Six

UMBRELLAS AND PIAZZAS We landed in Piacenza, our first Italian town and Matina has planned small dinky hotels, which are clean and friendly. The one in Piacenza is inside a huge gate. Most properties are such and drivers have to be so much more careful, coming in and out of these gates, which are secured with security numbers and such. Our room looked out on the road, onto umbrellas. Lots of talkative and loud neighbours, with a Peruvian hotel, a bar, a pharmacy, a Bangladeshi shop and a Punjabi shop. We quickly found some glasses and downed a rum after some of the travel mates bathed themselves. I thought it was getting late for a drink and why waste water. It is still light at 8.30 pm and so the dialogue that 'it is sunset somewhere' is wasted. But we are always drinking and I like that. We then walked down cobblestoned alleys to a Chinese restaurant. Only that seemed to be open. A trattoria was looking colourful but they said they had closed the kitchen. Apparently the centre of each of these small towns have piazzas, where striped canopies are raised, a few tables and chairs are placed and magically crowds come. The service is impeccable and according to Matina, food is not top grade. We naturally seem to think that Italy means pizzas, but she begs to differ. We are yet to have pizza and we are already onto day 2 of our Italian trip������. I tasted some foccacia bread with embedded olives and I did not want to leave the cafe. But we returned, packed the car and drove into La Spenzia in Cinque Terra or Five Terraces. A very touristy place, but we are in an Air B&B with a super kitchen and a washing machine. There is a small super market opposite these flats and I have already been twice. Given a chance would have bought vegetables and such, but it being Murali's bday, he is taking us out for dinner on the beach. We kind of drove in late and so walked through a vegetable market, being cleaned up and went into a crowded small cafe, the only place where we could get something to eat. People here take their siesta time seriously. But for a person who eats bread maybe once a month, both M and I are enjoying it. And do not miss the lack of butter.