The church bells are currently chiming across the valley, all 100 of them, calling the faithful to prayer [or is that the terminology of another religion?], I'm about to head down the shady road for a coffee and croissant, to read La Sicilia in its dead wood manifestation and Sunday has begun.
Yesterday we went down to Consorzio again and the sun was fierce along the way. It's got now so that it's too hot by about 9 a.m. and it doesn't let up until about 8.30 p.m. - "let up" meaning that the shutters can once again be thrown open across the town.
We divided responsibilities yesterday, Welshcakes and I - she would concentrate on the food photography and I'd do more of the cafe itself. We'd both commented immediately on reaching our "under the olive branch" haven that the variegated light looked almost surreal on the tablecloths. Welshcakes qualified that by saying it was more impressionist than surreal and she may well have been right.
Click on the pics and see what you think.
That white linen table cloth and napkins, the scrumptious "pranza" or repast, the service, the Moretti beer and the trees and shrubs themselves, let alone the garden furniture - all conspired to let the previous hellish week's troubles ebb away. It was in no way hot under that tree - perhaps it was warmish.
On the way back up the series of tracks and roads leading up the hill, leading to our hillside retreat, it was bloody hot. One thing which impresses here is that they can take what are virtually concrete boxes with holes in them as houses, add some balconies and walkways between buildings, set the boxes at varying angles to each other and paint them in light shades of apricot and peach and the result is the picture postcard stuff you see on good stands.
If there had been sea, you could be sure it would have been azure.
To cap off the effect, they make much use of foliage of the thicker, overhanging kind, many planter boxes and pot plants and the result is pleasing to the eye. When I mentioned to Welsh that the steep hill simply adds to the overall effect, I did not receive the glance of agreement I'd hoped for.
So, down that path again this morning and may your morning be one of great relaxation and pleasure, free of life's vicissitudes - if only for some hours.
Apart from the climb up the hill, it all sounds totally idyllic!
ReplyDeleteHave a good day!
You really are a whingeing Pom, James. There you are in an idyllic spot and moan, groan and the like. :)
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you head on back to the UK for some seasonally adjusted rain and 17 degrees in mid summer.
Nice spot by the way and that Moretti beer is quite nice on a hot day.
Sounds and looks just perfect. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYou might be a tad less effusive though - there are many of us not waking up to this scene. :)
" ..... may your morning be one of great relaxation and pleasure, free of life's vicissitudes - if only for some hours."
If only!!
Continue to enjoy. :)
It certainly does look idyllic. Though I have to confess I don't think I could cope with the hill!
ReplyDeleteImpressionist, I would say.
ReplyDeleteMy experience of the Med is Cyprus based. I imagine the light is similar and you could swim at New Year as we did. I found the sunburn was benign compared to hot British sun.
You will look back on your idyll with fond memories as I look back on our largely neighbour-free existence on our island.
no no the climb up the hill sounds the best bit :-)
ReplyDeletewhat happened to the Alto Posto, welshcake used to go there all the time,miss the stories about that place.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would say impressionist still, especially that first photo. The walk up the hill does me in, as you know but it's worth it! Anon, you are right: I still love the Altro Posto but have been rushing around for various reasons and haven't managed to go there so much of late.
ReplyDeleteYes it was good but the next day was good too.
ReplyDelete