Is it spring? (or 2 cappuccinos?)

Oh what a beautiful morning!
It's the first time I have been properly back in Pisticci for what feels like months.
I thought I would go for a walk in the sunshine, do a few errands and get some breakfast.
It was gorgeous. I went for a coffee and discovered I have sold another painting from Cafe Vladimiro. Hurray!
Then I sat in the piazza and tried out my kindle. did not appear to be wifi. there. So investigated the Night and Day cafe- who do have wifi, but as I dont know how to make capital letters with my kindle yet I could not connect. But that might be fun in the future sitting in a nice cafe , ordering books online.
After that I just had to buy two little pansy plants. Passing ACT CIRCUS I felt a bit sorry that I have not been to any concerts there or even dropped in for months. The sad truth being I can't stay awake so late in the winter. (roll on summer)
Completely forgot -in all the excitement of being back- to buy any food so am a little "high" on 2 cappuccinos, blue skies and general loveliness.

But I think my photos speak better than I do. ( the painting is a scottish scene from last week when I was there.)

A quiet life in the country

Oh dear, I think when I called this blog, My Life As A Story,  I really meant my life as an exciting story with lots of weird and wonderful things happening. Its been a bit quiet recently.................................................
I suppose flying off my scooter  was quite exciting , in a painful sort of way! Then being reasonably vain and not wishing to inflict my horrid looking face on other people I did sit around for a month - so adventures were a bit limited. Unless you count the time I just had to get some stuff from my studio and rushed from the car to studio in heavy disguise and then back again . Was still limping at that stage so luckily no one saw me as I may have borne a passing resemblence to quasimodo. (limp - creep-limp-creep!)
Admittedly going out on my scooter now feels a little more of a scary adventure than it did before. Am on the look out for dogs round every corner. Have already been chased by 2 more and spoken to the owner. But now know that if a dog jumps out at me I will stop. I  don't believe any longer that they will not attack my scooter. Having tried this - it looks like they lose interest and go away.
It has been very pleasant though- living the quiet life. I have been baking. Due to a temporary financial crisis I have been using up all the things in the cupboards and freezer and quite enjoying myself.
I invented olive and parmesan scones which apparently are just perfect with a glass of wine while in the bath. I found a tin of pineapple - but not the tin opener- so after some work with a hammer and screwdriver I made pineapple crumble. But what I am most proud of are my chocolate squares - made from a large lump of old cooking choc which had gone a bit white round the edges, half a packet of slightly soft biscuits, some marge  and half a bag of raisins. Yum!!
I have also found lots of old soup mix hidden behind things and we having been having soup and olive and parmesan scones for lunch every day.
I cant eat properly - my teeth are still partly numb, but improving- since the accident. So most of my cooking and baking has been with this in mind.
Sunsets have become important so I have to rush outside with my camera to photograph the best ones.
However the thing I have most enjoyed in my temporary quiet life, is my 4pm finish.
At 4pm I stop work, cooking or whatever and go put my pajamas on (think fleecy red ones) go find a glass and fill it with a really nice 15% red wine, shut the curtains, put on the heater, sit on the furry rug on the sofa and organise the night's viewing on TV. And that is my idea of a blissful winter evening in Italy.
We have been out and had  a lovely evening in Casa Elizia in Pisticci with friends in a beautifully restored house in Dirupo. A glass of wine, interesting local and sicilian snacks and good conversation - a night I would like to repeat.

But for all the rest, keeping warm , being entertained and a glass of wine will do nicely.
(The last photo is my temporary studio space in the country.)

christmas at calcarole

It's just after 2.30pm on Boxing day and I have started to write this post outside on the roof terrace of the house in the country , as it's much warmer up here than it is in the house.( and I am saving money by using sunlight instead of gas to keep warm.)
It was foggy this morning when I woke up and after my usual breakfast of  mixed omelette ( still can't chew after the accident.) we set off for Pisticci through the foggy valley.
We had things to do - such as see if we could find someone to fix the gas heater which had refused to  work at all on Christmas morning. Not the best way to start Christmas when I was already feeling a little homesick.
However the friendly gas man not only arranged for a friend of his to come and look at our heater but also gave us a portable one as well.
So while we waited in a cafe to meet the repair man, drinking coffee paid for by the friendly gas man someone asked about getting either one or two portraits done. I have  arranged to return on Friday to get photos. (Back in the country later I had another inquiry about a portrait - so it looks like I need to get back to work.)
On leaving Pisticci I took a photo of the fog which had partly lifted and left what looked like an ocean of mist in front of the mountains.
And now I am sitting outside, having been reading a book about Basilicata by Ann Cornelisen (Torregreca) . Its fascinating and horrific to think that in the late 50s some of the older people I know might have been living in circumstances such as she describes.
It was my gift to myself . I am enjoying learning more about this area and reading it was part of my plan for things to do on the 25th. No heating was not part of the plan.
On Christmas day (as planned) we went to Pisticci and walked up and down the corsa and greeted people and also because it was such a nice day , sat outside and had coffee and a soft cake. (So I could eat it.) Then on returning to the house I lit the pizza oven to cook a not traditional lunch. I have only used the oven twice before so I was a little nervous, but apart from baked potatoes in tin foil which we ate in the evening, the roasted vegetables and chicken and sausages cooked perfectly. We had toasted marshmallows for a sweet - yumm!
By then it was after 3pm and we turned on the portable gas heater we had borrowed and settled down to watch "Miss Potter". It was lovely. By accident I found a Michael Buble Christmas concert on TV and it seemed like a good idea to watch it too.
So there we were eating chocolates - only if broken into small pieces in my case - when the borrowed heater  turned itself off and refused to light again.
What is it with us and heaters?
Anyways I am just so enjoying sitting here in the sunshine. I can hear someone working with a chainsaw somewhere over to the right and there is someone else trying to start a  scooter. And there are dogs barking - then there are always dogs barking. Its peaceful despite that.

The sun is beginning to go down and the shadows are starting to form between the trees and soon it will get cold and I will need to go in , but I want to remember this feeling - sitting reading , writing and dreaming. And keep moments like this in my mind forever.

sunny morning in calcarole

Thought I would post these photos as it is such a lovely morning. They were all taken at the country house.

flying through the air........

Have had another adventure - of a painful nature- when  a dog attacked my scooter, causing me to fly off over the handles and land on my face. I was wearing my helmet , as always, but  as I sat up my nose bled like 2 fountains. If I hadn't been worried about having ruined whatever looks I had I would have been more fascinated by the way my nose could bleed. My foot was stuck under the scooter but I managed to yank it out - all the while saying to myself - I cant find a hanky, where is my hanky. I staggered to my feet while the blood sprayed out my nostrils and manged to get my scooter upright and push it into the side and park it. There was no one around so I got out my phone and trying to avoid the blood managed to phone my partner and mumble enough to make him get in the car and come down to find me. He didnt really understand my mumblings and was apparently horrified when he arrived and I stood covered in blood and looking a bit bemused. (I have never been someone who panicked - so far at least- which is not neccessarily a good thing!)
So after deciding to use my scarf as a hanky  we set off in the car for the hospital - only to realise part way along the road that I had left my handbag in the scooter box - at which point I did consider panicking as all my stuff including nasal spray and passport were in it. So we went back for it. By this time my nose was only bleeding copiously. What a relief!
It only took about 15 minutes to reach the hospital at Tinchi. (The same place I went to when I got stung on the throat.)
I staggered into the waiting room and not surprisingly was seen straight away. It was such a relief to arrive and the staff there are not only professional but so kind and friendly and soon had me on a bed and checked me over. It looked like I was more or less in one piece and had probably not broken my nose and my teeth appeared to still be stuck in. I had a big scrape on one knee and various bruises and  small cuts but basically my bleeding nose - which didn't stop bleeding for over 7 hours - was really the worst thing.
I was at the hospital for about an hour and was given some sort of drug through a drip and then left gratefully to go back to the country house. Where I have been ever since.
When I left the hospital , apart from the bleeding nose I looked relatively normal but by the next morning I looked like a piebald chipmunk. I ached a bit but actually having a practically blocked nose bothered me much more. And I think the drugs also made me feel a little queasy.
And my er good looks only got worse over the next few days. I turned black and blue and red and green and yellow all over my face. (I was so lucky that only my lip was cut and I had no scrapes on my face.)
So is now a week since all this happened and I am getting better every day. I still cant eat normally and I have not taken my face out anywhere incase it scares little children.
Am  assuming that in another week I should be more or less back to normal. I have been and started my scooter, cleaned off the blood and am arranging for it to get checked over in the next few days.

I have sort of enjoyed  relaxing (once my nose got unblocked) and actually started a little painting of a big vase of flowers today.
And I have no idea what happened to the dog.

Lingerie and Seduction

Sunday morning,Crawl out of bed at 5am . Do 3 minutes of yoga , grab slice of toast and as many layers of clothes  as possible as the weather could be cold.
It's not yet light and we are on the road to Taranto. It's surprising how many other people are up so early as well.
Arriving at Taranto it's neccessary to limit breathing for the first kilometre as there is a chemical plant which looks like something from a nightmare future - and it stinks.
After that I like the city. First we pass the old part where the houses are tall, lean in towards each other and are mostly run down. If you go for a walk through them, as I have done when the market was there previously , its like stepping back in time and a little scary.
On the other side of the road in contrast there are hundreds of boats tied up. Not fishing boats - we will see them on the way home- but  pleasure boats, small yachts - expensive looking speedboats etc.
On round the corner and the sea is on our right  and the buildings on the left grow more imposing, though only a few metres in are the scary slummy ones.
On we go over the bridge , past the fort looking out to sea and we are into the newer smarter part of Taranto .Very imposing buildings on the left with enormous doorways, restaurants, banks and on the other side of the road a large tree lined promenade going on as far as we can see.
 About half way along this road we turn off and head inwards to the piazza Immacolata also known as  Piazza with Palms.
We turn up the road and there is always a moment when we wonder - have we got the right day, is it on and where are the other stallholders. (It has happened that we have gone on the wrong day and another time that it had been moved- once to another town and once to another piazza.)
But everything is ok today. The weather is fine and there are other stallholders setting up and plenty of room to park and unload.
Setting up the stand is like making up your own little shop. My part of it is only an add on but the antiques part looks very appealing and artistic when it's done. I think the 2 parts compliment each other.
So by 8am we are having a coffee and chocolate cornetto - sitting in the (limited) sunshine and ready for lots of sales. Ever hopeful!
We sit and watch as other stall holders unload goods from cars, ape's, vans and camper vans. You can buy an enormous variety of things at an Italian antiques market. There are also about 40% of the stallholders selling handmade crafts.
Several of us sell paintings but only me and Letizia  sell our own.
After two or three hours I am bored. Although I only take paintings of Taranto and Martina Franca I was getting a fair amount of people stopping and looking ,but no sales.
I  decide a walk is in order.
The piazza is part of a  shopping street and I set off window shopping. Some shops however are open and I remember a year ago going into one of the larger department stores and being surprised by a sign pointing to the department of Lingerie and Seduction. I was a little to shy to go have a look then , but now I determined to see what is on offer. I am not exactly sure what  to expect, but I am disappointed. I think maybe I thought it was going to be an Italian "Anne Summers" . It is however a pretty boring underwear selection with nothing very notably seductive in my opinion and nobody offering advice on seducing ......in fact it  is so boring I go straight through and into the christmas decoration part and find some cute unsexy  teddy bears.
Further along the street I stop to take photos of  a pink and white building that looks like someone had a lot of fun decorating. It reminds me off a cake with decorations. (In a nice way.)
On the way back I see two shops selling  military or naval uniforms. I had always assumed that if you were in the navy or army you get provided with a uniform. It amuses me to think that perhaps these are designer uniforms for the more fashion conscious Italians.
Once more back at the stall I can see a lot of people in uniforms at the end of the street and soon we are entertained by a brass band marching past and then performing in the piazza.
By then there are lots of people about and just sitting watching people go by is an entertainment in itself.
Eventually it is lunch time and we have a carry out chinese - the second time in 8 years.
And then it is packing up time. It takes about one and a half hours and invariably looks like all the stuff will never fit into the car. (It has been a close thing once or twice.)

On the way out we pass the harbour with falling down tenements on one side and  fishing boats tied up on the other. It doesn't look like a very safe place to walk but with a beautiful blue sky even gaping windows and washing look picturesque. I always want to stop , but we never do.

Back In Pisticci

I have only been back a week and been busy catching up, tidying up and trying to finish a very large( for me)  portrait of four people , but I still managed to get out for coffee and take photos. Also been getting my studio  set up for colder weather - found the rugs under a bed and spread them about, tested the gas heater, found my hat, hung up the blanket in the doorway and moved my internet connection to the small room at the back..Have two more portraits to get started on from Monday so am nicely busy.

sad reminder of summer and my exhibition.

So just posting photos today. Will get back to writing about life here when I get back into it.(Soon!)