Turns out the weekend is all about festivals in the different villages to celebrate various saints. We rushed back to the house to find out there was no hurry. Everyone rushes to get somewhere and then they move slowly.
We got a tour from Dad and Michele, who doesn't speak English but he's a gentle, softspoken man. His home is gorgeous and he has a hidden basement where they store everything they make - tomato sauce, olive oil, cheese, pickled veggies, proscuitto, even wine! They also have an extensive garden of incredible fruits and veggies as well as chickens in a coop. We got to see Marie-Antoinette, their daughter, which was a treat since we thought we would miss her on our trip. She came to the States two years ago with her friend Roxanna and we had a great time. Turns out she was leaving for the beach later in the afternoon.
We arrived at Nigol's house where we met him, his wife Therese, their mother, son Pietro Jr, grandfather Pietro Sr., niece Angelica and her family. Angelica was wonderful to have at the lunch since she speaks English really well and can translate for everyone. She has a very sweet and bubbly personality.
We sat on the front porch for a quick snack of tea sandwiches then walked to the church down the road which confused us. Weren't we here for a leisurely lunch? Down at the church, there was mass service while music was playing outside where people were gathered eating peanuts and drinking beer. It was a strange scene with people moving in and out of the church to attend mass as they pleased then join a little social gathering outside. For Jason and I it was a little boring after awhile since no one could really speak English and we didn't know most of the people. We did get to meet some of the people Mom and Dad kept mentioning though, like the architect, Micolino building their house. So it was nice to put faces to names.
After a beer, some peanuts, and really good pork, it was back to Nigol's for lunch at 3PM. All the houses here are beautiful. They have granite floors which are unbelievable, murano glass chandeliers, and things are spotless throughout. These houses are built to last forever. When we arrived the two grandmothers were still sitting on the porch, this time in different chairs. Turns out the plastic ones they were sitting on both bent under them and they both fell to the floor. Fortunately, they were both okay. We sat down to prosciutto, melon, and mozzarella for the antipasti then lasagne. We thought that was it. But this was a full Italian meal so second piatti was breaded veal with peas and cheese and a chicken dish with tomato and cucumber salad. The problem was this wasn't family style where we could choose how much to put on our plates. And the word "No" is not acknowledged when it comes to food and Italians. We didn't want to seem rude and refuse a dish. We also had wine of course but I need water too. The grandfather said, "You only drink water when the wine is bad". Great. So I begged Angelica to at least hook me up with small portions like she'd been serving herself. Even then, I couldn't finish what was on my plate without the strong likelihood of my lunch reappearing on their dinner table. I'm pretty sure that's far more insulting.
Jason on the other hand was trying to be good and finish everything on his plate. They gave him a regular serving because they figure he's a big guy who can eat. I on the other hand felt no pressure to finish everything. I'm a light eater and a lightweight. I explained through charades and my very limited Italian that if I drank too much wine I would go to sleep. Again, I'm pretty sure that's rude. I also learned through Chinese dinners that if you clean off your plate, people will ask if you want more so I leave something on my plate in order to avoid the question all together. It's an actual strategy.
All of this might have been okay had it been a typical meal where it takes 3 - 4 hours to eat. But they did this in under 2 hours! Before dessert came Jason and I both had to get some air and stand up. I had a horrible case of edema in my feet and ankles which freaked me out since that never happens. The tops of my feet were so swollen they had an imprint of the straps from my heels and it was uncomfortable to flex my ankles. No wonder pregnant women are uncomfortable.
Dessert found us on the front porch and Jason managed to eat about half the slice of homemade cake. I managed a few pieces of the fruit on top. But I did enjoy a light lemon filled cake Therese made instead.
At this point, Nanny and Cosimo were at Cosimo's cousin's house and so we went to pick them up. All of us were ready to throw up we were so full. We couldn't wait to go home but first we had to just fetch Nanny and Cosimo.
There's no such thing as a short visit in Italy. We walked into this stunning home where they were wrapping up their party. It is a handsome couple with their three kids who live in this phenomenal mansion. It is a mix of rustic Italian countryside and contemporary architecture with all the amenities and technology you need in a home.
The outside has beautiful stone and brickwork set in ways I've rarely seen in homes, copper gutters, and ragging effect on the walls. Inside, the shapes and design put into the place is incredible. Things look graceful and well thought out. Each room has a bathroom attached, space and storage is utilized well, and there is a digital sound system throughout the house. There is also an amazing stone spiral staircase with lights set low in the wall as you ascend past long window slices that let the light in. There are pocket doors that separate that room from the banquet room so that there is no wasted space but there's privacy if you need it.
Above their garage is their backyard which contains a lovely pool, with a mosaic picture of a nautical star surrounded by 3 dolphins at the bottom. There is a covered patio area and lawn, outdoor stone shower for rinsing off and the lawn slopes down the hill to the front of the house. At the front there is a sweet little creek with waterfall that runs under a bridge into a watermill and well. In the pool are two turtles happily swimming around. It was a treat to get a tour of this amazing home.
After all that (which helped the digestion), we went into the house to get a little water and gather the folks up. We tried to avoid sitting down at the table since we knew what would happen but we lost out and had to sit down. Sure enough, not just water appeared on the table. There were 7 different drinks to choose from and homemade tiramisu and fruit followed right after that. We politely finished then got the hell out before more food started rolling out.
Finally, we got home and were able to lie down for a nap. At 9 PM, we awoke and wondered if we missed the festival. Ah, not so. In Italy, they're night owls. It was back at the church for the small festival. There was a crepe station manned by a young man who acts like an artist of the crepe considering his painfully slow pace. You need to speak up since there is no line and there are kids who are willing to take advantage and cut in line. There was a food truck that is run by Jovanine and Mike's son's, Johnny's girlfriend and her family (got that?).
Other than that, there was the beer station, a couple of kids's rides, and a stage where musicians performed then a comedian came on and lasted for two hours. I'm sure he's funny but since we couldn't understand him we lost interest quickly. I was amazed Mom stood and watched the entire thing. We saw Mary, the sweet lady who lives across the street, as well as Angelica's sister and grandmother when Jason and I decided to sit down and chat while people watching.
We left when the comedian started singing. Then we were invited back in to Nigol and Therese's for espresso. Of course, once we sat down at the table food came rolling back out, this time in reverse order. Dessert first, then main courses, then antipasti. At least this time we could choose what went on our plate. At long last we left and went home, very full and very tired.
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