Mega (???) Bene! (Thursday, September 22)

This morning was filled with laundry, ironing and packing for tomorrow's departure. How exciting can my life get?
I did, though, have one thing left that I wanted to accomplish in Cortona and I had promised Steve Haslam to do so. Frances Mayes is an Amercian writer (Under The Tuscan Sun, Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life, Every Day In Tuscany:Seasons of An Italian Life, A Year In The World......the list goes on). Her Under The Tuscan Sun about the purchase of her villa, Bramasole - a romanticized version - was made into the popular movie of the same name starring Diane Lane. This movie and Frances Mayes are largely credited with putting Cortona on the tourist map. She is revered in town. A simple question in the Tourist Information Office, "Bramasole?" will result in directions to her villa. Steve said, "Say hello to Bramasole" and thus we set off to do so. I have read everyone of Frances' books on Tuscany so I was most certainly not averse to this expedition.
Bramasole sits on the edge of a precipice down a very narrow road (viale) overlooking the valley below Cortona; it is backed by acres of gardens, olive groves, etc. I promise you that the villa itself is a stunning site. The gardens, even though ravaged by a July hailstorm this year, are stunning.
So there we were, Jim and I, taking photographs and feeling as if we were invading someone's privacy. I need to say at this moment that hundreds of tourists seek out the villa and walk by. Frances Mayes, in her blog, says that she finds this to be a compliment. Thus, my guilt
was slightly assuaged.
Admiring the gardens, I was nudged by Jim. "Look, isn't that Frances Mayes coming down the
front pathway?" And so it was! She passed through her front gates, looked at Jim and I, smiled and said, "Where are you from?" I am still in shock. The conversation was easy and comfortable; she was exceedingly gracious. She pointed out her husband, Ed, standing on one of the upper balconies and dressed in a bright pink shirt. She laughed and said," See, we dress him to match the geraniums" which were, of course, pink. I asked if her Tuscan Cookbook was near completion and a huge smile broke out onto her face. Next March, for anyone interested. The conversation moved to Giusi (one of her favorite people in the world). A friend of hers was picking her up in a car. Jim said that Giusi was cooking for us tonight. Ms Mayes turned
as she was getting into the car, laughed and said, "Can I come?"
I have admired Frances Mayes for taking a gamble in her life! That it paid off handsomely is a result of her talent. How refreshing it was to meet someone you admire and to have them be all that you hoped. After she drove off, Jim turned and said that we should have asked to have our pictures taken with her. Neither one of us asked as we felt that we were already intruding. Sometimes it doesn't totally pay be be a mannerly Canadian!
Now for Giusi's meal last night. We were again treated to aromas beyond compare, as Giusi and Anita created our incredible meal in the kitchen. Here goes:
Crostinis with assorted toppings, fresh olives, pecorino cheese with black pepper, Proseco (of course)
Puffed pastry stuffed with a heavenly zucchini mix
Spinach and ricotta raviolis with sage butter ( this is my favorite Italian dish, bar none!)
Lemon veal scallopini with a porcini mushroom stuffed with zucchini and cheese plus salad
Tiramisu (acknowledged by all of us as the best we have ever had!)
As Anita was removing plates from our table, we began complimenting the meal: Fatastico! Excellente! Delicioso! And then Cathy, with all of her newly acquired Italian gestures, hands spread about a yard apart, pronounced, "MEGA bene!" "Mega?", we all chimed! Anita began to laugh and in Italian told Cathy that she was creating new Italian vocabulary. We could hear Anita giggling in the kitchen telling Giusi of the new word. Why not? A new word!
Mega bene it is, Cath, but not just the meal. Mega bene for the Tuscan countryside! Mega bene for this gem of a villa! Mega bene for the chance to know Giusi, an Italian treasure.
Arriverderci!