One year ago as we were about to leave Lecce for a month in Lucca and our return trip to the US to apply for our elective residence visa, our friend Gianfranco and his wife Paola had a party for us at what Gianfranco terms his “country”.  Although, I know that term is not quite right, it is hard to come up with a better one and it delights us when he says it.  His “country” is perhaps a couple of acres of land that had a small outbuilding on it.  Doing all of the work himself, he has created a great place to relax and just enjoy the quiet of the Salentine countryside.  Along with an orchard and a garden, there are three structures on the property.  One is the pavilion with a wood-fired pizza oven where we had the party last year (you an see that post), an arch for entry (I call it his “Arc de Triomphe”) and the former outbuilding that he has equipped with a nice kitchen, beds that electrically fold down from the walls, a bathroom and a wrap-around porch for just lazing.

Not long ago we were invited back for an afternoon of eating and relaxing.  This was a smaller affair with just Gianfranco and Paola, Dario (a very interesting friend who is a teacher, an architect, a film director and a lover of fine gelato), and Maurizio and Roberta.

I am sure that some of you will understand this, but for the rest, when you are invited to an Italian’s house for dinner all I can say is, bring your appetite.  Just when you think you can eat no more, the main course arrives and you had better be ready to eat some.  The meal that Paola prepared was beyond splendid and we ate until we needed some of that lazing on that porch.

One of my Italian teachers taught me a phrase in the local dialect that I have gotten a lot of mileage from.   Not quite sure how the locals might spell it, but in English it would be something like “maju binkiatu”.  A rough translation is “I am so full that if you make me eat one more bite, I might explode.”  There is something about an American who speaks only a little Italian using that phrase, that just cracks our Italian friends up.  They laugh and then offer more food.

The Arc de Triomphe

The fold down beds

We brought some wine but there was no need

The chef hard at work

Can’t tell you how great this was.

Paola serving it up

The table is full

Gianfranco and Roberta

Our great friend Dario

Now, this is lazing

Bellissima Paola

I think Maurizio is maju binkiatu