Monday, February 12, 2007

Food Glorious Food


I started an online writing group, friends and family writing together while far apart. There are 18 of us in the group and I’ve already received 6 “assignments.” It’s so wonderful reading these people! Such a creative bunch. I’m a lucky girl.

Yesterday, The Husband, La Bimba, The Nonni, two Spanish ladies, two Neapolitan fellows, and I went to La Rotonda for lunch. The restaurant is on a beach in Bagnoli near the abandoned steelworks. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the meal was good. But I didn’t have too much fun. La Bimba was crankissima, resisting food, resisting sleep. Luckily, Zio Salvatore, one of the Neapolitan fellows, loves La Bimba and carried her around the restaurant. We call him Zio (uncle) because that’s who he is to Lucia. Zio Nicola, Salvatore’s partner, sat next to La Nonna (grandma), and patiently listened to her stories. La Nonna is doing pretty well in Italian. She studies with an immigrant from Lioni, a province of Avellino, not far from Naples. You can eat some good meat in Avellino.

Eating with family and friends, at someone’s home or at a trattoria or ristorante, is the number one pastime in Italy. Spending five hours at table is a lovely way to spend an afternoon, but I often would like to take a walk in the woods or go to an exhibit. Sometimes I look at the pile of pasta in front of me or the mountain of fried fish in the center of the table and think, “I can’t do it. I’m still full from yesterday.” But then, I do it. Thank heavens for breastfeeding!

Il Nonno (grandpa) has just stepped out for his morning cornetto run. The man has shpilkes, ants in his pants. He paces. Meanwhile, La Nonna keeps falling asleep on the sofabed, over and over again.

Oh, what a boring boring post. I’m reading Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. She is the messiah. But she doesn’t talk about blogs. Happy Monday.

2 comments:

Doug said...

My envy for your culinary options in la bella Napoli knows no bounds.

If ever you want a treat, go to Sorrento's lemon grove, walk to the end, and taste and/or buy their awesome citrus and licorice liqueurs

Anonymous said...

Ciao... molto simpatico il tuo Blog! E.. complimenti per "La Bimba"!!!! :D