Ferragosto

The weather didn't get any better and it hadn't rained for 2 weeks. 'Meglio cosi (better like this) per ferragosto', said Giuseppe, our teacher for pronuncia who would be making vino at home during the upcoming national holiday on the 15th Agosto. The mosquitoes were out in full force, determined to indulge in some summer fun too. I heard a Taiwanese classmate had 200 bites, che terribile! We had our fair share and rubbed the Chinese ointment which served well as a repellent and cure-all. At first, L said the ointment smelled gross but changed his mind after an incident where he suffered a bad tummy ache and broke into a cold sweat. I insisted on rubbing the magic oil on his belly to sooth his pains and boy, was he hooked.

The highlights of the past week were probably the month-end course test (which I thought was fairly easy but I made many mistakes!), the Festival Mediterraneo a Perugia and the Olympics which horded the news headlines. So far Italia has won 3 gold medals, including women fencing and women judo - way to go ladies! We went to Michele for his house party on venerdi and I made chicken curry alongside the other dishes of sukiyaki (by the Giapponesi), pane al formaggio (Georgiana) and riso fritto (Taiwanesi). Only Kumar the indiano didn't bring anything. L had bet his last dollar on it and snorted when he found out.

Already some classmates were on holiday elsewhere in Sicilia and Calabria, as we drew near to ferragosto. Sabato scorso, we had gone to Spello - a nearby hillside town - which exceeded our expectations, especially L who had complained it's another shitty little town in Umbria. The vista leading to it was gorgeous; there was a matrimonio that day and the Santa Maria Maggiore chiesa (built in 1285) was decked up for it. A shame the famosa Cappella Baglioni inside was blocked off so we couldn't see the bel fresco di Pinturicchio. Everyone seemed very relaxed; the old folks were gathered in the shady piazza and elegant wedding guests were loitering around to show off their suits and dresses. We spotted Romeo, a blind tuxedo gatto on a leash, who climbed gingerly onto my lap when I started to stroke him.

The next day on domenica, after 2 hours of surfing the web and studying the mappa of Umbira while L held his breath in anticipation, I decided it'd be feasible to visit the gorgeous Cascata delle Marmore just outside the industrial città-province Terni. This waterfall was created by the Romans by damming the river to create hydro-energia centuries ago and continued to draw crowds till this day. Getting there was no breeze, as we had to catch the treno from the other stazione St Anna al centro and poi catch the autobus which circled Terni before making its way to the cascata.

I spotted it from afar, its white torrents like a white curtain streaming down the lush green mountains. A cool blanket of mist hovered over the park enclosure and made it a more pleasant sensation to enjoy the spectacle accompanied by a glorious rainbow. We wolfed dowm a porchetta panino (ok I ate most of it) before climbing up the quasi vertical Route 1, the most challenging course at 40mins and 150m to the top. Young and old, fat and skinny ones all made it up, and the vista was well worth the ascend. We could almost touch the rainbow.

That night, we were contented with staring at the cielo as 12th Agosto was 'La Notte di San Lorenzo' - the Night of St. Lawrence - also called 'La Notte dei Desideri' (the Night of Wishes). Interestingly every year on the 10th August, Italians turn their eyes skyward hoping to see a shooting star during this Perseid meteor shower (this year it's 2 days late). The numerous stelle cadenti (falling stars) are actually remains of the comet Swift-Tuttle, discovered in 1862.

I'm not sure if this is visible in Singapore but try to look at the sky between 10 and 20 Agosto. We did and were rewarded with not just one but a few falling stars - glowing like the tail-end sparks of a burning matchstick - from our tiny attic window. These falling stars are believed to represent 'lacrime', tears shed for San Lorenzo during his 10th August burial after he died a martyr’s death in 258 A.D. whereby he was burned alive on a gridiron. His famous last words were: “I am roasted enough on this side; turn me over and eat.” And so on this night - no, italians don't celebrate by eating porchetta, the local stuffed roast pig - but they hope their wishes will come true with every stella cadente in sight.