I’ve spent the last day or two handing out cards with my phone number on them and trying to find some work for the summer.  As much as I love just enjoying Italy, I have to keep reminding myself that this isn’t a vacation.  Actually my type A personality, which I’ve tried to tamp down, keeps rearing it’s ugly head and telling me to get busy.  It’s probably not healthy to be having arguments with myself, but at least I’m hearing some English!

My landlady suggested waitress work at a hotel in a nearby town, but it would require being gone from sunup to sundown, and I have Cinder to think about.  Plus, the whole point is to find some work in “my” town so I can meet people.  Laura told me of an office in town where they post all the available jobs being offered so that’s next on my agenda.  Well, after another trip to the petstore and to the Pescheria (fish truck), which is only here twice a week.

Aside from writing, I did some manual labor yesterday.  Laura was opening the pool at the agriturismo and needed help cleaning it and the sixteen, yellowed lounge chairs.  It was an all day project involving a lot of elbow grease and bleach.  I had no idea when I’d plopped my butt on those chairs last fall that so much work went into getting them ready.  In fact, I really didn’t fathom half of the work that Laura, her mom and even grandmother do every day.  Laura’s grandmother is a tiny thing, but she pushes around a wheelbarrow like nobody’s business.  She tends the garden and the chickens.  She gave me some fresh eggs for my efforts yesterday.  They don’t refrigerate eggs here, which I’m slightly suspicious of, but I made some for dinner last night and they were delicious.  Laura’s mom, Marisa, also sent me home with some fava beans.  I told her I’d never had them before and she told me to eat them “cruda” or raw.  I threw them in a salad and they were pretty tasty.  Of course when she handed me the fava beans, I immediately wanted to make the “I’ll enjoy them with a nice chianti” reference from Silence of the Lambs, but then I remembered a) my Italian isn’t strong enough to pull it off and b) they probably didn’t see the movie anyway!  These are the moments when I miss my friends the most!!!

After a trip to the market yesterday with my neighbor Mariela, in which she introduced me around and basically told me which fruit and flowers I should buy, I got our flowers situated on the porch.  And last night Cinder and I witnessed a gorgeous sunset from our apartment.  I was tired after my day of work at the agriturismo, but even still I hope they’ll ask me back to do more.  It’s definitely one of my favorite places to spend time.

Cinder stares at Theo while I put flowers on our porch

Cinder browses at the petstore

Buying fish at the Pescheria

Pink Tuscan sunset