"Hey Ho.. Summer in the City".. do YOU remember the song Dear Readers?
Well, Spring time in London, summer was a'coming and SHE had NO plans for a holiday, if truth were told and it always should be.. between YOU, ME and front door, SHE thought a lot about a certain Frenchman in Portugal but thinking about what has gone or passed is NOT a clever idea. Makes YOU sad..
Philip and his wife, Angela, slightly older friends of HERS, asked if SHE would drive out with him and help with the children in Pesaro for ten days SHE said "yes".. Philip's wife would be flying direct with their youngest child, a small baby.
Off they drove to the Adriatic.. SHE had never been to Italy before or driven through France, SHE had worked in France two years previously but had travelled down by train, this time, their route was across France, through Switzerland and down into Italy.
Ooooooh, so beautiful.. Philip's language skills put HERS to shame, in fact, the further south they drove, the less English he appeared to be! He 'became' Italian and so did the children!
They arrived at Pesaro.. birthplace of Rossini and settled in to the villa.. almost immediately phone started to ring.. I don't speak Italian and am NOT going to make a fool of self.. suffice to say that it was old friends saying " what are you doing for supper.. come, bring the children, when is Angela arriving, did you have pleasant trip.. please did you remember to bring us such'n'such from Jacksons?".. and after bathing and changing clothes.. out they went.
SHE remembers that first evening with the Salvatores.. their huge house in an enormous garden with scented Lillies in terracotta pots on the terrace and throughout the villa.. food was delicious.. host and hostess spoke perfect English.. it made HER ashamed but they said "NO NO.. it is very good for us to practise our English and Filippo speaks Italian.. so we get idle!"
IDLE? Dear Readers, these people were extraordinary hosts.. guests kept arriving, food kept on a'coming, drinks a'flowing, the two children went to bed in a guest bedroom, hostess said " this is always the way, they get sleepy, they go to bed and I bring them to their parents after breakfast.. "
Next day SHE took children to beach and Filippo went to collect Angela and the baby from airport.. yippee.. household complete.. holiday starts!
Such a 'social' holiday! Filippo knew everyone as he had been going to this town for decades.. The time passed in a flash..
SHE met a very naughty but charming young 'local' who went by name of Ferruccio Ferrucci.. true, not gross fib! Who was married to poor grumpy wife Valeria, mind YOU.. if YOU were married to person like that who flirted with everyone in front of YOU.. YOU would be grumpy too..
There will be a very funny post about him later.. remember Ferruccio Ferrucci - as if ONE could forget such a name!
Anyway.. time to go home but what was this? "Come with us to Roma and then join our party on Capri for four days"... ROME .. CAPRI.. it transpired that Filippo had asked charming couple of friends to have HER to stay with them as an extra 'tip'. as it were.. so, that is where SHE went.. to stay with Silvano Sacchi and his beautiful Indian wife, Jeet, in their Roman villa.
Those of YOU of a 'certain age' will remember Silvano, he ran two incredibly successful restaurants in London in the 70's, The Barracuda (a smart Italian fish restaurant) in Baker Street and San Martino, a Trattoria in St. Martin's Lane.. very much beloved by Advertising and PR companies..
Anyway.. Roma! And aged twenty one.. Jeet said "let's go shoe shopping".. SHE had money in wallet and small feet that positively 'ached' for a beautiful pair of trouser boots.. so they did..
To via Condotti.. to Valentino.. Might as well go to one of the best shops in town, no?
Next stop CAPRI .. now there is a 'certain' advantage to being in the hotel / restaurant business. When YOU are one of the top level restauranteurs .. all of your friends are the same level.. and so where did 'Little Miss English who had never been to Italy before stay whilst SHE was on the Isle of Capri'?
Why, where else.. Dear Readers but The Grand Hotel Quisisana.
Now.. I will let YOU into a secret.. the reason those chic Italian women look trim, NEVER go on diets or to gym.. is they are hard at it.. enjoying life.. all day long, water skiing, snorkeling, chasing norty bambinos and husbands around on the beach, eating, laughing, shopping, going out and about, dancing all night long and then getting up and doing it all over again.. SHE was plumb worn out by them all..
But all holidays come to an end.. even Italian ones.. sigh.. after a marvellous four days, they left Capri, flew to Roma and the next day Silvano and Jeet took HER to the Airport and SHE flew back to England.
SHE is going to Roma to stay with MY greatest fan, Zaira in September / October.. I will have to go to the Aviary at Animal Fair. For, this is HER first time away for FOUR years.. and so I have got to allow the ole dear time off for good behaviour.
HeeHee..
GeeGee Parrot.
August 7th, 2012.
Well, Spring time in London, summer was a'coming and SHE had NO plans for a holiday, if truth were told and it always should be.. between YOU, ME and front door, SHE thought a lot about a certain Frenchman in Portugal but thinking about what has gone or passed is NOT a clever idea. Makes YOU sad..
Philip and his wife, Angela, slightly older friends of HERS, asked if SHE would drive out with him and help with the children in Pesaro for ten days SHE said "yes".. Philip's wife would be flying direct with their youngest child, a small baby.
Off they drove to the Adriatic.. SHE had never been to Italy before or driven through France, SHE had worked in France two years previously but had travelled down by train, this time, their route was across France, through Switzerland and down into Italy.
Ooooooh, so beautiful.. Philip's language skills put HERS to shame, in fact, the further south they drove, the less English he appeared to be! He 'became' Italian and so did the children!
They arrived at Pesaro.. birthplace of Rossini and settled in to the villa.. almost immediately phone started to ring.. I don't speak Italian and am NOT going to make a fool of self.. suffice to say that it was old friends saying " what are you doing for supper.. come, bring the children, when is Angela arriving, did you have pleasant trip.. please did you remember to bring us such'n'such from Jacksons?".. and after bathing and changing clothes.. out they went.
SHE remembers that first evening with the Salvatores.. their huge house in an enormous garden with scented Lillies in terracotta pots on the terrace and throughout the villa.. food was delicious.. host and hostess spoke perfect English.. it made HER ashamed but they said "NO NO.. it is very good for us to practise our English and Filippo speaks Italian.. so we get idle!"
IDLE? Dear Readers, these people were extraordinary hosts.. guests kept arriving, food kept on a'coming, drinks a'flowing, the two children went to bed in a guest bedroom, hostess said " this is always the way, they get sleepy, they go to bed and I bring them to their parents after breakfast.. "
Next day SHE took children to beach and Filippo went to collect Angela and the baby from airport.. yippee.. household complete.. holiday starts!
Such a 'social' holiday! Filippo knew everyone as he had been going to this town for decades.. The time passed in a flash..
SHE met a very naughty but charming young 'local' who went by name of Ferruccio Ferrucci.. true, not gross fib! Who was married to poor grumpy wife Valeria, mind YOU.. if YOU were married to person like that who flirted with everyone in front of YOU.. YOU would be grumpy too..
There will be a very funny post about him later.. remember Ferruccio Ferrucci - as if ONE could forget such a name!
Anyway.. time to go home but what was this? "Come with us to Roma and then join our party on Capri for four days"... ROME .. CAPRI.. it transpired that Filippo had asked charming couple of friends to have HER to stay with them as an extra 'tip'. as it were.. so, that is where SHE went.. to stay with Silvano Sacchi and his beautiful Indian wife, Jeet, in their Roman villa.
Those of YOU of a 'certain age' will remember Silvano, he ran two incredibly successful restaurants in London in the 70's, The Barracuda (a smart Italian fish restaurant) in Baker Street and San Martino, a Trattoria in St. Martin's Lane.. very much beloved by Advertising and PR companies..
Anyway.. Roma! And aged twenty one.. Jeet said "let's go shoe shopping".. SHE had money in wallet and small feet that positively 'ached' for a beautiful pair of trouser boots.. so they did..
To via Condotti.. to Valentino.. Might as well go to one of the best shops in town, no?
Next stop CAPRI .. now there is a 'certain' advantage to being in the hotel / restaurant business. When YOU are one of the top level restauranteurs .. all of your friends are the same level.. and so where did 'Little Miss English who had never been to Italy before stay whilst SHE was on the Isle of Capri'?
Why, where else.. Dear Readers but The Grand Hotel Quisisana.
Now.. I will let YOU into a secret.. the reason those chic Italian women look trim, NEVER go on diets or to gym.. is they are hard at it.. enjoying life.. all day long, water skiing, snorkeling, chasing norty bambinos and husbands around on the beach, eating, laughing, shopping, going out and about, dancing all night long and then getting up and doing it all over again.. SHE was plumb worn out by them all..
But all holidays come to an end.. even Italian ones.. sigh.. after a marvellous four days, they left Capri, flew to Roma and the next day Silvano and Jeet took HER to the Airport and SHE flew back to England.
SHE is going to Roma to stay with MY greatest fan, Zaira in September / October.. I will have to go to the Aviary at Animal Fair. For, this is HER first time away for FOUR years.. and so I have got to allow the ole dear time off for good behaviour.
HeeHee..
GeeGee Parrot.
August 7th, 2012.
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