Ostuni, Monday, 08:15 pm
I am sitting in my favorite spot in the house: the cozy velvet green sofa. It first was a kind of grayish beige–that kind of fresh beige that becomes dirty after too many people sit on it. A very nice lady, Federica, upholstered the two comfortable seats.
Yesterday we went to an Italian movie, perfetti sconosciuti (perfect strangers), to upgrade my Italian a bit. It was hilarious: great content, sharp dialogue, perfect acting, amusing twists. It was about seven friends having a dinner party and, as a game, they decided to put all cell-phones on the table to prove they trusted one another. Many secrets rose to the surface, and the evening ended in a bitter fight. A must-see, if you ever get the chance. Also a perfect subject to discuss among friends, with a glass of wine, or Italian dinner (as we did yesterday in la Filosofia – delicious food by the way!), afterwards.
Today in the early morning, driving through rain and mist, hubbie managed to drop me on time at the airport. At 1:30 pm I landed in Brindisi, under a shiny Puglian sky. Hopeful and patient I waited in line at the car rental office. I ordered a Fiat cinque cento, as I always do but never get. I always hope for the old iconic model but usually get the renewed ugly version. This time they handed me a shiny (hurts the eyes) red Hyundai, that looked like a covered wheelchair. But once I was on the road, I was happy: on one side the glistering silver green olive trees, on my other side ongoing hedges of oleanders (and it did manage to go much faster than a wheelchair).
Stopped at the supermarket, the Ipersimply, where “La spesa che non ti pesa”, free translation: the groceries that don’t cost too much. I go there for the simple reason that there is not a lot of choice of markets open at siesta-time.
I was so curious and eager to see the house. Luckily, the cement tiles look beautiful, not as shiny as in the pictures the contractor sent me. Sono molto contenta! What do you think?
Our contact from the British rental agency paid me a visit, and she was as happy with the result. A bit later Francesca and William arrived, and we all discussed the upcoming summer season. One problem: the waste. You probably suspect a perfectly organized system. Well, no. There is no garbage truck to collect your waste. Depending on the day of the week, you need to bring it to a different spot. Last summer I copied maps of the town of Ostuni, indicating with markers the different spots in different colors. But it didn’t turn out to be very efficient. I need a new plan.
What is going on? I thought my eyes were getting tired. But now I notice the screen of my Mac-book is lighting up and then getting darker again. So are all the lights in the house. Well, we have electricity. But not on a solid base. Jesus. Is Enel teasing me?
Ostuni, Tuesday, 3 pm
I slept pretty well. And the electricity still worked this morning. Not the heating though. We installed a new boiler, but there must be a leak somewhere … More costs to be expected.
Leonardo and Lucio (contractor and carpenter) stopped by this morning, to discuss the works so far, and what still needs to be done. In the picture underneath you can see a piece of painted wood Leonardo brought as a sample for the closets. I think the color matches well with the tiles, it is a grayish blue, the same color as the blue of the tiles, only lighter. I am learning Italian, but I find it very hard to discuss technical issues. I feel more comfortable talking about Italian food or fashion.
It is about 15 degrees Celsius and a bit windy, but comfortable. I paid a quick visit to Ostuni, planted myself on a terrace out of the wind, and enjoyed a cappuccino, cornetto con Nutella (croissant with melting Nutella in between) and of course the sun. Delicioso!
Time to tidy up, close everything and say goodbye to no one in particular. And hurry back to the airport in Brindisi. Next visit in April!
Arrividerci e alla prossima settimana!
Ciao, Sophia
PS: Luckily the new fig tree hubbie planted last summer survived the cold winter. I saw little green shoots.
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