Italian friends

We finally got hold of P’s friend Lorenzo and were to meet them for lunch, but when we got there they had decided we would eat at their place. Usual awkward bit when I explained about not eating meat, but then everything was fine. We had pasta Genoese
which was penne pasta with basil pesto mixed through, a huge plate, then a pork steak all by itself on a plate for the meat eaters. Then salad, a mound of lettuce with balsamic, then tomatoes, bread and cheese. After all those courses fitted in we had gelato cake
.( ice cream cake) It was a lovely meal its just different for us as we would normally put the meat and vege on the same plate and not have a full pasta before hand. Then a coffe of the tiny cup only thick coffee no added water no milk type, P even struggled through one. I don’t mind them as long as they have no sugar in them.
L and his wife (C) have a lovely wee girl who is 11 months who kept us all amused. C speaks no English and L just enough so we had to muddle through using key words instead of whole sentences.

We arrived at 1.00 and left about 5 with an invitation to dinner at 9.00pm the same night.
So into town to buy some flowers, beer and a dress for the baby as a thank you.
Quick internet stop and then we were back to their casa ( house). They are on the side of a hill reached by narrow, one lane, windy road that you beep to let traffic know you are coming and hope they pull into a driveway. The view is amazing taking in most of the valley and the local prison.
When we arrived the meal was set outside in the yard with the view in front of us and L’s mum, dad, aunt and uncle were there for dinner as well ( no English again).
Pizza, steak, salad, bread, cheeses and 2 sorts of gelato cake (one a vienetta like tip top make).
I had a red wine that the uncle makes it was so young it was still a bit fizzy from the yeast, he seemed impressed that I liked it. P had beer and L had beer with Pepsi added, an odd combination.
Home at midnight very full. P had agreed to go cross country with L the next day.
Sunday.
P off to tramp and photo and avoid snakes so I put on a skirt nice top and low heels and went to see what church and town were like on a Sunday ( thought I should look tidy).There was a bike race starting so colourful bikers everwhere.
Then I got a call from P that I was expected that there was a picnic for the wives.
So they collected me from town and away we went up a very narrow rocky road only accessible in a 4wd to a very rustic cottage that was L’s grandpa’s home. It was incredibly rough and rocky and I was in totally the wrong clothes which was bit embarrassing when we got to the house and the other women from last night were there in shorts and sneakers. The aunt gave me her shoes and I wore P’s socks pulled up to stop the whippy brambles ( I know always looking elegant) and we went for a look over the side of the section. The casa is on the slopes of Monte Cassino and right in the battlefield area. When you scrapped away the soil or moved a rock you found shrapnel and old bits of ammo boxes etc . P in his element. There was not a single area of flat ground anywhere so once I was back in my own shoes was a bit restricted. Still was a wonderful setting and so off the beaten tourist track that it was worth it.The casa had no windows or fittings as no one had lived in it since 1980’s, a stone shell really with rooms.
A large lunch was then set up and we had pasta cooked over the open fire, and a spread of other meats and foods. We had cactus fruit for dessert, it was pips with a bit of fruit but pleasant enough taste.
Then P and L headed off there was some talk of going by donkey and they saddled up one of the 6 that was wandering about and the baby and P both had a go. P though it was so I could go to …..but no they then set off in the 4WD.
There was now me and 4 non English speakers, argh, good practice for my Italian.
The two older women were playing cards so C and I joined and we played against them, it was 3 cards each and 4 face up and you made pairs or added to the middle then 3 more cards. Seemed easy enough once I knew which were the point scoring cards. C had to go and tend to the baby so the uncle and I paired up and were going great guns being ahead until the last 2 hands when we were overtaken. Good fun tho.Lots of slapping the cards on the table when you won a good trick.
2 ½ hours later P back and we packed up and we drove back down the Mountain. The relatives walked down a mule track, the father with 4 sheep in tow that he had bought up for a feed of leaves. An amazing authentic” Italian day out.

Then home for tiny dinner and another night with a fireworks display there has been one every night since Friday, each village taking a turn, we get to see them all as we are on the side of the hill looking over the valley. Cassino has Tuesday and Wednesday as festival days and all the streets are strung with huge spiderwebs of lights ready and we do fireworks on Wednesday. It is to celebrate the Ascension into Heaven of the Virgin Mary, so a really big event in Italy.