Getting a bit behind with my posts this year and it’s only February! It’s amazing how time flies when you’re doing nothing. Well, doing nothing isn’t strictly true, I am trying to write a novel and now wondering whatever made me start, but start I have and finish I must. It does take up a lot of my writing time though. It’s proving to be much harder than I thought, mainly because I’ve decided to start the story in Berlin at the beginning of 1914 and this means lots of research. So every five sentences or so I have to look something up. ‘Why not look it all up before you start,’ I hear you say. Well, it’s not that easy because things pop up that you don’t expect to pop up and then you have to check out things and change things…It’s a learning curve. The Man is quite helpful, he does have a great deal of historical facts and information stored in his head which has come in pretty handy for me lately.
But, back to Italy and Le Marche.
In January we went from this….
To this….
We were welcomed home by the animals….
Of course we have more than just animals in our family and my son Will joined us for a few days at the beginning of this year. We took him for a day out…as you do with your kids. We first went to Porto Recanati, which was a little bit of a disappointment. Like any seaside resort, out of season it lacked a certain liveliness and colour. The restaurants were almost all closed and the sea front (lungomare) was cheerless. But we did find a place serving a 2 course lunch with wine for about 12 euro a head. Pasta followed by fried fish. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant but I can’t… and it appears I didn’t take a photo…perhaps Will did. After lunch we went to Castelfidardo to the accordion museum, which was very interesting. I had thought that it would be a little boring but there were show cases housing many different types and styles of accordion. Paolo Soprani, a farmhand from Castelfidardo, early in the 1860s began what was the first industrial production of accordions and a model of his workshop is in the museum and a video showing the history of the instrument and clips of bands, orchestras and even the Beatles playing the accordion in many different styles of music.
Wills, who plays himself, was able to give a quick demo while in the museum, interesting because apparently he plays it upside down, but it didn’t seem to make any difference to the tune.
After the museum we went to a shop selling accordion…not cheap. Castefidardo is apparently THE place to buy an accordion if you are a professional player or know your stuff. People come from all over the world to buy in this small town and probably in the very shop we were in – Victoria. We didn’t buy one, not on this occasion anyway. We did however, get the change to play the biggest accordion in the world – well we posed for a photo anyway.
We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided, The Man and I, that we would go for an outing once each week… get out and about more, you know what I mean? Needless to say that didn’t happen but we did manage lunch in January in Smerillo in a fab restaurant called Le Logge. We dined in the typical Marche way, several courses including an unusual one of bacon and egg.
wine, coffee and vino cotto, plus a drop of mistra (very strong aniseed liqueur locally distilled) served in an edible chocolate cup! Fantastic. We’ll be going there again in the summer when we’ll be able to sit outside.
Since then we’ve been pathetic in attempting our day out a week – well I AM writing a novel…we did manage to get to the White Bakery in San Benedetto last Friday (13th) to enjoy burger and chips. Grand stuff.
Looking forward to some warmer weather in March and our next outing, which will be to Jesi….watch this space.
Thanks Ninette,I didn’t know about that accordion museum in Castelfidardo. Will put it on the list for a springtime visit. And, bacon & eggs in Smerillo??? Too many British expats, methinks!
It was really pancetta and a quail’s egg – and very delicious too. Can definitely recommend the museum in Castelfidardo…a little difficult to find but what’s new? This is Italy and they’re not known for clear signage! 🙂 It’s close to the main square but down some steps and in a corner!
Jesi eh! lucky you – I have been trying to get there (in various incarnations) ever since the Emperor Frederick II was born in a tent in the market place there on Dec 26th 1194.
Maybe this year ….
If you’re lucky I’ll take you with me when I go….:)
Ninette, I’ll speak to you before we head off to the museo dei fisarmonici. Please tell gb he is ever the perpetual font of interesting historical fact – does it come off the top of his head or does he rush to check it out in the books? Amazing all the same! Thank you!