It ’s Sunday evening after a harrowing day and we have reached our final destination. We are welcomed with open arms by Pasquale, our landlord and local entrepreneur and his lovely mama, Anna. It’s good to be back again.
After a few more pleasant exchanges, we made our way home to the apartment where we would be staying for a week or so. I sent Peter out to a restaurant across the street for some pizza and to see if he could find a martini ( yeah good luck). A little unpacking to settle in and find one’s toothbrush while Peter locates an English speaking channel.
The apartment is not why I came to Italy it’s why Peter came. It is modernly finished and furnished; two flat screen TVs( essential one in BR) centrally located, microwave oven, lovely bathroom, you get the picture!
WEEK One:
MONDAY: Well I told Peter the tourist-eating- out-every-meal was basically over and now we were “living” here so we better go to the grocery store. We are near the Deco Supermarket, our next destination. “Just a few things”, I say, “ the essentials,” which came to $94 € later and now the store manager loves me. Probably no one else has spent that much money at one time in his store in who knows when, PLUS the cane and boot,
I’m excited to cook something that night but there may be an issue with the gas. Or it may be something lost in translation but I’m afraid to start cooking pasta and have the gas run out in the middle and I’m not getting the reassurance I need to hear from Pasquale who says he can check tomorrow. SOOoooo Peter goes to Pasquale’s bar to buy a chicken for dinner and I decide to make a fancy insalata. My idea did not go over so well.
Radicchio, fennel red onion and oranges just didn’t make it as salad for him. We did have a good laugh though when we figured out that we were renting a place that should have gas but maybe didn’t from Pasquale so in order to eat, we buy a chicken from him. Works out really well for him!
TUESDAY: When we stay at the apartment, we can go to the bar in the morning if we wish, and have grande caffe Americano, one nero and one con latte calde and our choice of a brioche. This sort of uinversal breakfast pastry varies in form and name and filling. In Florence they were smaller and referred to as a cornetto, in the U.S.A. I’ve heard them called croissants, at Orso’s it’s a bioche with cream or marmaletta or ciocolatta, or a fruit tart. We sit outside, sip our coffee, Peter reads The NY Times because his wonderful wife got a month’s subscription on her kindle for him! We spent about two hours soaking up sunshine in the garden.
WEDNESDAY: As we sat having our usual morning coffee, we were introduced to Steve and Cindy, a couple from Arizona who moved to Guardia in January permanently. Of course that opens up a conversation of a million questions and answers. As it turned out we were going to see a house for sale that was just doors down from them. Unfortunately when you say a few doors down from someone in Guardia you could be talking about a 45 degree angle of uneven stones. They came along with us to preview the house which had a most spectacular view!
The crane to the left is there because they are working on the building that was a former convent. This view was from the terrace!! LOVE it. But you can’t live outside even if you plan only to come in the spring or fall. The kitchen had been modernized and had a fireplace which was probably the only source of heat. That was the only room on the first floor, maybe two steps up the staircase, there was a bathroom branched off. BIG problem there – the stairs wind a bit upwards and are marble. How would I ever get down in the middle of the night? One level up was a big bedroom and then another level up there was two smaller bedrooms which could be opened to make one large. Well that’s too too many stairs and made of marble, not to mention I was pretty sure there was a leak in the roof and some water damage in the walls. No sale today.
THURSDAY: We wake up to a gray day and I notice a message on WhatsApp from Pasquale. It’s in Italian but I think it says we should move the car because we may be over the hour – that’s my rough translation. I send Peter down to move the car to the bottom of the staircase and I will get myself down. As I descend, it starts to rain, I don’tsee the car! I keep going down, it’s raining harder, no car, I’m at the bottom and it is a downpour and still the car is where it was parked. I am screaming curses as I hobble with cane to the car and get in soaked to the skin, wondering how and why the car had not been started and backed up before I got down the stairs? Don’t bother, there is no sane answer. For a moment we discuss the message about moving the car and we are going to head to the bar BUT it has started to hail! YES, it is May and it is hailing, big marble size pellets.
Not only was the car being drummed with ice marbles, the street was also flooding. We were parked probably closer to the more level upper end but below us it just went gushing past.
All good things come to an end, even hail,storms, so we headed down to the bar to assure Pasquale that the windows were shut! However, it’s Giovedi and apparently almost every place in Guardia is closed. No one told us. One little cafe up the road was open so we stopped in for a slice of pizza and a delightful arancini which is a rice ball stuffed with some sauce and peas and mozzarella.
To be continued…
I want to buy a jar to take home and the olive oil. We went out of town towards Telese to the Forreste cooperative. What a place! Like gas pumps, there are huge silver tanks with indications as to what wine is in them. You literally pump your own wine in multi-liter jugs. This is definitely better than a wine club!
We spent a couple of hours poring over ledgers from the 1890’s through the early 1900’s. I was trying to determine which brother was the older, my grandfather, Luciano or his brother, Antonio -a great debate had ensued over the winter between cousins. It’s amazing what can get so-call lost in translation or just misinformation! Anyway to set the record straight, Grandpa Louie was the elder.
Guardia is a small town and everyone is so friendly. The influx of foreigners (many Americans) has not negatively impacted the town; Some new businesses have opened which cater to the new arrivals and their tastes, I believe Alchime is one and certainly a welcome addition. 
Bill Ding and his band of clowns are the security patrol for this blog site. He is a favorite toy from the 50*s. By the way sometimes a blog is just an ego-maniacal stream of conscience.
Pbenjay's Blog 
Luigi And The Lights
May 28, 2018 by pbenjay
One late morning, Joel and I were sitting outside at Orso’s enjoying the sunshine, some coffee and wi fi. It was a beautiful day, the cherries had turned from green to red in the past few days, the roses were in full bloom; shades of pink and red. The fig tree was laden with burgeoning little green globes which unfortunately would not ripen till the end of summer.
Pasquale came out and asked Joel if he would go with his father, Luigi, to pick up a heavy box. Since I was working on my iPad and he was getting a little bored, he jumped at the chance of a change of scenery. Luigi came out and gave me the two finger sign indicating they’d be back in two minutes.
It was more like 30 minutes, before they returned in the truck and started to unload what looked like a few large coiled wreathes. At least that’s what it looked from across the street.
Soon it was apparent what was happening;
Up A Tree
Hidden From View
Taking Direction
Luigi had enlisted Joel to help him string lights in the trees in Orso’s Garden. That’s the official name of this small oasis across the street from the B&B. I’ve spent hours there sitting in that glorious Southern Italy sunshine, drawing zentangles, talking to Peter, looking at the panorama and trying most of all to be present.
That day watching Joel and Luigi up in the trees stringing the lights was so heartwarming. Joel had told me that Luigi reminded him of his own great-grandfather, Luciano, a few days before. Luigi only speaks Italian and dialect for sure, Joel knows grazie. So how the directions were being given and followed must have been a lot of gestures and pointing!
The afternoon was getting warmer, so I ordered a Perroni, hey that’s what you do in Italy and especially in Guardia. Are you ready for this? A bottle of beer costs 1€! Now if you want Heineken then it’s 1.50€. Oh what a great place!
The guys had to take a break, Joel had a rash on his arms but was not going to complain because Luigi had cut his hand in a few places with the knife and shrugged it off when Joel pointed out the bleeding. God, that reminded me of my own father! By the way, I didn’t take his picture but should have, because Luigi was also up in the trees securing lights, he is very spry.
A Well Deserved Break
Here are a few garden photos;
All in all this was a very pleasant day. We went home and it wasn’t until a day or two later we found out the lights were turned on in the garden that night and everyone was eating chicken!
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Posted in From My Point of View - Personal commentary on Movies and Books, Travel-Where in the World are Peterlori? | Tagged cherries, fig tree, Heineken, Luigi, Orso’s, Orso’s Garden, Pasquale, Perroni | 3 Comments »