Pandemic Diaries - Italian Interlude 12 October 2022 - San Gemini

12 October 2022 - San Gemini

 

Yes, I had a fourth trip to San Gemini.  It's a sweet little town atop a hill, and it seemed we drove past it constantly on our way elsewhere.

 

Nancie's class, the pastel class, only had one evening there for the sbandieratori (flag twirlers).  So everyone wanted to visit for a half day.

 

We arrived by 9:30 or so in the morning, and the town seemed deserted.  I guess people who work were off to their jobs, but my usual little coffee shop on the main square wasn't even open!  How could we survive without a cappuccino (or a bathroom??)!!

 

We wandered, as always.  It isn't a matter of being lost, it's a way of slowly exploring a place, seeing as much as possible, absorbing the atmosphere and milieu which changes from town to town, and even day to day.

 

San Gemini without their festival, and without tourists, is really a quiet little place.  The town had a whole different feel than my previous visits here, much quieter and sleepier.

On the other hand, it also was a much warmer and sunnier day than when I had been here in September, so everything looked different.  Really, it's amazing how stone walls can vary so in color when seen in sunlight!  

 

Also, in this part of Italy, houses are usually painted in subdued earthy tones like yellow ochre or terra cotta.  On a grey rainy day, these colors look dull and drab.  But on a sunny day, these colors look rich and vibrant while being part of the landscape.  So it was fun to visit on a very sunny October day, the kind of day when the air has almost a golden glow, and the leaves are beginning the change to their autumnal best.

 

All the flags were still up from the festa, the Giostra dell'Armes, so of course I had to photograph more flags.  I can never get enough flags!  And all that bright sunshine casts wonderful shadows, which we didn't have on those grey wet days.  Especially with all the draped flags, we had great shadows on this sunny day!

 

So, we wandered and explored.  Found new places to see, scenic overlooks to view the surrounding hills and valleys, and even managed to look inside one of the small churches that had previously been closed.

 

We walked on the outer walls a bit, always giving a good view since they're just about at the tallest point of each town.  The church campenile (bell tower) would be taller, but they aren't always accessible.

We saw a rather funny tom cat, while at the upper end of town.  First, we heard car tires squealing as someone driving a bit too fast tried to navigate the turning twisting and very narrow roads.  As she drove by I could see that she was driving with one hand while holding her mobile phone in the other, presumably getting directions from Siri (or whatever Siri's name might be in Italian).  Hmmm, not the safest way to drive, I thought to myself.

And then this big tom cat, orange and white, came stalking out of the covered archway the car had just come through, meowing bitterly after the car!  Seriously, he looked like some old man who had jumped out of the way of a reckless driver, and he was now yelling at this young crazy driver!  Really, the cat was all but shaking his fist at her!

Mr Cat (excuse me, Signor Gatto) went stomping down the street, muttering under his breath.  I stood there laughing, it was such human-like behavior!  ALL the emotions were so apparent!!!  What a cat!

Then, being the cantankerous cat that he was, Signor Gatto went and sat in the middle of the road in another archway.  Not the brightest move, considering the fact that this young woman really didn't seem to be watching where she was going.  

But it was a funny incident.  As far as I know, Signor Gatto is fine.

We found an open bar, meaning coffee shop, and had our late morning cappuccino.  They had little personal-size crostata - tiny three-or-four-bite mini pie sort of thing.  It's basically a shortbread-like crust covered in thick jam, with a lattice crust on top.  

We sat outside to enjoy the sunshine, and my crostata was on a lovely plate by the Illy coffee company.  And I thought hmmmm, what a nice still life this would make.

So while everyone else enjoyed their coffees and pastries, yes, I sat and drew my cappuccino and crostata in my sketchbook.  What can I say, it really is rather fun to draw food, especially pastries.  I can see why Wayne Thiebaud specialized in painting pies and cakes - they really are fun and interesting and varied.

 

The cup and spoon also were interesting shapes, less traditional and more Italian modern with very streamlined forms.  The spoon reflected in the cup, adding a new dimension to this scene.  And the pretty design on the crostata plate just added to the composition. 

That afternoon, during studio time, I made a large painting from my sketch.  It's a really muted palette, given that the dishes were white and brown, and that a cappuccino is white and brown.  The crostata also is brown, being a baked dough - but the jam was a nice deep red, since it was something like raspberries.  It was a fun painting - and I practiced Keiko's blur techniques.  (Yes, my circles for the plate and saucer are slightly wonky.  I'm not a perfectionist, I kind of enjoy the slight wonkiness.  To me, it adds to the quirky attitude of a lot of my art.)

Even mundane things like a morning snack can be turned into art!