Italian people ? Magnifique
Trip Start
Dec 12, 2010
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120
147
Trip End
Jan 05, 2012
Pesaro, Marche, Italy
Saturday, June 25, 2011
We enjoyed an evening and a spectacle in the form of ‘Dancing with the locals’! I refer to it this way because we were advised we were going to the local ‘swimming pool’ for Pizza and some dancing it is a regular occurrence on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and is most enjoyed by the locals. So that is the picture I had in my mind. Little bit of music, little bit of Pizza and a little dancing however my simplistic view was grossly inadequate.
We arrived to find the local swimming pool and were treated to a personalized guided tour by the owner who is an amazing and lovely woman and close friend of Egisto and Ann’s. She not only runs the pool with the help of her adult daughter but is also the moving force behind the Pizza business and restaurant. The Pool is more like your municipal sized pool but only more beautiful and VERY well tended with many willow trees surrounding it for shady retreats between swims. Across the from the pool site and through a large car park is the restaurant which serves the FAMOUS and locally known WORLD CLASS pizza. (A huge reputation to uphold) but one that is achieved easily). A stage (yes stage) is set up outside the restaurant under cover with a concrete dance floor just in front of it, as are tables, chairs and umbrellas for people to sit at. On the stage a young woman is singing and playing an accordion expertly and her repertoire of songs include English tunes both old and new, German and Italian classics and English songs which she sings with Italian lyrics. She does this amazingly well and everyone sings along and eats amazingly tasty but HUGE pizzas as they enjoy the evening.
Then the ‘real show’ begins. The woman begins to play a waltz expertly on her accordion and the crowd (15 or 20 people in all) look at each other. Egisto and Ann are first ‘on the floor’ performing what I can only describe as ‘Dancing with the Stars’ quality performance of the Waltz. Hand perched softly at his back with little finger poised (as they do in ballroom dancing) Ann spins around the floor guided by Egisto’s tall frame and they look a ‘picture’ ! Everyone eeewwwssss and aaaahhhhhhsssss and then the rest of the crowd (as if by permission now) join them on the floor. All ages join in, those in their 70’s , 60’s, 50’s and 40 year old people dance so expertly I look at Louise and comment "there goes MY night on the dance floor"! Even when Ann suggested that she would be happy to ‘LEND’ her husband to us to dance I was SO sure I could not dance to that standard I politely declined the offer.
Later in the evening however there WAS an opportunity for Louise and I to ‘participate’ in the ‘Dance Fest’ by way of joining what can only be described as ‘Line dancing for the stars’!. A slightly more sophisticated form of line dancing than I have seen before, the songs are sung and played by Miss Accordion with ‘most’ of the crowd standing in 2 x 4 or 1 x 8 line formation and completing various dance steps in time to the music. The steps are not so much the ’country or western’ type doe see doe steps they are more like sophisticated choreographed moves that form a dance each one differing depending on the song sung/played. The moves are not difficult just remembering the routine that has one stumped then the familiar tune Nut Bush City Limits was played but the dance steps were unfamiliar so I felt reluctant to get up and join in. However I watched and studied the various steps for two more songs and with another glass of wine under my belt ‘took the bull by the horns’ (so to speak) and entered the dance floor to the sound of cheering and clapping behind me. Thanks to my trusty support team I took a minute before the rhythm became automatic and when I looked across Louise had joined me too! There to the delight of the locals was the Aussie contingency having a BLAST at the Pizza/ Dance night and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
We were again dropped to our home amid much hugging and thanks for another amazing evening’s entertainment and I am sure that by the looks on their faces Ann and Egisto enjoyed the evening just as much as we did.
We had heard much of Gavin and Theresa from the Del Bianco’s but we were not quite expecting the evening we finally enjoyed all together at their ‘farm’. Theresa a beautiful German lady (retired) owns a property that is nestled in the rolling hills not far from Ca Rosino where she prides herself on the fresh produce (all organically grown without assistance from fertilizers) that her AMAZING vegetable garden reaps. Egisto and Ann’s friend recently (a few years ago) hosted two young guys to assist in the garden and maintenance work at her property. One of these guys (Gavin) an English guy is ‘still’ there and works tirelessly with Theresa in the garden as well as breeding rabbits for (local consumption) and tending chickens etc with the trusty farm dog / companion who is just delightful. He also at times assists Egisto at Ca Rosino in the garden and is such a ‘studious and hard worker’ it is no wonder he has the glowing reputation that is described by all who know him.
We arrived amid much excitement. Theresa’s son Stephan, heavily pregnant daughter-in-law xxx and grandson Robin (5) had arrived the day before to spend the summer with her. What we weren’t aware of at the time is that, kindly, Egisto & Ann had bought along dinner for us all to share! The HUGEST Flagon of red wine for us all to drink , Pasta topped with a delicious rich tomato and vegetable sauce made freshly from the garden produce, enough for us all to share with fresh apricots from the fruit trees at Ca Rosino for dessert. What a feast we enjoyed but only after we had been given an extensive tour of the Vegetable garden by Gavin who is cultivating (along with Theresa) no less than 20 different varieties of fruit and vegetables, rabbits, chickens (free range of course) and the loveliest collection of xx plants that I have seen for ages.
We inspected the tomato plants which produce no less than four varieties of fruit and the amazing artichoke plant (first eaten in Paris only 1 month ago) which is really a ‘thistle’ picked just at the correct time and cooked in a particular way. The chickens roam freely in the afternoons and lay a copious amount of eggs for their owners which is reward for their being looked after so very well. You can tell just by his knowledgeable conversation that Gavin enjoys living and working where he is here in Italy and is very proud of the results of his labour.
We return to the house where the first glass of the Del Bianco wine is poured and WE ARE ON FOR A NIGHT! Under the grape vine covered verandah outside the beautiful farm house we consume a delicious meal together due to the culinary expertise of Egisto and then dessert which has us all full to the brim. Quite unexpectedly we learn that Stephan is the member of a local band (in Germany) and plays guitar,Theresa has requested him to play a song or two for us. Happy to oblige he begins playing and singing (in English) the most ‘amazing’ rendition and compilation of Johhny Cash songs I have ever heard! We drink, listen and sing while I video Stephan weaving his magic mainly because Robin (his son), is enthusiastically bobbing and singing along (in English) while his dad plays guitar with absolutely NO idea what he is singing about ! Such is a child’s innocence!
We are someway along into the evening and the large Flaggon of wine is now only half full! We listen to another song and somehow the subject of my profession is being discussed. Louise (kindly) volunteers me to ‘interpret’ Stephan’s next song (ON YA MATE!) to see how such a craft can be visually represented. Now I must digress here just a tiny bit to say that Johnny Cash (doom and gloom) songs have never been in my repertoire of sing/ sign interpreted choices before and so I look through the list of possible songs to interpret and decide on the classic “MY NAME IS SUE” (is that the correct title of the song?). I sit next to Stephan and because the evening is upon us we light numerous tea light candles to set the stage (so to speak).
The performance is well received with much clapping and Louise (whom I have worked with in a professional capacity for the past seven years) declares that I have found my CALLING ! Theatrical performance ! While I enjoy the odd theatre or sign / sign stints I never really thought of it as a ‘speciality’ before so consequently as is Stephan, I am requested to interpret one more tune! to the audible ewws and ahhs of the enthusiastic audience. We have a great night together, sharing more than words (but lovely conversations as well) sharing, passions, sharing philosophies and sharing a HUGE Flaggon of wine. The evening only ends when Stephan declares he is very tired and needs to sleep AND the Flaggon of wine is EMPTY!
We leave on an amazing ‘HIGH’ thankful to all for the experiences in the previous 24 hours and for the ‘new friends’ we have become aquainted with, by introduction from our ‘other’new friends!
Ahhhhhh this IS the life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ-imr9fNdg Click on this link to see the lovely job Louise did putting the music and photos to the video I took of the evening and you will see just why Italy is SO special
To be continued….. again.
