CERRETO SANNITA AND THE PELOSI/GIORDANO FAMILIES!!!

A FULL DAY IN CERRETO SANNITA

I was awake earliest - about 8 a.m. - late for me! I headed downstairs to type my blog to upload later (we have no wi-fi here so it will have to wait for Sorrento). Later Vincenze arrived as we were finishing breakfast and explained that there is NO internet in town, in the cafes, restaurants, public places - nowhere! A few years ago when he was still working in the CS offices, he had tried to bring internet to CS. After two years it became prohibitively expensive. However, all the family members are constantly on and checking their phones, etc. Turns out they have individual plans that cover them wherever they are. That’s what David has - with an Italian SIM card - while he’s here. I have to check with Doug and find out what I need to do - maybe get a different phone - so that I can get a SIM card for a country when I’m traveling. It’s been a constant frustration for the 3 of us to have to be somewhere wi-fied in order to use that wonderful WhatsAPP that everyone has and uses. It’s what I was using to communicate with Kerry all last week when it was really important.

Anyhow, “Mama” Mongillo, Marco’s mother - I dealt with Marco on airbnb and email before coming - was here when I came down and speaks no English. She offered me Italian coffee - I don’t drink coffee AT ALL - but I decided to try it. It came in a tiny cup maybe 1/2 full of thick coffee like they like it! It almost made my hair stand on end! I dumped one whole packet of sugar in it and said something about milk which she brought me. I added some and was able to sip maybe 1/2 of it! Later I surreptitiously poured it down the sink so as not to offend!

This place used to be an olive oil press/business run by her parents and grandparents. All around are the instruments and tools used for that, all cleaned up and on display. There are several spots on the floor covered in glass/plexiglass where you can see under the floor - in one case a long trough that water ran along. Marco explained later that in 2007 in was abandoned, run down and a mess. He and his mother (I’m sure with some worker help!) did this conversion and renovation. A ceiling was added to divide the huge open space; a second floor where we are was added to install 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. We have a quite large room with a stairway up to a loft with an additional 2 twin beds where Angie and David slept last night. Our hostesses the Pelosis where standing out front when we drove up and they had been in and checked it out and were quite impressed! 

Originally this area had been known for producing woolen clothing. So hanging on a coatrack was Marco’s grandfather’s long black VERY heavy shepherd’s cloak, along with shoes with sort of round pegs on the soles - I thought they were for smashing olives! but Marco said they are like cleats for climbing up on the rocks and hills when shepherding. 

Cerreto (pronounced che rrrrreee to) Sannita - Cerreto is a kind of oak tree found around here - and Sannita after a post- Etruscan/Roman tribe of people I think called Samnites settled here. Anyhow people have lived here for a couple thousand years. The 1600s were bad years with the Black Death and then a huge earthquake that destroyed most everything and killing much of the population. When they were going to rebuild, Carama a biggie from Naples,  brought in engineers and showed the town they should rebuild in a lower less earthquake-prone spot so they did. Within 8 years every family had rebuilt their home in the spot it is now. It is laid out with 3 long main streets with tiny cross streets with a central piazza in front of St. Martin’s church.

In this tiny hill town of 6,000 people there are 7 churches! More on the history of CS later as “Mama” gave me a book to read with English about CS but it’s upstairs as I’m typing this. 

Angie and David came down for breakfast as they were being picked up by Angela and Vincenze for the morning family sites. Cathy and I were going to have a MUCH needed morning of R & R! I had spotted a washing machine up in the hall bathroom and David asked “Mama” if we could use it. We ended up doing two loads between the 3 of us, and Cathy and I hung it up outside on the lines in the sun to dry. GREAT to have some clean things! Cathy managed to get the Italy jacket she borrowed from David washed. Unfortunately, my black Bleacher Report zippered sweatshirt was in the car so it will have to wait until Sorrento! It’s been cool in early a.m. and in the evenings so we’ve depended on these to keep us warm. 

After they left, Marco and his sister Carolina arrived - they are staying elsewhere and are just visiting for the weekend. Marco, it turns out, lives and works in Brussels, and Carolina lives in Rome. There is another sister living in Napoli but is currently on holiday in London! Jobs are a scarce commodity for young people here in Italy - 40% unemployment. We met a young woman with a law degree who has job hunted for 4 YEARS with no luck! She’s holding off getting married until she gets a job, will be 30 this year, and lives with her parents for economic reasons. But if they go to a foreign country to work, like Marco, frequently they never return to live here. It’s a real problem. And I’m sure it doesn’t help in their attitude towards all these immigrants invading Europe, who are also hunting for ways to support their families. What a dilemma!

When I asked Angela and Vincenze about retirement ages (he’s retired), he said it’s 67 for men and 65 for women. But for this current generation they have raised the retirement age to 75!!! Angela Maria continues to work, pretty much running a nearby school - kind of a superintendent, also writing grants such as for the solar power there.

She formerly was also part of the political system in town. She showed us the room where they meet - sounded like sort of a town hall set up, with a table on each side for the two parties, a place for the public to sit, etc. She told Angie she had worked very hard to “raise up” the Pelosi name in CS!! Angie was able the first day to visit the school down the street and visit some classes! David said she was right in her element.

In their home in a den there were framed diplomas on the wall for all of the family members. When we visited the first evening and saw Angela Maria’s parents in AM and Vincenze’s home, we had a tour upstairs where they live. It is beautiful with 3 bedrooms, a living and dining room and a lovely balcony overlooking the valley! She said it’s from the 1700s.

Marco speaks English pretty well; he had a Dutch girlfriend at one time and her family spoke English to him so he had to learn. Carolina seems to understand quite a bit but wants to improve her speaking as she’s love to visit New York! Since she lives in Rome, I hope to connect her with Anna whom we are staying with and who teaches English in the evenings; during the day she runs her family’s Vespa business! They are close in age, and Carolina also says she’s into Tango like Anna is!! We may all go to a melanga in Rome when Michelle is there (Michelle and I went to two tango shows and had a tango lesson when we were in Buenos Aires). Anna and I spent time in New York City together and went to “Forever Tango” on Broadway, and she goes to all kinds of tango events!! I think she went on a tango cruise around Manhattan after I left and went back to Blue Cliff Monastery. So Carolina gave me all her contact info for Rome when I’m there next week!!

Shepherd's wool cape and shoes with cleats. 

Olive press equipment

Renovated entryway

Kitchen with Assunta, "Mama" Mongillo! Great baker!

B & B sign outside! This was NOT an airbnb.

Display I think with the grandfather.

Our stairway to our room.

Marco and his mom

The olive press that still moves!! Used to be turned by animals. 

Carolina connected both Cathy and me for a short time on her internet account so we could check email. I had a great long shower and sat in the sun to dry my hair. Cathy walked around town for a bit. When David and Angie came back, it was time to go to lunch with the family. David had to catch his train at 3 in a neighboring town so we went to a restaurant near the train station. Again we are overwhelmed with food and drink!! Antipasta, then pasta, then they brought out a HUGE chunk of meet for David so he could gulp down some food before leaving. Later we were served some delicious beef with salad. This time I wasn’t so tired and was able to do the food justice! Hugs all around as David left with Marco dropping him off at the train and coming back. 

Turns out one of the head guys at this restaurant has a good friend in Waterbury, CT. So when we went back last night for a “lighter” meal of pizza, he greeted both Cathy and I warmly since we had some connection to his friend in CT! He was very charming! After a long lunch we all drove to a nearby lake for after lunch coffee! Now we Americans were riding in Vincenze’s Alpha Romeo!!! This was after Nicola’s Mercedes Benz station wagon! Classy all around!

Oh, I forgot, on the way to our lunch with Nicola, we stopped at his in-law’s house. The woman that greeted us both Cathy and I thought was Nicola’s wife Antonella. Turns out that was her sister who lives with the parents. Nicola had come by to give the father-in-law an injection of some sort. While he did that, they INSISTED in bringing out the homemade white wine and some pretzel-like snacks. The wine was delicious! So we went away with a bottle of each of us. I think mine will get consumed in Rome when Michelle arrives!! Too much for me to carry and I’m headed to Plum Village monastery in France to visit Doug after Rome so wouldn’t be appropriate anyhow. I’m already worried about weight of my suitcase going on RyanAir from Rome to Bordeaux! I’ve added that alabaster from Volterra! small pieces but still heavy! And then Angela Maria gave each of us a small ceramic plate from CS; and on the way to dinner last night I bought two beautiful candleholders of ceramic!! Yikes!! I’m going to look like a Sherpa coming home!! At least I’ll get rid of the 3 books I’ve been carrying form MA for Doug when I get to the monastery. He was going to have me give them to parents of a nun coming to Plum Village who live in Bologna. But we just didn’t connect so I’m still carrying them! That will lighten my load somewhat! 

Anyhow, we had a delightful visit out on this farm with Nicola’s in-laws - really just her mom and sister, and then went on our way to lunch. We were able to come back to the B & B for a MUCH needed hour or so siesta! And then were picked up again for the pizzeria (same place as lunch but PACKED with Saturday night partiers!)  We could hardly find parking. Added to the group was Maria Christina’s boyfriend of 6 years, a practicing attorney. He worked for/with his father who passed away and now it’s the 3 brothers practicing together. 

Of course, we had also to stop in town before this with just Vincenze and Angela for aperitifs at another local bar - this time it was non-alcoholic, kind of a juice spritzer - quite good! I can’t imagine how Angela Maria stays rail thin with this kind of eating constantly!! She is very high energy so I’m sure she burns it off! But still! The whole culture runs around food! Especially when someone is visiting! We haven’t spent a dime on food since we rolled into this tiny hill town east of Naples!!

We then headed out to the restaurant where we’d eaten lunch with David. We had specified something “small”!! Italians don’t know the meaning of the word I don’t think!! We all ordered individual pizzas. I had a delicious one with prosecution on top.  Of course we had to have antipasto BEFORE the pizzas came! I would have been happy with just the antipasto! 

We had a great time and returned in time for a reasonable bedtime!!