to Pietrasanta

Friday, 30 April 2010

Nearly three weeks of moving, hotels, hostels and food prepared by others is enough.

Caught the train from Messina, Sicily to Rome on Wednesday. Sharing my compartment was an Australian couple. It was their turn to be put through the wringer over their tickets that were unstamped by the ticket person back at Messina. The drama went on for the whole day, obviously the problem was not their fault but finally resolved when they gratefully paid a 100 euro fine; he fighting off a nervous breakdown and she shaking with fear of being thrown off the train.

I was biting my tongue and if I had any command of the Italian language would possibly have given the guard an earful of it.

Stayed one night in Rome and went through Florence to make it to Pietrasanta  yesterday.  Florence will have to wait.

Had a sensation of coming home after many years absence. Twenty five years since I stepped through the old arch into the piazza, the thought giving me goosebumps and bringing tears to my eyes.

I was met by Toni, an Australian living here, married to an Italian. She showed me the way to Lea’s place which is right in the corner of the piazza, gave me the keys and left me to it.

 Lea’s house overlooks the Piazza and is a wonderful old but recently renovated house with a lovely garden of olive and citrus trees. There’s a pizza oven out in the garden and Lea has built herself a little studio. It’s beautiful here.

In the afternoon I went down into the town eager to buy some food that I can prepare myself. The town is so nice and civilised. Even the perpetual hawkers of hats, handbags and sunglasses don’t push too hard. There was a wedding on in the cathedral and I sat at a bar in the afternoon sun and watched the procession of people, stupidly looking for someone I might know from the past.

You never know.