mean it’s not like a vacation, or is it like a super long vacation? What do you do every day?”

Hmm, what do I do on a typical day in Pontelandolfo. Let’s take today. Just what did I do today. First I carried the laundry bag down the stairs, separated the lights and darks and then I did a load of wash. I used to wash our clothes by hand – no really – the first year we lived here every single day I would wash what was dirty from the day before an hang it outside to dry. I felt like I was part of village life. After that early morning chore, I would walk to Piazza Roma and see laundry flopping in the breeze all over town. Of course, that worked amazingly well when we were here in the summer. One Christmas, my sheets froze on the line. My fingers froze getting the frozen sheets. The dining room was draped in damp sheets. The dryer was delivered the next day. But today, the sun is shining and it is going to be hot, so just like all over Italy, the clothes are happily hung on the line. Here is breezy example.

Next stop, Piazza Roma for a cappuccino and a visit to Dr. Palumbo. Nothing tragic, I just needed a prescription refilled. A prescription that will cost me next to nothing in a copay. Seeing our primary care doc meant climbing the three flights to his office. I consider it exercise. Huffing and puffing as I entered the waiting room, I wheezed out, Buon giorno, Chi è l’ultimo? The person who is last in the cue raised a broken wrist. I sat down, caught my breath and then as I waited my turn, caught up with local gossip . After arriving sans an appointment – no one makes an appointment – I waited less than I wait to see my primary NJ doc. Hello Margarettttt, smiles Dr. Polumbo. Yup, without a nurse putting a file in a pocket with my name on it he knows who I am. He prints out the script, I say grazie and I’m off.

Down the steps and across the piazza to Farmacia Perone to fill my meds. That is always a pleasure. The entire family of pharmacists always seem to be smiling, offer a little chit chat, at laugh at my reaction to the low low prices. I grab my drugs, say ciao, buona giornata, and I’m off.

A quick dash into the Ferramenta where hardware store owner Nicola smiless broadly as he says Buon Giorno Midge. Of course I immediately forget how to say low energy fluorescent lightbulb. We both laugh and he points to the ligtbulb display. I get one and raced back to Bar Elimar for Jack who is now on his forth espresso.

Home for a quick change into a bathing suit and pool wear. We were off to spend the day at Queensley Country Resort. This place is a scant 10 minutes from our house and always makes me feel like my book Cars, Castles, Cows and Chaos was picked up by HBO and I’m in LA. (Did you see how I just slid that plug in?). It is a truly glamorous place. Today, I swam laps in my not glamorous black tank suit. Everyone else was in a bikini. Everyone else was LA thin. After lunch, yes they serve lunch with real flatware. You can order a glass of wine and sit at a cloth covered table. Jack had his usual Caprese Salad and I had an l’insalatatone – big green salad with tuna. Don’t shrug your shoulders and sigh – you wanted to know what a typical day was like. This was my day.

Though there was some excitement today. We met a fairly large groups of folks from England. One couple of the group own a house in Compolattaro – the village next door to Pontelandolfo. Gerry and Jane plan on doing what Jack and I do – six months here and six months there. Listen up folks, there are houses for sale and this isn’t a bad place to perform your third act.

Speaking of acts, while I was at the pool a Facebook Messenger text popped up on my phone. It was Gene Kato from Next Stage Press. NO, THIS REALLY ISN’T A COMMERCIAL – THIS REALLY HAPPENED TODAY! Gene had done the dummy for the front and back covers for the play of mine he is publishing next. (He has already published two, “Many Snows Ago” is number three and this fall he is also publishing “Mamma Mia La Befana?!) So from the pool, like some hotshot millennial, I called Gene and we talked about the cover. OMG – what a day! Third acts like this are simply fabulous dahlink.

Tonight we are going to Sesto Senso for dinner. Who can cook after a day like this? I will be too tired to write about dinner – which starts close to 9:00 PM. Just know it will be yummy. Oh, and thank you for asking about my day.

Ci Vedaimo!

Midge 

(www.midgeguerrera.com)