On return from our Literary Tour GS and I knuckled down with boxes to be unpacked and the garden to be tamed.Â
GS’s gardening style is ‘slash and burn’ Â with sloshing of weedkiller and insecticide. Anything with petals is a weed. Mine is romantic shagginess, butterflies and fox pooh.
No mow May had become no mow, January, February, March, April, May, June and July. Â The lawnmower took one look at it and conked out.
With the lawnmower restored and ‘hunting’ around the garden in a murderous attempt to scalp anything in its way, the garden reappeared. The window boxes bloomed with bright red geraniums and a pile of sticks became a flowering  jasmine again. We drank coffee in front of a lily pond bursting with flowers whilst dragon flies and damson flies flew love sorties and tiny miniature froglets blinked  at us  from lily leaf islands thinking themselves invisible.
There were times when thunderstorms broke the summer’s heat. Once I was out collecting a Chinese takeaway from around the corner.
There was a sudden  thunder storm and cloud burst.  Returning to the house the summer twilight air was laced with the scent of  of rain, the buttery lemon of the Magnolia Grande flora I planted years ago and apples from my neighbours  tree (possibly with a hint of chowmein)
With the sprinkler set up and our hardwork done, it was appropriate for us to head to Italy for Ferragosto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferragosto
Ferragosto  – the festival of Emperor Augustus- was originally on 1st August. It was a few days off in recognition of the hard work of the farmers. Donkeys were decorated with flowers, horse races were run. The Palios of Sienna are as much a direct descendant of Ancient Rome’s festivals and culture  as are bull fights in Spain.  Later the Popes hijacked it and moved it to the 15th August, the day the Virgin Mary was ‘assumpted’ to heaven.  Mussolini in turn influenced the festival. He provided trains for everyone to have a few days off. Food wasn’t provided so the tradition quickly built up to have a picnic or BBQ. Â
When I worked in Rome, my  bosses lovely secretary told me that 15th August, was the ‘end of summer’. I scorned- what! in the middle of August! But she was right. The heat builds and builds over June and July and then, almost to the day, the 15th August brings the joy and release of thunderstorms. From ferragosto onwards there will be a mixture of thunderstorms and scorching hot sunny days.  Italians will slide back into their beloved second skin, the puffa jacket.
Our darling friends, newly returned from their daughters spectacular weddings (spanning from Yorkshire to Puglia) had spotted that our local, the wonderful Segretohttps://cantinetenutamariani.it/products/segreto-wine-oil-food-top-experience was doing wine tasting under the stars and -bonus!- they invited us to stay at theirs as taxis are difficult and I am always designated driver missing out on the fun and commeraderie.
We had an early flight. After weeks of work we collapsed first into the warm waters of the pool and then to dry off in the hot sun. The garden smelt of burnt lavender and dried herbs, the trees were full of the sound of itching cicadas, the infinity pool gurgling as it settled down. Â Bliss. We were home and on holiday in Italy and could at last put away the daily list of tasks to be completed.
Our night under the vines at Segreto was magical, fragile and transient. It was just at that point where it is successful but still has that personal, rustic vibe. It’s at a crossroads- if the weather is unkind and it fails then nights like this will disappear back into the ground like falling leaves. On the other hand if it is too successful then soon it will be commercialised and lose its charm. Right now though, it’s perfect.
Lines of white lights were threaded through the vines, candles in glass jars were at our feet, all under a midnight blue sky glowing with a full moon dotted with stars.
The wine, organic and therefore hangover free, slipped down our throats like a stream over a waterfall. We ate bruschetta with bright red tomatoes that could only have been ripened in the sun. Cuts of meat, cheese and honey, lasagna, and cartucci dipped in wine followed.
We talked, we laughed, we led the dancing to the live band. At one am they kicked us out and we wove a path through the vineyards to the road. There was a catering van and giggling like school girls we broke in and pretended to cook until caught by the owner. In no time he was in photographs while we bookmarked him, admiring his ‘I heart Segreto T-shirts.’ and wondering if we could rip it off and make a run for it.
At the Casa dei nostra amici, we slept in a wide bed stroked by cool airconditioning listening to thunder rumble outside. It was fabulous, as was coffee and warm cornetti in the morning.
Then I rather spoilt the moment. It is a well known fact that I can faux pas for England.
Once we had new acquantances of GS at the villa. We had only just met them-he was GS’s language practice partner on the internet. The couple had just got engaged. Everyone was being formal in a ‘getting to know you way’ at a local posh restaurant. The girl had a necklace on which appeared to have a charm. I thought I recognised it as a shared birthsign and remarked innocuously
‘Are you a Virgo?’
Which unfortunately translates into Italian as
‘Are you a virgin?’ which was particularly unfortunate as she was about 8 months pregnant at time time.
So there we were enjoying breakfast after our great night out tasting wine under the stars.
‘I’m not sure how to react when you answer this’ I said
‘What?!?’
‘Are you swingers?’ I asked eyeing a vase full of pampass grass in the corner.
‘What!’ said GS, spluttering coffee- ‘You can’t say that!? then to our friends- ‘It’s an urban myth that pampass grass is a sign for Swingers’
‘NOOOOOO!’
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2023/08/24/pampas-grass-swingers/
I hope you have enjoyed my little bloglet. If so do please comment, share and follow. Love from our corner of Tuscany.
2 Comments
How atmospheric…. The perfect kind of authentic, rustic, warm summer evenings under the stars….. friendships, dancing, moonlight, memories ….
Thank you for your lovely bloglets xx
Thank you so much Isabelle, it is so rewarding to hear you like my little bloglets about the tiny/important things in life- friends and memories 🙂 💕💕💕