1915 EET
The clock tower just rang one quarter after seven although I am sure our travel clock disagrees. This morning I rose from bed at 0745, having woken some time during the night but at least not from the chill as Mom had placed a fleece blanket on our bed. Breakfast was self-serve, toast with jam and strawberry yogurt without fresh fruit. Following, I wrote a postcard for the Slemmings and some time before ten o’clock, we ventured into Levanto to explore the street fair vendors. Our first objective however, was purchasing two 32 inch ceramic frying pans at €40.00 [$53.5333] each from the shop which was quickly accomplished. After returning the pans to apartment, we posted my card, and then joined the mass of people shopping.
While I saw nothing for myself, garment, jewellery, or trinket wise, I saw a few possibilities for Mac and successfully bought €15.00 [$20.075] sterling silver dragonfly earrings for Mom’s birthday gift. We also found some interesting picture earrings at €5.00 [$6.6917] a pair with each earring being half of the picture and Mom fell in love with Leonardo ones for herself.
In the area I encountered Zia Michela, who guided us to where Nichola and Zio James were sitting and finishing off a prochetta panini. Zio James proudly showed off his find, a camping quality pie plate, and Zia Michela gifted Mom with a trio of ladybug earrings. As in, the vendor had given her three earrings instead of two for a set. While sitting, Nichola recommended we have a panini con porchetta and to see the turtles the pet vendor was selling across from the lunch truck. After they left, for Zia Michela to watch Giovanni and give Betta a change to shop, we looked at the little turtles, did some more looking at booths, and then bough the pork sandwiches at €4.50 [$6.0225] a piece and the most expensive pop Mom has ever paid for at €2.50 [$3.3458]. One of, if not the most, expensive lunches we have had in Italia and it wasn’t even really good.
Following our early lunch, we went for more watercolour Levanto postcards, Mom bough another pair of earrings for herself and found a pair for Nonna Jean in the same shop. We browsed through the street fair once again on our way to Cari’s for more groceries. One route we encountered Betta, Giovanna, and Anna. It was good to see Betta, as a few nights ago the doctor was called at three a.m. for her and diagnosed her with kidney stones, which lead to the cancelation of the planned large lunch we had been invited to today.
We returned to our place at 1230 and after snacking, we headed to bed for afternoon rest. We rose for our rest at 1515 for our beach trip and Mom, on route, went to the vendor with the picture earrings and selected two for Zia Lorna, shoes, and Zia Susan, Christ. That used up our planned gelato money of €10.00 [$13.3833] but Mom is pleased with the gifts. Our choice of beach was the free sand one and we visited with a bag to collect beach stones that Mom is going to put through Andrew’s stone tumbler and turn into fridge magnet gifts. We spent some time sunning, without lotion again, when I spotted Zio James, Nicola, and Zia Michela venturing onto the beach. We called “Ciao” and moved our towels to a spot closer to the water that could accommodate all five of us. We sunned some more and decided to venture into the ocean when a cloud covered the sun, and I held off entering until the sun re-emerged but kept occupied playing ball with Nichola.
I prudently left my prescription sunglasses on my towel, my currently visual saving grace, but when swimming could tell that the water was still quite dirty from being churned up. Following my swim, I joined Mom on a pebbled part of the beach to search for stone with contrast for her, and glass pieces for myself. Nichola helped us for some time, as did Zia Michela for a bit. When Mom declared collecting over we returned to our towels. We were introduced to Zia Michela’s friend, her husband Stafano, and one-year-old daughter Elisa. Plus, we saw Giovanna, Anna, and Claudio again with both groups settling their towels near our give.
After swimming for some more, Nichola appeared with a very nice sized snail. That, with Marlene Fellows request still in mind and not satisfied with the damaged one I plucked form the road on route to Bonassola, prompted me to go shell hunting with Nichola. We (well he did really) found two more barnacle crustaceans among the rocks of the pier but it also turned into a crab hunting expedition. In the end, I stuck with Nichola’s first snail find and returned the other two to the ocean. The crabs, small ones, were pretty neat to see as well. With our spoils we returned to our place in time for me to prepare supper at 1814 of potato pasta, cheese piece, and prosciutto slice.
Bertolotto Cova Apartment, Levanto
2344 EET
We had a brief rest before hearing the band of the San Giacomo procession which pulled us outside. Before the procession arrived, I got some photos of the Bertolottos and family on their apartment balcony. The trumpeters, flag wavers, drummers, and re-creators lead the procession with the churches with their group of men parading massive crucifixes following. We had seen to assembled at the loggia, having passed by on our way home for supper, but carrying them is an undertaking even with the torso harnesses they wore and their technique of transferring the crucifix from one carrier to another. They are massive, easily a story high, one did get hung up on a street light three stories up, and not balanced. While my placement near the intersection’s street light was good for my photos lighting, I was not on the right side of the road as they crucifixes had their backs to me. There were eight crucifixes, less than usual Zia Michela reports there being fifteen to thirty in previous years, as well as church members and orders, plus sailors carrying a figure of what I think was San Giacomo.
After the procession, we made our way to the beach to claim seats for the fireworks display. We went so early that we easily snagged seven seats. Seven because before the procession us, we had met up with Zia Michela’s friend, Stafano, and Elisa again. Elisa and I actually passed time and entertained each other by hopping together. I had already dressed warm in preparation because I knew it would be cooler on the shore—cool as in 27°C. Egads, how I have come to love the 30°C+ weather. So, we borrowed the chairs in the pay beach area, and set them up pretty much in front of the offshore barge the fireworks would be launched from. A quarter to eleven I got fed up with being cold, helped I am sure by the ice cream cone that Zio James bought me, and marched back to the apartment for socks, another pair of pants, another t-shirt under my sweater—my sweater which was worn for the first time in Italia—and bandana for my head. The temperature at that point? 23°C.
I returned to the beach with a pair of socks for Mom, and didn’t have more than five minutes to settle into listening to the surf, which we’d strategically had to retreat from earlier, when the show began. The fireworks were fantastic, beginning with three concussive booms that one felt in the chest and heard echoed through the bay and hills. The concussive pulse and rumbling booms were felt and heard throughout the show and I just loved them. For the fireworks themselves, they were impressive bursts, weeping willows, and glittering streamers with white, gold, and red colours dominating but there was green and the difficult to manufacture blue as well. One of the neatest was the parachuting lights and I also found the lights that burned on the water great visually. It was all just phenomenal and went on for a good twenty minutes before ending as it began, with three concussive booms. A really fantastic night.
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