(1) I'm not sure I really believe in this myth of jet-lag. Proper planning, meaning more or less plane sleep, based upon an analysis of difference in time, arrival time and activities upon arrival should negate any real effects...oh, and lots of coffee, if necessary. This is to say, I'm using jet-lag as an excuse. Live with it. At least you get photos.
Nov. 1, Mon:
Exit Bogota. Enter world of pre-packaged food, free Coke, plugged ears, and bad in-flight movies starring Nic Cage.
Nov. 2, Tues:
2+ hours sleep, 3 hours in Madrid, arrive Milano 5 hours late. Jesus Cristo, this is what the first world looks like. Clean. Meet Hi-Mae (my sis) and Assunts (ex-step-mom) at train station. Sister loves, LOVES my Aaron Burr chops. To Casanate con Bernate. Food from Angela sparks something deep and sweet inside me. First good cheese since Argentina. Sharp provolone, peppered goat chhese, Swiss and fontina. Whooof.
Nov 3., Wed:
Meet my Italian Aunt Lucy for first time IN Italy. She's happy, I'm happy. We eat speck, salami and padona. More happiness.
Nov. 4, Thurs:
Get tour of Gussola, my cousin Simonas bakery/store, eat prosciutto de Parma. Aunt Lucy and Silvano are crazy, they want to spend three extra hours with ME, so they drive me to Lucas family's home.
Nov. 5, Friday:
Wedding one day away. I'm called to duty in unlikely ways. Apparently my inner seamster (seamstress, in masculinity) shone thru. Jaime's dress maker asked me to sew some fluff. Success. Dinner at a pizzeria. Gorged. Happy belly, happy Jason.
Nov 6., Sat:
Wedding. Gorgeous. Jaime looked Beau-Ti-ful, like Audrey Hepbburn classic, if classic was spelled cissal (it's backwards). Made jokes about the mayor, who was marrying Luca and Jaime, being the head of the locale fascist club. Good times. Went to dinner. 10 course meal, approximately. Wine, all-you-can-drink (note: this is basically status quo for every meal in Italy). Then to Bardello. More food, more wine, more dancing, more ceremony (this being the circle ceremony: hippie-dippie, vow-filled happiness). And most importantly a happy Jaime and Luca, like palpable happy--the best kind.
Nov. 7, Sun:
No church. Just a mild hangover. Lunch. Tortelli stuffed with prawns, zuchini and something else tasty. Tiramisu. Sister and me grocery store time. Gelatto. Contented.
Nov. 8, Mon:
7am flight. No sleep. 3am wake-up. 2am lasagna de Gina, because I could (Gina is Lucas Nona, there was leftover lasagna from dinner on the counter. Everyone was sleeping. I ate, guiltily, sneakily, stuffing my face an hour before waking my sister to drive me to the airport. No regrets.). One hour drive tirns into 2.15. Airport one hour before departure. Tutti Bene. Ate my way through Italy, a wedding and two families homes. Success.
There were two ceremonies. The first in city hall with the mayor (decked out in an Italian flag sash and all) and one with just family and friends at Luca´s parents restaurant. This was taken in the beautiful park outside of city hall. The first picture of the newlyweds on a benc.
There were also two feast. The first took place at a family friends restaurant, the second at Luca´s parents restaurant, which also entailed dancing, singing, toasting, speeching, more eating, caking and an abundance of other fun activities. 
Not all wedding all the time, I had the pleasure of visiting my Italian Aunt (half sister of my mother) in Gussola, about an hour outside of Milan. This is Lucy, her husband Silvano and myself. I stayed out there just one short night, and I´ve promised to return for no less than fifteen days--Lucy would accept nothing less. Her hospitality, as with Lucas´ parents was astounding.
Lucas´parents live in Casnate con Bernate, just a few minutes outside of Como, Italy. We took a couple of field trips into the city. This shop left my mouth watering. I think I weirded out the owners by standing and oogling for five minutes, my strangeness climaxing by taking a picture of their ravioli spread through the window.
The elderly in Como love their bicycles. Every which way you turned they´d be pedaling around town.
An evening view of Como from the Bardello, Lucas´ parents restaurant.
Lake Como as seen through this happy couples eyes. The Italians I came across were incredibly nice. I was trying to take this picture across the street and someone stopped their car in the middle of the street, gesturing or me to take the picture as others were honking their horn at him to move on.
What appears to be the remmanants of some ancient stronghold/castle/prison in the middle of Como. I didn´t go very many places in Italy, but the ones I did visit seem to be these strange juxtapositios of modernity and antiquity. Not something we see much in California.
A mildly extravagant house overlooking the shores of Lake Como.
The happy couples´first post-matrimony walk in the park adjacent to city hall.
A lipstick malfunction averted. As I was taking this Jaime asked if I was photoing for the blog. Apparently I was.
The Cataligirone clan (I probably misspelled that). Salvator (or Boss), Jaime, Luca, Angela and Mirko. 
The women Cataligirone. 
You are not allowed to take photos in supermarkets in Italy either. so, Jaime slyly snapped a photo with me and a giant Mortadella. The selection of cheese and cured meats would make any vegan disgusted, but for me it was like a whole new wonderful world. 
Uncle John heckling me, or perhaps it was the other way around...
I only got one pizza when I was there, which was a shame. A sea of mushrooms, sausage, cheese and onions. 
Either an Italian or Danish tradition, or perhaps both, with the first visit to the bathroom of the bride/groom the opposite sex jumps up and forms a line to kiss the bride/groom before the other returns from the bathroom. 
Cutting the cake. I think Jaime made Luca eat his piece of fruit tart, though technically not raw.
Family de Jaime. 
And lastly, the night before the wedding a true Italian heart with tomato sauce, crust and all.
Did you borrow that suit?
ReplyDeleteNope, had it expressed across the Atlantic.
ReplyDelete