The day began nice and early with a much-needed Espresso at the corner cafe, where Bernard caught up on some laptop activities and Rebecca, Marie, Dave and I attempted to practice our Italian. Slowly but surely, phrases such as "how much" "good morning" "juice" and "water with bubbles" are being prefected and added to the lexicon. After a few shots of the mega-cool "Creature From the Italian Lagoon" fountains in front of the cafe, it was off to find the local open air market behind the main cathedral.
Around this corner, that corner, past one Gelato shop after another, weaving in n' out of scooter traffic and avoiding tiny yapping dogs, finally, like the first time The Wizard of Oz switches from black and white to color, the bustling, noisy, frenetic market rose from the grey cobblestone streets and delivered a right hook to our senses!
The colors, smells, sounds and sheer variety on display were truly something to behold! From the freshest veggies and fruit to newly butchered meats to giant blocks of cheese, the sky was the limit! I swear the tomatoes were the most intense and deep red I've ever seen in my life! Marie and Rebecca grabbed a bunch of fruit for the next couple of days and Dave and I laughed, explored and shot lots of photos.
Our time was limited because we had to be ready for Lorenzo to pick us up for rehearsal at the Surfer Joe complex, so it was reluctantly time to head back. However, 2 hilarious things happened next. First, as if in some kind of strange Italian dream, we heard someone whistling "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." Were we actually hearing this? Was this really happening? Were our minds playing tricks on us? Absolutely not! Apparently, the local olive salesman/Iggy Pop look-alike saw DA walking by in his all-black Western outfit, complete with black cowboy hat (as only Dave can pull off) and graciously provided a theme tune! What are the chances of hearing that from a local while in Italy! So awesomely satisfying! It was as if the Spaghetti Western Gods were watching over us and offering their approval! Funny event number 2---well, not so funny for Dave, but after succumbing to the desire to indulge in the giant open tin cans brimming with rock salt and anchovies, he was hit with a stomach salt bomb that literally left him cringing for a good couple of hours.
So, most normal people might have a small taste to appease their curiosities, right? Not Dave, no sir! He downed four whole anchovies in a matter of seconds!!! Well, lesson learned. But, it certainly gave us all a good laugh! Oh, and another strange delicacy that just had to be tried...the fried crabmeat/claw poppers! I was hesitant, but man, they were sooo tasty!
On to the Surfer Joe complex and a marathon day of the first rehearsals with the incredible Lorenzo Valdambrini on the skins! Although we went to the diner the first night for dinner and had a tour, this was the chance for us to really explore, take it all in and soak up the space. It really is a remarkable Surf kingdom he has built! One could spend hours just checking out all of the posters and other memorabilia covering the walls of the diner! As a continuous soundtrack in the background, the house music system pumps Surf tunes, and one couldn't help but feel an instant affinity for the ocean turquoise vinyl booths and stainless steel everywhere!
Rehearsals on the upper floor of the diner right next to the worldwide office headquarters for the Surfer Joe empire were nothing short of a mind-blowing experience. It's awesome enough to have Lorenzo on drums for us on the tour, but to play on exceptional gear with a view of the Mediterranean was something out of a dream!
We got through the whole set and more and things really sounded great. After a bit of diner lunch (a refreshing cold pasta salad with ham, tomatoes and mozzarella), and more coffee (!), we finished up a few more songs and then headed down to the shore for some fresh air and so Bernard could take a dip.
It was unbelievable how crystal clear the water was and how many locals were sunbathing on the mossy rocks.
At this point, the subject of having some pizza came up and it was agreed that it was finally time! Ha! It only took 2 days! After a quick request for advice from Anne, we left on foot to find the recommended local pizzeria. A few twists and turns and sore feet from new shoes later (black Converse, of course), we arrived at our intended destination, Da Cecco. Upon Anne's recommendation, we ordered one of Livorno's well-known local specialties, 5 & 5, a garbanzo bean paste on foccacia. A little house wine, some Pellegrino and Birra Moretti, and the pizzas started flowing. I must say, it was a glorious thing! Individual pizzas straight out of the ancient brick oven!
Those things were devoured in a matter or moments and hit the spot in a profound way! However, the food coma set in immediately, as we really hadn't eaten anything that heavy yet on the trip. Good thing it was a short walk to our hotel. Everyone went their separate ways and it was straight to bed!!! And man, did we crash hard! We set an alarm to get up and be able to hang late into the night, but there was no way we were getting up! Ha! The ling travel day finally caught up to us! Until next post...
Oh, and on a side technical
note...this whole thing is being done in a kind of stream of consciousness way, with a single draft and no editing, direct from my iPhone. So, apologies for any type-os, grammatical errors or other obvious mistakes. It's meant more for the feel and vibe than anything. Ciao!
anxiously awaiting more!
ReplyDeleteYep, he's already skipping days! Don't keep us hanging, we need details!
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