Monday 18 September (the first day)
So here I am.
I woke at a reasonable hour of 6:30 or so and couldn’t wait to get onto the balcony to check out the view. Lovely! Then spent some time writing these entries. Funny how you think you have nothing to say and then the words start to pour out. Apologies to readers for the ambling style but I aim to keep going and write every day if I can.
So there was no milk for tea when we arrived and everything closed so around 9 after a shower I went out to find the Carrefour Express. Milk! Not so easy to find in Italy, especially fresh milk. Most is long life milk.
Then a quick jaunt to the market – the farmers market looked tempting but I wasn’t sure I wanted to buy anything so early. I then thought I’d find some arancini in the indoor market to surprise Krish but the shutter was only raised about a third and I never did see it open so maybe Monday is a closed or a brief day. Instead I picked up a mezzo kilo of tomatoes – my weakness – and breakfast was cheese brought in my suitcase, some tomatoes and two crackers, also from my suitcase. And tea, finally!
More writing followed and I was happy to just sit and be here really. I’d been waiting to do this for quite a long time so I savoured it.
At around 2pm I went out to find some lunch. Cristina had mentioned a fantastic fish place for lunch not far from here but it was very crowded so I kept looking. I sort of chickened out though and decided to go for the sure bet – a restaurant I’d been before that has a lunch special.
For 6E50 I had a large bottle of sparkling water, bread (untouched), some farfalle all’amatriciana and a coffee. The farfalle was a nice manageable size but I wasn’t too keen. The guanciale (bacon) was in large cubes and everything was salty. However, I was hungry. The service was friendly and prompt as I remembered it to be.
Nearby sat a Japanese couple, obviously confused by the menu and food and struggling to understand the server’s English. I’ve noticed these eating rituals several times. The sharing of food, the desire to try things that aren’t typical at home. It’s actually a nice thing. And social media is almost always involved. Much photographing and likely describing of the meal – the couple had asked to be moved to a different table since the wifi signal was poor the further into the restaurant you went.
I walked to the main market, meaning to buy some salad things and perhaps some fruit, only to discover at not even 3 it was already mostly bare and packed away. Not today then!
I also meant to find a bakery and sit and read for a while but there were none with seats so I came home and ate more food that had been packed for the train – in this case not a hardship, since it was a lemon tart.
So what could I do next? Krish was having a down day, sleeping and very quiet. So I had a nap, a real one – in the bed! Not usual for me but I did feel rested after that.
Cristina came by briefly to visit and then the lightning, thunder and rain started. I knew I had to go out. I feel pleased that I now know where to go when I leave the flat. Once I’m in the market area I feel at home and confident. So out I went. It was dark and raining and everything gleamed under the streetlights. Quiet deserted though so I had to steel myself to keep going. I headed straight for the restaurant under Cristina’s place and ordered some octopus salad and pizza to go.
And now to bed!