Our weather has changed for the better and we are enjoying the days here now. Our flowers are coming back to life. And the grape vine has produced its first grapes!
On 10 August we went to a concert in the village of the Casalanguida band. It didn’t start until about 9:30 p.m. and just about every chair was taken when we arrived. I found a chair next to Monica, the assistant to our local doctor, while Mike stood and leaned against a wall. Cathey was there, as well as Angela and Giuseppe. The music was wonderful. They played for an hour and a half, then took a break. We left at that time, although Giuseppe wanted us to stay because they were giving out free beers. This is typical of gatherings here. They start late and don’t end until well after midnight or later. And always something to drink and eat.
The next morning the women in the crochet group gathered at the school to put the finishing touches on our display. The banners from villages around the area were to be on display in the square in Casalanguida that afternoon and evening. All of the banners were being taken around to the towns and villages for display so that everyone could get a chance to see them all together. I helped for an hour or so, then went home to change for lunch.
Our neighbor and horse friend Nicky had arranged for a bunch of us to have lunch at an agriturismo. We’d been wanting to go to this one, as it’s not far, about 20 minutes away. If you ever have the opportunity to go to one, you should. Just plan on eating too much and staying for at least 3 hours. If you go to my photos, you will see the delicious home-grown, home-made dishes. Everything was so, so good.
Saturday evening Paul and Justina invited a group of us to dinner. Paul had gone to the butcher shop (marcelleria) in Vasto and bought prime hamburgers and sausages. Justina had everything well organized. Again, we ate and ate and ate. And so much fun! It was a very eclectic group of people. Italian, Dutch, Scottish, British, Polish, American, Lithuanian. We are all drawn to this beautiful country.
Cathey arrived a little late because her horse was delivered that afternoon. She bought a very handsome Appaloosa gelding and is as happy as anyone can be. The horse (no name yet) moved right in, and gets along with her other animals just fine (dogs, cat, chickens…) I went over the next morning to see them. I am a little envious…
Today is Ferragosto. The big holiday in Italy. You can look up the reasons behind it. But this week, anyone who can will take the whole week off. Some people even take off the whole month. It’s a simple excuse to party. Not that the Italians really need any excuse to party. If someone has a bottle of wine and some arrosticini, that’s cause enough! Mike and I will avoid crowds today and celebrate on our patio with Maria and Robert.
We plan to go to the beach tomorrow and take Paul and Justina. Hopefully they will like our beach club and will use our chairs and umbrella while we are in the States.
The rest of the week will be spent preparing and packing for our trip to the States. We’ve done quite a bit of planning, but it’s those last-minute things that drive me crazy.
Don't forget to look at the photos.
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