Good-Bye Anghiari

Chaos and Sadness

As we entered the last days of 2022, we began preparations to leave Anghiari and return permanently to Hickory, North Carolina. By mid-December most of our furniture had been picked up by the shipping company, leaving us with a bed, a couch, a chair and a desk, which will be left behind for new owners. Since all of our dishes, along with most of our pans, and cutlery had also been shipped, we relied on a skeletal mix of a couple items of each along with a supply of disposable plates and bowls. A pizza box served as a tray, paper towels became our napkins or, if folded, coasters. With no table or chairs in the dining room, meals were eaten in the living room in front of the television. We became squatters in our home.

So we are able to get along, not entirely comfortable though not terribly uncomfortable either. But we have been plagued with breakages in our last weeks here: the dishwasher stopped working and we feared it would need to be replaced, especially after we learned it was a 2001 model. But a clever repairman got it going and we were assured it could probably limp along for a while. Then we lost heat and faced the spector of having to replace the boiler, but, sigh of relief, the problem turned out to be in the plumbing and it too was repaired. A wall left blank after a painting was removed revealed a stained, somewhat punky area. Fearing a serious water problem, we called Emmanuel, who had remodelled our guest bathroom and was our favorite fixer of all things. He scraped off the outer surface of plaster and determined it was just a superficial problem, easily repaired And today we found a significant puddle of water in the kitchen, developed in the brief time since Terry and I had fixed our lunch there. An emergency call to the plumber (who had just been here the day before to repair the boiler problem) went unanswered.–he was no doubt taking a lunch break and unavailable. So next a phone call to Emmanuel explaining the new development and he hurried through his own lunch to come and take a look. More kudos to this incredible workman as he identified the problem and promised to fix it.

Each time we discover a new breakage we lament the last minute problems but remind ourselves that not only have repair costs been relatively low, but it would have been so much worse if any of them had happened when we were no longer here and left unfixed, no doubt to become worse.

With the last minute repairs completed, it is now time to tackle business issues…arranging for Power of Attorney so that our realtor can act on our behalf when our house eventually sells, selling the car, paying all bills due and arranging for future ones to be collected and charged to our account by a helpful friend. And….. saying good-bye to the friends we have made during our years in Italy.

Already I have shed a few tears when we visited Gilberto and Graziella to give them a painting by Terry to remember us by. This couple, who live across the street, have been our closest friends during our years in Italy. We shout daily greetings across the street, Buon Giorno (Good Morning), Tutti Beni ( Is all well with you?) Bene grazie, E voi? (Good, thank you, and you?) A Dopo ( See you later) all of which I am happy to say I can respond to in Italian. We have enjoyed the occasional visit and exchange of gifts of food with them as well. And it is an extra benefit to us that they are enthusiastic gardeners whose beautiful small garden has brightened the view from our balcony. They will be prominent in memories of our temporary home.

Next door to us stands a large villa, owned by the Sassolini family, owners of the Busatti linen company. Only Gianni and his wife Paula live there now but their grown children visit often and have also become familiar to us. Truly, a nicer family cannot be found and and as several of them speak good English, communication is easy and pleasant. The Sassolinis are a prominent family in town, so not surprisingly entertain frequently and we have had the pleasure of attending a number of their large parties, including one where we met Frances Mayes, author of Under The Tuscan Sun. Gianni has offered an apartment he owns for our use should we ever return to Anghiari for a visit. While it isn’t likely we will do that, his generous offer touched our hearts.

Next door to the Sassolinis live Piero and Lela, friends whom we occasionally meet for dinner at a nearby restaurant. They, too, speak English, having lived in England for a number of years. The gate before their house was a favorite stop for Django who waited patiently for Lela to appear with a snack for her Amore, as she called him.

Across the street from Piero and Lela lives Valerio Dragonetti. He is a master furniture refinisher who can often be seen outside his house sanding and polishing his work. In spite of being a skilled craftsman, Velario has always been willing to come to our house to make needed repairs or install mundane features such as the screens we had made this past summer. Valerio sports chartreuse laces in his shoes and it always seems to me that his feet advance ahead of him as he walks up our street. We will make one last request of him to repair the desk we are leaving behind.

Though less “friend” than a friendly neighbor, we have also become familiar with Lydia who lives behind us in what was probably once a part of the castle for which our house served as watch tower. Lydia is a single lady with whom I share responsibility for sweeping or weeding along the ally that leads to both our homes. We also maintain together a number of plants lining the walk between our two houses. Lydia is quiet, almost taciturn, any conversation a gift, but a part of our lives nevertheless.

Mario and his wife own the home behind Lydia so we see them regularly as they head for work or return home. Mario and his sister Rosita own Hotel Meridiana on Piazza IV Novembre where we stayed while we waited for our house to become available. He has been eminently useful as a contact between us and workers needed when we have an electrical or plumbing problem, so not only a friendly but very helpful neighbour.

While proximity creates opportunity for friendship, there are other Anghiarians whom we do not know well, but are a part of our lives simply because they have become familiar as they walk up and down the one way, single lane street leading to the piazza. Prominent among these is a pair of women, an elderly lady and her care taker niece who stroll the streets of Anghiari every day, and except during inclement weather, several times a day. The Nona, grandmother, has a rather advanced case of dementia, but her always stylish clothing and jewellery tell us she remains a Fashionista in spite of her advanced age and condition. They walk arm in arm with the niece occasionally dabbing her aunt’s face to wipe away drizzle or a tear. Often they rest on a bench just across the street from us so we exchange greetings while the niece encourages her grandmother to notice us on our balcony. Nona used to respond with a wave, but lately seems to have lost the capacity to do that.

Early on in our life in Anghiari I noticed a man picking up cigarette butts from the street who, because of this practice, became known to me as “Cigarette Butt Man.” Initially I thought he was simply picking up litter, but I eventually realised that he was collecting tobacco for later use. He would empty the tobacco into a packet which presumably became the supply for hand rolled cigarettes. Our neighbor, Lela, once gave him money to buy a pack of cigarettes instead of relying on bits of tobacco from the street. But when one of her friends learned of this she told Lela that “Cigarette Butt Man” had plenty of money and didn’t need the charity. True or not, who knows? Cigarette Butt Man does not speak to people though he is constantly seen about town, so I determined to always say hello, even if not expecting a response. On occasion he did mumble something like a hello and once even smiled at Django, a major breakthrough of sorts.

Terry’s ability to speak Italian has meant that he can connect with business people around town. These are less friendships than cordial working relationships typical of small town connections. Terry’s favorite store in Anghiari is a small market chock a block with an amazing variety of items we may need to carry us through until a trip to a supermarket is in order. Lorenzo, its owner, and Terry have developed a warm and mutually helpful relationship dating back to our first trip to Anghiari.

Because they own our favorite upscale restaurant in Anghiari we have come to know Gianni and Sylvia. He is a native of Anghiari and she from Germany. They met in Sardinia many years ago to fall in love and return to Anghiari where they run their Michelin recognised restaurant. Sylvia is the chef, while Gianni mans the tables as their big Lab sits quietly at the side. Sylvia speaks several languages, including English, so it was easy to make a connection with her. Gianni speaks only Italian, but has a warm and friendly greeting whenever we see him. A favorite memory from one of the many meals we have enjoyed at their restaurant is the day that Gianni and the local priest highlighted their conversation by breaking into song, entertaining all who were fortunate enough to be there. They have been a pleasure to know and we will certainly have our last meal out with them.

Terry’s long time friend, Elga, has been a regular if infrequent visitor since she lives about two hours away where she operates an Agritourisimo. She and Terry bonded during the time he lived in Montebeni pursuing his medical degree. They are many years older now but have maintained their friendship over the decades. A last visit with Elga is definitely in order as we approach our final days in Italy.

This list of friends and friendly neighbors would be incomplete without citing Alessandro. He and his wife own a small restaurant in Piazza Baldaccio where we can get delicious pizza or pasta, a favorite with us and many other locals. In warm weather we sit on the veranda but when temperatures cool, Terry calls to order takeout, always beginning with a “Ciao Bella” (hello beautiful) to Alessandro’s wife, Domitilla, who responds “Ciao Terry.” Simply based on knowing Terry through our patronage of his restaurant, Alessandro offered to drive us to Rome when we leave to catch the plane to the U S. It is a four hour trip each way so no small matter to drive us on his one and only day off during the week.

During our time in Italy we have not connected with American or English residents until recently. Just before the last month or so of our stay we met the Anthonys, Steve and Cathy. It was a such a pleasure we rued the late timing of our meeting. They have been living part time in Italy for many years, largely in Anghiari and have made good friends here in what they consider to be their primary home. Currently they have returned to the States where they can spend time with family for a few months before returning to Anghiari when Spring weather replaces the foggy days of Winter. To them we can say Arrivederci, to seeing you again, a possibility in their case, not available to us as we leave our Italian neighbors and friends to resettle in America.

Now we are in the last week of our Italian adventure. It is time for it to end, but inevitably brings some sadness even as we look forward to returning to Hickory. Initially we will return to the townhouse we bought in 2019 but will look for a permanent, single family home. We will settle into our adopted town, meet new friends, connect more easily with our children and grandchildren and pursue interests and activities that have been unavailable to us in Italy. This new phase of our life is less a return to the familiar than the promise of another adventure.