Well, Mussolini Drank Tea...

After church yesterday Luigi spent time with his new friend Alfredo. We had lunch together and the guys were clearly hitting it off. I’ve never heard such laughter! All during lunch they kept breaking into Italian. At first I thought it was just a result of their natural effervescence, but after an hour or so of watching them pointing to the food, and then laughing hysterically, I wasn’t too sure.
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Okay, fair enough. I didn’t consider preparing pasta for a Sunday luncheon. I’m not sure that I ever have. But a traditional Sunday roast has never gone awry in our home. I think my mistake was that I offered the lads some wine with their luncheon. As a family we don’t drink, so you can imagine my surprise when I noted that the bottle of a rather nice French Bordeaux was empty, even before anyone had finished their starters. I had planned on offering them tea afterwards, but the look I got from Alfredo suggested that this would be an exercise in futility. It reminded me of one of the local supermarket adverts currently running from Aldi.

In the interest of ‘entente cordiale’ I prepared a Balsamic tricolore salad, ( consisting of tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil representing the colours of the Italian flag.) The boys happily gobbled it down, in between glasses of Bordeaux. Perhaps I broke social conventions by offering a couple of resolutely Italian chaps a French wine, rather than their beloved nectar from ‘the old country.’ 

During dinner we discussed the difference in cultures between the Italians and the English. Apparently there are many differences in the way we think. Considering the lively banter during the meal, I think I’d have to agree. But whenever things got a bit too warm, I had a secret weapon to use that would bring them back down immediately. All I had to say was ‘Berlusconi’ and instantly the boys would drop their heads in a mixture of pensive reflection and shame. And just to be cruel I would shout it out as if I were sneezing and then there'd be silence. Shame on me – and I’m supposed to be an ambassador for cultural détente. Shame on me indeed!

Little did I know how well these two were going to get along. Alfredo brought with him his personal collection of film discs. Following the dessert I had prepared – a tiramisu in honour of Luigi, which brought on further waves of muffled sniggering and laughter, the boys headed off to the library to watch a film. Our weather was being typically English, which I love, but if you’re not accustomed to it, it can at times be a bit off-putting. Nevertheless it was perfect weather for sitting in front of the fire and watching a film.

Off they went: Avanti staring Jack Lemon and Juliet Mills.. During the film, every time Ms Mills appeared on screen Alfredo would shout out ‘Signorina Piggott - Hai un bel barbone!!’ (whatever that means), And Luigi would double over in laughter.

Then they changed films to Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn. The boys sat there with tears streaming down their faces as they watched Audrey Hepburn dance on the float alongside the Tiber River. ‘These lads are homesick,’ I thought.
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I had to go out for a bit and when I returned they were again playing Avanti. And now both Luigi and Alfredo were calling out ‘Miss Piggott - bellissimo barbone!’ I assume they were saying how much they loved her English accent! They kept rewinding the film to the beginning and each time they saw the Alitalia aeroplane Alfredo would shout ‘bere!’ and the two of them would salute the screen with a glass of wine. In my absence they’d found their way into the pantry and hauled out several more bottles of wine. 

 

It’s late in the evening now and considering the state of both of them, I’ve suggested to Alfredo that he stay the night. The other guest room is all prepared so he can just collapse in there. I’ll set out a flannel and toothbrush and hopefully he can find all the other toiletries he needs in the bath. Luigi really does seem quite homesick for his motherland. Oh, and I think I should find a couple of paracetamol for them to take in the morning. I'm sure they're going to have ripping headaches!

As I headed upstairs I heard the two of them singing together. It was the beautifully melodic Senza Fine (Endless), written by Ennio Morricone for Avanti, which is second on my list of all time favourite Billy Wilder films. (who could deny that Some Like it Hot has to be the first?)

We have an early start in the morning. Thankfully Mrs Higgins will be here to prepare breakfast for us all! But I’m sure I’m going to get an earful over all the house guests!

London, here we come!

I wish you all buonanotte