The day dawns hot and dry, and starts with another protracted discussion with Massimilliano. He is going on and on about the pool, and how we need to do something so the "La Politzia" are not an issue. I'm scratching my head and going….Pool Police? What the….? It's an above ground pool for now, no permits needed, or so I thought. After more exploration I realize that the word is "polutzia"….pollution, or basically, insects, pollen and leaves that need to be cleaned from the pool daily. Whew! Fun with languages. Again.
Speaking of insects, there is a whole world of insects here that we don't encounter in Oregon. There are not just 'zanzari' (mosquitoes), but 4 types of them. From tiny to huge (thank goodness we have screens in Casi di Sotto….we haven't had a problem at all). There are 3 kinds of biting flies (similar to deerflies, and horseflies, which have green faces here, and a huge, 2" long bugger that hangs out in roof tiles). These you just don't let land on you, they don't sting, they land and bite chunks. The large one is nasty. There are your typical bees, wasps….but no yellow jackets, really, which are the bane of our existence on summer nights in Oregon. But the ones that get me, are not dangerous at all. Centipedes….one of my friends here calls them "multi-legged creatures". Over a glass of wine one night, we all decide that they are not welcome in our houses. They are nocturnal, and they….scurry. Fast. So I'll be going downstairs to get a bottle of water in the late evening, and FLASH! Something out of the corner of my eye on the floor. SPLAT! Another one bites the dust. Don't like those guys. They are too furtive.
So, I digress. Today I must drive to the Pisa airport to pick up our next guests. I decide to take what I've been told is a shorter drive. It's not. But it's always fun driving through villages and towns that you haven't seen before. On one stretch of road, there is a guy walking down the side, obviously coming from the market, with bags in both hands and a bunch of wildflowers stuck into the top of his hat. I mean a whole bouquet. Laughing out loud, and wishing I could stop to take a photo, I keep going. I'm a little late picking them up, but we round up the suitcases and manage to get to my car before it's ticketed, and head back to Chianti.
It's always fun watching people fall in love with Tuscany. It doesn't take long. By the time we stop for lunch in Osteria alla Piazza, they are goners. Heavy sighs and deep breaths. I order Melone con Proscuitto and a fresh Insalata Caprese and I see Linda and Gene transform. Layers of stress peel off. A little Vernaccia, and 'ecco' (AKA voila!). Mission accomplished.
That evening we encounter Luigi at Pizza Pie, who proudly announces that his grandson was born late last night. Radda celebrates it's newest citizen.
Ciao!
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