A day in the life of a retired engineer
Our
friend Italo is a retired engineer who lives in Citta della Pieve. This small wonderful
city is in Umbria. Umbria is a region of Italy located in the center of the country which
still retains much of the original flavor of the true culture. He and his wife Germana
live in a beautiful home which they have named Casantica. Actually, Italo and Germana are
from Bari in Puglia. They live in Umbria, but maintain the regional customs of Puglia. We
cannot but believe that this is due, at least in part, to the delicious food of Puglia
that Germana prepares. You can find a new recipe of hers in the "ITALY NEWS" section
of this site.
Since Germana had sent us a number of recipes, we asked Italo for a recipe. If he preferred, we would as an alternative post "A day in the life of a retired Engineer" on The Artisan web site. Italo graciously provided us with the article below. We translated it from the Italian, so any errors are ours alone.
Italo's Day
After a glass of waters and some excellent coffee, the first part of the day is devoted to our friends, the animals at Casantica. The cats ask to go out, but also ask for their breakfast which is made from a base of ham and cheese.
After the cats, the dogs must be let out, and since they sleep in the outdoor laundry room, I go there to do this. I also go there to mind the Indian blackbird, Marlow . I clean his cage, check on on his food supply, and see that he has enough water. The Nightingales are next, as they too must be fed and watered. Their cage must also be cleaned.
After the animals are taken care of, I clean the small piazza in front of the house. During the night, leaves from the Acacia tree have fallen, and they must be raked up and disposed of. While I am doing this, Germana is preparing breakfast. As soon as it is ready , I to into the house to eat. [Note -- if you ate Germana's food, you too would stop what you were doing!]
After breakfast, I go to the garden to water the plants: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zucchini, melons and others. I harvest any that are mature.
Next I check around the yard to see if I must eradicate any plant infestation, systematize anything out of place, or clean anything on the property. If necessary, I mow the lawn, water the plants in the planters and vases, or tend to the lemon trees. They are In bloom, and promise a good crop this year.
And now I go out to do my daily shopping. A brief trip from the country for the newspaper, and then to the baker for bread. A quick glance at the newspaper is followed by lunch. There is always some new delight that Germana invents as she develops new recipes to use the products of our garden.
After lunch I attempt to read the newspaper. It is only an attempt, because with a full stomach and a bit of wine, my eyes do not stay open,and I nap a little.
After the warmest part of the day is over, I find something to do which takes the rest of the afternoon, and lasts until evening. The day ends with supper, followed sometimes by a walk in the country, a bit of conversation, and finally, sleep.
This is my whole routine. However, sometimes dinner with friends, either at our house or theirs, changes the routine. Summer events organized by either the county, city or cultural association are also possible diversions, especially with friends.
In short, this pensioner lives a life partly monotonous and partly varied, but always pleasant. As pleasant as chatting with you at 8:30 this evening. [via e-mail]
Citta delle Pieve, Summer, 1997
Last updated on: 06/03/99 12:51:06 AM