Since my blog on our trip to Gallipoli, things have quieted down a bit. We did manage to get the internet connection up and running and so are back in business. The dial-up system here is a complex arrangement of re-registration and recharging. Then magically our 50 euro recharge became a 7 euros charge for 20 more hours. Of course to do this, you have to pay 10 euro to re-register! I can’t figure it out, but it is done, until the next glitch!
The weekend was rather quiet. We did our usual strolling about with a little practical shopping for supplies mixed in. Weekends are so alive in Lecce, that you hardly want to go someplace else. There are seemingly endless streams of school tours coming through town. It is during these sieges that one is thankful for McDonalds. The other cafes are quite empty because all the teenagers flood Mickey D’s. I never thought I would be singing the praises of McDonalds!
Tourist trade has picked up a bit. I always find it interesting to hear the waves of different languages washing into town. At this point, it is mostly German and French. However, we have heard some English, both British and American. We have not really struck up a conversation with those visitors, but largely because of the lack of proximity. Saturday night we were at dinner and heard a piercing American accent cutting its way through the night air. It was a couple of college-age girls almost completely on the opposite side of the restaurant! Our ear has grown so accustomed to Italian that you almost have to readjust when you hear English; it is not the first thing to register.
As we sat at our favorite afternoon café on the square, we did see a wedding party pass by, stopping for a few photos on the Piazza. This was such a common sight in Mexico (especially Guadalajara), yet we had not seen much indication of weddings here. Naturally, I ran to the Piazza and became a part of the photo crew recording the event.
There was a little rearranging of the dress
And it was great fun to hear all the little girls who were in the vicinity, shouting encouragement to the bride and groom. Very fun.
We returned to 13 Shui Wine Bar for dinner on Saturday night. Mario had had a busy week and had not altered the menu from the week before. Nevertheless we returned for his delicious baked radicchio and then shared chicken and cous cous curry. Again, very good. The yogurt, in particular, had a wonderful herbed flavor, but we were unable to get Mario to tell us his secret. He simply said he had added, “Love.” We also had a nice chat with the owner, Sebastiano, who patiently keeps helping me with my Italian; he insisted that we finish off the night with a glass of grappa – just what we needed!
Sunday, again, was a quiet day. We did stroll up to the Piazza and discovered an antique car show. There were about 25 cars from as far back as 1933, up to the 1970s. While there was a VW bus and a convertible (1 year older than ours), and several MGs, the bulk of the cars were Italian, mostly Fiat and Alfo Romeo. Fun to look at some cars that we seldom see.
Also brought back memories of my brother owning a Fiat that spent more time parked in front of the house than on the road. Polley and I always think fondly of Fiat as it was the first rental car we had in Greece – tinny little Fiat Panda.
Late Sunday, I began to feel ill again. This is the second time the past 3 weeks and we are now convinced that the parasite I picked up in Mexico had not been defeated. I dreaded starting the 5-day sequence with the anti-biotic (actually, I think I dreaded more the process of tracking it down in a foreign country). Also, while taking it, you can have no alcohol – for 5 days! However, armed with a few Italian phrases and the vial from my last round, we ventured for to the Famacia. Getting it, turned out to be a breeze. This antibiotic was very familiar to them, you did not need a prescription and it was 2.55 euro (about $3.20). I paid $11 in Portland for 5 fewer tablets. Based on Mexico and Italy, I am becoming a fan of socialize medicine! I decided to hold off on beginning the sequence until Tuesday morning. I needed one last drink.
Ironically, all three of our favorite wine bars are closed Monday nights, so we returned to the Irish Pub, The Joyce. Very nice people in there, with just enough English to fill in the gaps in my Italian. The barkeep and I struck up a conversation based on the Bruce Springsteen CD he had going. As I said to Polley, here we are in Italy, listening to a CD of American folks tunes (Pete Seeger), most likely on a Japanese stereo, in an (faux) Irish pub, drinking real Irish beer! In this little Irish pub we have experienced globalization!
So as I anticipate 5 days without Italian wine (or Guinness) and the weather forecast is not very promising, I am unsure what the week ahead will bring. As I write this, rain is pouring down, perhaps harder than anytime since we arrived. We have other travel plans, but those may have to wait a bit. Stay tuned.
Ed and Polley
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