Rain Held Off

Aggie and I headed to the beach this morning amidst a sunny, blue sky and no clouds. However, while at the beach, we noticed clouds rolling in from the distance. I had my dark tanning gel on, and my giant beach towel to lie on and we were set. After the time on the sand and in the calm, clear sea, we headed back home and made a pasta lunch with backed chicken and potatoes.

After lunch, we got some coffee at the bar in my condo complex. Aggie had a cappuccino, with a cacao smiley face.

We are getting excited for the Fiera starting tomorrow night. Last year they didn’t have one, but it used to be a staple of summer here. It is kind of like a flea market, but with amazing food from all over the region. The goat’s milk ricotta and buffalo mozzarella used to be incredible.

Sunny and Hot

Today was a sunny and hot day. Aggie and I went for a bike ride to the butcher, the baker, and the fruit vendors downtown. We got enough stuff for the next couple of days and then we headed to the beach. Before we left for the beach, I had Aggie rub me down with some Hawaiian Tropic dark tanning oil. For those of you scared of the sun look away. This stuff has zero SPF and says on the bottle to only use if you already have a tan. I don’t think the stuff really does anything. I’m not darker after 2 hours in the sun today than I was when I put the stuff on.

Last night, Aggie and I went for a bike ride and went shopping. I picked up three new watches.

Aggie has Arrived!

This morning I left the house about 6 a.m. and headed across the country to Rome to pick up Aggie at the airport. We returned to Campomarino, took the rental car back to the agency, and then took a train followed by a mile and a half walk back to the house. Many people know about the breathtaking beaches, incomparable history, and fertile land of southern Italy. Few people, however, realize that much of the country is mountainous. During my 8 hours of driving today, about 6 hours were spent going around and through mountains. Thank goodness human ingenuity was able to imagine tunneling. Crossing those mountains by donkey would’ve taken weeks.

One neat thing about the ride is when you see a mountainside town. There are many all over the drive. It is just a scenic wonder.

Busy Day

Wow was today a busy one. I went to bed last night thinking fully that I would head to the beach today. That plan was thwarted by clouds and rain. I did walk downtown this morning to a bakery near the train station about a mile and a half away. I made lunch and waited to leave to head to Termoli.

Today I picked up the car that I rented to go pick up Aggie. After picking up the rental car, I took my aunt to the township offices for something with taxes, went shopping at Lidl, went to pick up paint and supplies, went to a supermarket near Termoli named La Fontana only for their superb sausage, and then drove to Carrefour. For those who remember, Carrefour used to be in America. There was one in Berlin, NJ, and another near Franklin Mills Mall. They closed their American stores due to disagreements over unions.

Tomorrow I will be leaving bright and early for Rome to pick up Aggie. I think it might be raining as we are currently near an electrical storm just off the coast. I can see lots of lightning. I knew she was coming so I washed the sheets. Problem is, with no dryer and it raining outside, I had to dry them in the great room in front of a fan.

I finally received the post card I sent from Rome. Before I left the hotel on July 7, I sent a postcard to my house in New Jersey and one to my house in Italy. I am not sure if the American one arrived yet, but the Italian one got here yesterday, just a day less than three weeks after I sent it. Three weeks to get from Rome to Campomarino. The damn donkeys cross the mountains too slow.

Foodtopia Moments

This was my lunch today. I had string beans with tomatoes and garlic, and a turkey cutlet topped with a Caprese salad of tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, and olive oil from the family farm.

Foodtopia Moments

This was the bread and tomatoes I had for dinner tonight. It is a simple peasant delicacy. Tomatoes smashed on bread, topped with a little salt and direct from the farm olive oil.

Beached!

For only the second time in the three weeks that I’ve been in Italy, I hit the beach. This morning was beautiful, but right now the clouds are rolling in. It didn’t rain a drop during the first two and a half weeks that I was in Italy. If it rains today, it will be the fourth afternoon in a row with rain. Good for the plants though.

Foodtopia Moments

This is what I ate tonight at Ristorante Netti. It is called Pizza Scorpion. It has tomato sauce, mozzarella, cacao cavallo (a type of provolone), spicy sausage, and pepperoncini. It was delicious. When I ordered it, my cousin like the sound of it so much he called the waiter over and asked to change his pizza to the same thing.

I Hate Meetings

Today was our “reunione” or condo association meeting. It is also known as the day Italians need to part with their money. This is not an easy feat in a country where people haggle over every price and loathe paying full cost. I’ve been at the supermarket and watched Zia try and argue that her groceries should be less than they are because she is living on a pension.

At the meeting today, my second year in a row attending, she tried to argue that the condo association should pay for all of our water usage because people only live here two months out of the year. The meeting started a half hour late as we waited for more people to arrive (six, including myself and two people who mailed in their forms attended the meeting). It lasted an hour which was about 55 minutes too long. Only one person had any questions, my aunt. The other people in the meeting were growing restless by the time it was over. I paid my condo association dues for the year (72 Euros), and I was one my way.

The afternoon was a lazy one. It rained again. I was able to get 13 more pages of my script finished. Now I am up to 40 pages of almost all dialogue. I’m aiming for 100 pages (100 minutes). I also started the car for the first time in about three weeks. Check out the inside of the car. The metallic green on the door is actually the metal from the door.

My cousin Renato and his wife Dorette came by and took us out to dinner. We went to my favorite restaurant in town, Ristorante Netti. They had no idea about restaurants in the area, bust asked for a pizzeria and it is the best. They loved the food, and they are tough critics. I overheard Dorette on the phone with her son saying that the pizza was “buonissima” (fantastic).

Foodtopia Moments

This is what I made to eat tonight and tomorrow. I cooked tomatoes, onions, basil, potato, zucchini, and eggplant on the stove for a little while. Then, I mixed it with fresh ricotta cheese and grana padano cheese and put it in a baking pan. I topped with three kinds of cheese; grana padano, asiago, and a mild, soft pecorino. I baked the mixture in the oven for about an hour. It was like baked ziti, but without the pasta.

Afternoon Tour

I slept in until 8:30 this morning and didn’t get out of the house until 9:15. By that time, neighbors across the street had had a good ol’ Italian screaming match (a.k.a. A conversation), and the truck selling mattresses via a loudspeaker had also passed by. Needing some fruit, bread, and meat, I walked to the butcher, the baker, and the fruit vendors. For about 12 Euros, I bought a pound of string beans, 2 pounds of zucchini, 2 pounds of tomatoes, two loaves of whole wheat bread for my aunt, a slice of pizza with zucchini, and four turkey cutlets. They also threw in for free about $6 worth of basil and parsley. Those herbs along with celery are just given away here to make the fruits and vegetables smell fresher for longer periods of time. They are not sold. Not throwing those herbs in would be like selling you a TV without the remote. Vegetables need those herbs. I also stopped for an espresso today, so I have more energy.

For lunch I made string beans and tomatoes with garlic, and a turkey cutlet with capers. For dessert, I got a little creative. I took two scoops of gelato and topped them with bananas foster, which I made using Havana Club Cuban rum. It is perfect rum to cook with. The dessert was “out of this world” delicious.

This afternoon, I raked the garden, cleaned up the leaves, swept the patio, swept the inside of the condo, and went on a long bike ride. The damn espresso has me wired. On the bike tour, I visited the lungomare (beach strand) where I took some photos (love the cloud formation). The town has added a whole new section for walking and biking with beach access so new beach clubs can be built for next season. I think the hotels down the street from my condo are putting the money into the town and wanted their own private beach clubs instead of making deals with existing clubs. I also rode my bike over the port area and saw some of the new construction that I see advertised in town. They are on the other side of the port, a long way from the center of town. I cannot imagine being that far away. I used to think where we are is the outskirts of town, but in recent years, people have continued to build way beyond us.

Wet Weather

I visited Weather.com yesterday and saw that today we had a possibility of rain tonight into tomorrow. I mentioned this to my aunt at about 11:30 this morning, in the midst of another bright sunny day, and she told me that the internet is wrong. She hasn’t heard about any rain.

My neighbor’s son stopped by today which was nice since I hadn’t seen him since 2009. He has a second child which was also nice to see. The first child was just a baby and loved Aggie. Next Sunday, they will be back and I am sure the new son will like Aggie too.

My cousin Mario stopped by yesterday night and today. He was with us only a little while, mainly for lunch. Here is a photo. Hard to believe his grandmother is my dad’s sister. We look nothing alike.

Fast forward to 5:00, and my weather prediction that was wrong came true. The clouds rolled in fast with a lot of wind and some thunder. When it had died down, we were left with a lake in the parking lot that was higher than the curb, and it was beginning to come up my street. And it is still coming down. For a while it was gushing, as can be seen from the spout that starts on the roof.

I did some gardening earlier and the plants and ground terribly needed rain. So this weather is a blessing.

Foodtopia Moments

This was my lunch today. I had string beans with tomatoes and garlic (all farm fresh and grown right here in Molise), and a thin turkey cutlet with capers. It was a delicious meal.

Foodtopia Moments

Here was tonight's dinner. I had eggplant with tomatoes, and a nice glass of Cuban rum and pineapple juice. Does the United States government provide a warranty for the rum we sell worldwide?

Foodtopia Moments

This is the traveling salumeria that arrives in town on Friday mornings during the summer. They have great meats and cheeses at discount prices. I bought mortadella with pistachio, prosciutto di Parma, asiago cheese, and fresh ricotta cheese. For those of you hwho have never tasted fresh ricotta, let me be the one to tell you that there is a big taste difference between fresh and something in a plastic container at Shop Rite. A pound of each of the cheeses, and a quarter pound of each of the meats, and my cost was only 7 Euros. In dollars that is about $10.50.

Shopping Day

Today was another Friday market at the other end of town. I was tired this morning after heading out for “La Notte del Bianco” (White Night) late last night. I didn’t get to bed until 2 a.m. and by that time my legs were killing me. I did manage to snap a couple of photos last night, and today. Tonight, I am going to take it easy and rest. I walked downtown this morning for lunchmeat and cheeses, prepped some food, cleaned dishes, swept, mopped, and am working on washing and folding laundry. I am going to make a great wife one day. Someone asked with all of the walking if I am losing weight? I would like to say yes, but I really do not know. My clothes fit better, so that is a sign, but I am also eating lots of great food. I should be losing something as I am exercising more than ever. I might take the new bike for a quick spin in a little while just to exercise a bit before dinner.

Energizer Bunny Day

I don’t know if the smell of espresso here can get me moving, or if a Columbian put “magic” flour in my pizza this morning, but I have been going nonstop today. And my feet have just about had it. It is going to be a night for Aleve.

After waking at 8:30, I was able to get some pizza and new rubber gloves for cleaning at the little market across the way. Then I cleaned the remaining two cement walls. While I am cleaning them, they do not look as clean as when they dry, but now the whole place looks much cleaner.

For the first time this year, I went to the beach to lay on the sand and tan a little. I am not good for just wasting time tanning, so I brought along some character development worksheets and developed the rest of the main characters for my script. There are some ancillary characters who will need to be added, but not developed for the story to progress. Check out the photos of the beach. The sky was perfect blue, and the water was still and decently clear. The sun was strong, but a slight breeze made it bearable.

After cooking, eating, and cleaning, I decided to go to Termoli, the next town up. My main purpose was so that I would not spend another night just sitting on the patio listening to 70-year-old people talk about their and the nation’s problems, which always conclude with some bashing of the United States and how if we hadn’t stuck our nose in the Middle East, their problems would not exist. America is a big easy target, but in no way are we at fault in Italy’s problems.

I tied some loose ends tonight. I was looking for another new bike, a little stronger for me to ride. I found it and I love it. It is a Bel Air model beach cruiser and the seat says “California Dream.” It was more than the first bike, but much stronger and a better bike altogether. At the train station, I purchased train tickets for Aggie and I to head to Venice for our cruise. We have an overnight train to Venice-Mestre, and thankfully we do not have to connect anywhere. It was the only train they have to Venice without a connection. I also visited the historic district of Termoli. (I will make another post with those photos.)

In all, I walked about five miles beginning with the mile and a half walk to the train station here in town, and rode the bike about two miles. I really do not know where I got the energy for today. Maybe Coke Zero over here has more caffeine.

My neighbor just came home as I am writing this, and she told me that there is a white party tonight along the Lungomare (a kind of strand near the beach with all of the premier beach clubs in town). It is supposed to last until 4 in the morning. I guess I will head out to check it out.

All that, and I also am on my third load of laundry.

More photos of Termoli

Here are some more photos of Termoli. Notice the pastels of some homes, and how even in this ancient town there is a Duomo. Also, checkout the port, and a photo that shows Campomarino in the distance.

Photos of Termoli – Vecchia Citta

Here are some photos. Check out the Lungomare, the Ancient Castle of Federico II, the fishing nets, the streets and architecture and the steps leading to living, breathing, Italian life. Not even Disney could recreate the experience of Old Termoli.

Writing Process

Today I slept in. I didn’t get out of bed until 8:30 a.m., which is late for me since I’ve been here. When I got up, I worked my hand raw, as seen in this photo, cleaning more cement fence. I have two more walls to go tomorrow. Tomorrow’s walls will require a lot of post washing clean up due to their locations on the property. I was also able to get on my writing process. Last week, I had mapped out my scenes. So far, I have the first three scenes written and I was about to write the fourth when family intervened. I hung out tonight with my aunt and a cousin of hers and my father’s who kept referring to me as Gino. Luigi (to Luigino then Gino for short) is his name, as well as the name of all first born Ciavarella males in my family for my generation, with one exception…me. He finally asked my name after he tried to ask me a question and I had no idea he was even speaking to me. I was hoping to go shopping at the street market tonight, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Quick Observation

As a teen and into my 20s, I worked in the restaurant business using my hands and working a lot of hot and laborious hours. What I learned today is that not only am I no longer in my 20s, but my college degrees have led to careers that are not quite as “hard” on me nor have they prepared me for a labor intensive job. I cleaned the cement part of the fence last night and today using gloves, a scrub brush, and a bucket of hot water and Comet cleanser. In the process of cleaning, I developed a blister on my hand, received several scrapes and cuts on my arms, wore my knuckles down raw by periodically scraping them along cement, and broke a thumb nail in a weird way that was incredibly painful. So, as of this day, I concede that I am not a hard laborer any more. Here are before and after photos of the wall I cleaned. As I was cleaning, I had a hard time telling if I was successful. But looking at it now, I can truly tell that it is much cleaner.

A Day of “Rest”

What a night Sunday was. I was supposed to have the night free to make phone calls, write, and surf the web. However, then I got word that some of the family was not leaving after lunch, but at night. So I was planning to bid a bon voyage, when a call came in that another cousin was coming with his wife and one of his daughters. They all know each other so not a big deal. Once everyone was at my house, I got a call from yet another cousin that they were on their way. At that point, people were here until 10:30 at night and my free time was gone. I figured that today I would get free time, which I did, although I spent about three hours today walking. My feet are killing me. I also made a new friend today. This afternoon, at little kitten, no more than a week old, wandered onto my property. He eventually settled and watched me work on cleaning the cement that I am having painted at season’s end. The cat was a cute little thing, not scared of me, which I found weird. I put a can of tuna fish with peas near the dumpsters tonight. Hopefully he finds it. I did see his mother looking for him tonight and another kitten. I have not see my little visitor in since I washed the cement wall.

Foodtopia Moments

This is what I made for lunch today. I had some over pasta. It is tomatoes, onion, zucchini, eggplant, red and yellow peppers, and basil with a filet of persico that I cut into four pieces. I added just a little bit of crushed tomatoes. It was delicious.

Praying for Rain

This is a bad photo, but these are the first clouds I’ve seen since I arrived here 11 days ago.

Long Walk

This morning I got up and went for a walk. I was trying to see the port of Campomarino, but I realized early on that I had gone down the wrong road, but I wanted to see where it would lead. Basically, I got lost on purpose. I ended up walking about two miles just to take a photo of the port for this blog. Sadly, I only had my phone so the photo kind of stinks. After the walk, I came back and prepped for lunch with family. Today was had rigatoni with meatballs and veal pizzaiola. It was delicious. I love Sunday gravy. The meat makes such a difference. We finished the lunch with some cantaloupe that was out of this world sweet.

Foodtopia Moments

Tonight we had pizza in honor of my aunt's birthday, and her saint day which is where she inherited her name Carmelita. We had five different types of pizza; one with just tomato sauce, olive oil, and basil; one a pizza margherita; one with four cheeses, including gorgonzola; and then the two pictured. One of the two is a white pizza with fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, ruccola, olive oil, and shavings of grana padano cheese. The other has tomato sauce, mozzarella, onions, basil, and grana padano cheese.

Tanti Auguri Zia!

Today was my aunt’s birthday. My cousin’s wife and children came to town for the weekend so we were all able to celebrate together. It has been a food festival. First we had pasta with eggplant and turkey cutlets. The Italians are crushing on turkey right now around here. Then we finished off lunch with fruit and a cake for my aunt’s birthday. For dinner, we had pizza and eggplant parm. It was pretty fun day. This only the second time I’ve ever met these children who are now 13 and 8. The last time I saw them they were 7 and 2, so there is a huge difference.