Nov. 5th 2012
The piazza (plaza) up at the top of the street where I live is quite lovely with its' cobblestone streets and benches to sit and meet friends. But everyone there during the day, every day consists of old men. Old men who when I walk by just stare and say nothing. In the evening sometimes there are many teenagers meeting up with their friends. There are never any women just hanging around. There are a few businesses but mostly there are these little alcoves or rooms off to the side with sometimes the rubber strips hanging in the doorway (to keep out bugs of which there are usually none). Inside these little rooms are sometimes a table and a few folding chairs. It looks like a place where men meet to sit and play cards or read the newspaper with their friends. But just old men. It's been said that the women are all home cooking. Cooking and the prep associated with the daily cooking is a major event in every household. I don't think anyone just has a "sandwich" for lunch as we do. But lunch is the biggest meal of the day. And being the one to do all the dishes that Graziella makes to prepare our lunch each day, I see all the prep involved. When I think all we are getting for lunch is a bowl of pasta, then she brings out the meat and potato or veg. We don't eat cheese or bread most days as we did at the other 2 farms. Graziella cooks with good health in mind. We all appreciate that.
So the old men in the piazza hang around every day gossiping like old ladies waiting to go home and enjoy the hard labor given up by their wives for their wonderful lunches. Only to go back out to the piazza and meet again.
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