38 A sunny day in abruzzo

...someone has said....stop my ranting and tell us a bit about the place you live...so gritted teeth and all i ll mention a today

today well have fish for lunch....why...well we live about 30 mins from the coast but on fridays we get fresh fished delivered...the van goes around every friday... you have to get used to him...hes very cheerful and a bit of a joker....plays loud rock music....out of huge speakers on top of the van.....and approaches each village with them blaring away.... the sound ...that of an ambulance siren....you get used to it...and forgive all the noise for the quality..... half of its still moving....hell pick up a whole prawn shell and all and munch it in front of you to prove it....

so today we bought squid....well cook it in olive oil...from our trees...with garlic and shallots...from our garden.... and add plenty of white wine....yep....from our vines..... and fresh bread...thats from the bread van....cooked in a wood oven and delivered fresh every day

....and to cap it all...we'll sit outside and eat ...why...because its about seventy in front of the house ....and over the last few days everybody has been happy and chatting and sitting outside during the middle two or three hours of the day.....cause its hot....we have all had enough of snow shovelling.....

...so we will enjoy our seafood and pasta..... and a few glasses of wine......susie the dog...shes fourteen now will happily lay in the sun and let her aching bones get warmed while we eat.....and neighbours will walk past and maybe stop for a little glass of something or other....and maybe suggest a recipe or two.....

...so thats why i live in abruzzo..... i live here because im lucky.... i have an italian wife..... and made a choice....

and by sunday the forcaste has snow again on the appenines and another cooler spell....but they said today was going to be cold too....so we'll bother about that...or not ...when it happens