Laundry, Nonni and Bread

Here in this little seaside village of 2400 people, we have been able to enjoy the lovely pastime of people watching. This is a multi generational town and with our little bit of experience, we think that it is quite typical of most Italian towns. In the US we expect that our children will move far away, following their careers or friends. For us, it is quite rare to live, as an adult, in the town where you were raised. Across Italy, most adults live within walking distance of their parents and often, grandparents. As we walk through the village, during the day,we see little children being cared for by their Nonni, children delivered to school by their Nonni and in the evening we watch whole families, Nonni, parents and children enjoying the time together. These are families who live and share life together. At the risk of being trite....it takes a village to raise a child and it is lovely to watch.
Below is a picture of the little village of Santo Stefano al Mare.








A fresh baguette for 60 cents.....you have got to be kidding! The village is filled with little shops. There is a veggie and fruit shop, 2 small general grocery shops, a bread and pastry shop, a wine shop, 4 butcher shops where you can buy fresh meat or delicious dried and preserved meats, a fish shop, along with real estate offices, a town office and several restaurants. Bars in Italy are actually what we might call bistros. You can buy coffee, tea, cold drinks, sandwiches as well as beer and wine. There are a few of these in town as well. Everything we need is right here and all in about the same space as a small Vermont town. The buildings are quite close together with walking alleys connecting different areas of town. I love walking through these alleys. They are very clean and inviting. Looking up you see fresh laundry hanging from compact clothlines that are attached to the balconies. You see blue sky (300 days of sun a year here) and lovely overflowing window boxes. You hear people talking and calling to one another from window to window and you can smell the delicious aromas of cooking. You hear children laughing and music playing. Everyone greets you as you pass....Buon Giorno, in the morning, or Buona Sera in the late afternoon. On Monday we will take the overnight ferry from Genoa to Sardenia. Another adventure awaits..