« Airports, plane, busses. | Main | Breast cancer awareness - Pink for October »
September 18, 2006
Assisi
Arrived at the same time as an enormous international, interfaith (Catholic to Shinto to Protestant to Muslim and more) meeting was held to further world peace. This is widely, cynically, and quite likely truthfully suspected to be more for the food, wine and scenery than the religious history of the town. The buildings have been rigged with temporary loudspeakers, with cables slung across streets, so all can enjoy the pontifications. Sitting in Francesca's shop, we find Pipo. is not one of these, and, to his utter digust, has had a loudspeaker rigged below his bedroom window. He interjects often with "Imbecile!". The Teutonic bishop is lecturing in Italian, and I somewhat ashamedly, keep expecting the word 'Wehrmacht' to creep in. Something about a german speaking italian. Aparently he was saying "For world peace, all we need to do is get rid of 'granatina'". We think he meant grenades (grenate), as a granatina is one of those slushy ice drinks. We think he also wanted to abolish "missiles", but pronounced it in such a way as to actually want to ban "monthly magazines" - specifically those sold in brown paper bags in dingy shops where no one wants to make eye contact. The Church of England representative simply had a voice that made Steven Wright sound enthused. Followed by two hours of dirgeful music in minor keys.
One thing of note is that certain people can get away with many things ordinary mortals cannot. This exclusive group includes the priests, monks, nuns and beautiful women.
(Pedestrian crossings are there for solely decorative reasons. Do not expect anyone with any sort of motorized transport to stop)
Many things, however, does not mean all things. Two days later we learn one priest was arrested for having eight kilograms of cocaine and pitiful excuses - "It's not mine, someone asked me to carry this package for them" and "I'm an unsure priest!". We had always assumed an unsure priest was one that couldn't decide between nuns or alter boys. The day after that, a sure priest was arrested for kiddie diddling.
The food is excellent. There are a few notable differences between America and Italy in with regards to restaurants. There is no tipping. You can trust the waiter to recommend an excellent wine (often the house wine - more on that later) and a supurb dish. The one he recommends will be one of the best on the menu and not simply food with the highest margin or that needs to be shifted.
A meal at "Antonello's" restaurant brings out some more interesting local facts. The father of St Francis, being a trader of spices, brough many herbs from the orient here centuries ago. Curries, surprisingly, are not new here. They are delicious. As with every other place, the house wine is not simply the cheapest lot the wholesaler has, but a wine produced this year. They are wines for drinking young and are excellent. There is no need for an extensive wine list. In fact, the wine, cured meats and olive oil are all from his farm.
Mild torment of religious figures is somewhat of a pass-time here. One particularly corpulent monk entered, asking if the restaurant would, perhaps, if they were so kind, telephone taxi service for fifty important ecclesiastical persons needing transport later this evening. This was greeted with mild disbelief, though the phone book was produced. While the monk's story spilled on, aiming at the top shelf, Antonello paged, straight faced and lazily, through the phone book as the monk eyed the bottles on the shelf reverently. After some time, the phone number was found. Before the number was dialled, the embelishments had begun, with the monk bringing fifty tourists to the restaurant tomorrow. "I should offer you a grappino [small glass of rocket fuel], then". Fervent nodding, large pour. The number was never dialled.Hearing him stutter through ever grander lies is apparently satisfing enough to deserve the occasional free glass.
Scrawled illegibly by Meathe at September 18, 2006 02:48 PM
Comments