ANTHONY'S ADRIATIC SEA
Of all the surprises of Italy, (and the wonderful homey-ness of Italy was full of such surprises...) the most unexpected and poignant was the experience of Trieste, Italy. There, our landlord in California had an apartment high above and two blocks from the Adriatic Sea. He had extended an invitation for us to spend a day or two with him there. Having only met him once, to sign our lease, we were thrilled at the chance...but a bit wary....he was our landlord, after all, not a friend...
Little did we know that we would spend almost a week in Trieste as his guest! And, that our time there would be such a pleasure!
Our apartment in the Bay Area in California was high above the East Bay, with a 185 degree view of the the San Francisco Bay....a wondrous little apartment with big windows and a huge heating bill, since it faced the Golden Gate and all the storms and winds blew straight at us. It was like living in an eagles' nest!
Anthony's apartment in Trieste had just as beautiful a view... This man was obviously all about Views, with the capital 'V'!
Anthony had flowers, a fruit basket, a guide book about Trieste, and a full refrigerator ready for us as his guests, in his modern and way-extravagant apartment. He gave us his bedroom, with the deck to the Adriatic...he was going to sleep upstairs in his 'maid quarters'! His generosity was overwhelming!
The very next day, he was knocking at our/his door...would we like to see his Trieste with him? yes, of course! all day we wandered about the beautiful old city, learning its history, its beauty. its culture...telling jokes. news of the US and the Bay Area. talking about his life. our lives. would we like to go to dinner?...well, sure....
off on the bus we went...to his old friends Angela's and Gino's Pizzeria! o my....their food was so good! they were so sweet! Anthony's translations of their Italian were so wry, so funny! They had known each other since childhood. they were so kind and close...and we were included in their warmth....
Next day, he offered to go with us again...this time to Maximilian's Summer Castle on the Adriatic. and to meet his "housekeeper" and her son for dinner...time to have a little talk...after all, we didn't know him well...we didn't want himf to feel obliged, or for us to be obliged to him!...
with a big, boyish smile, he actually said, "You paid your rent three months in advance to be sure your rent would be in on time while you were in Europe. You take care of me. I am going to take care of you, too!" we were not to discuss it again. we were to be his guests for the next few days...his treat!
That day, we went along the Adriatic to Maximilian's Castle. and walked the so elegant shorelines...then, that night, we met his "housekeeper" Maria, who was pretty obviously his lover, from Russia! and, her worldly and charming young son, who actually was a delight...
then, we went to lunch at Gino's and Angela's again. this time, we met three other friends from Anthony'a childhood... we had a very good time with them all....
the Five Star Hotel Dinner we went to that night was a once-in-a-life-time experience for sure! Course after course was served, and hardly eaten, except by me... I could not waste food - especially not this food, which was exquisite!
I expected, as was my usual habit, to take home all the extra food and use it in sensible and well-prepared meals using these wonderful 'left-overs'! It turned out that the waiters thought that was the most unsophisticated, off-the-wall request they had ever heard...they sent for the Chief Cook, who tried to explain to me, through Anthony, that this was not done! Still, I insisted. finally, they came out after the dinner with one small bag, with the fish filet in it... they handed it to me with great pomp and ceremony. I didn't have the heart to protest! That meal had cost Anthony hundreds of dollars!
The next morning, Anthony sent us to the North of Trieste near the Slovanian border, where the 'Big Caves' were..in his 'private' cab!
The "Gigantica" cave we 'caved' that day was three hundred feet deep and wider yet. It had all the wonders caves have, that I love to see, but in truly gigantic proportions! It was exhausting and so much fun!
Finally, Anthony allowed us to "take him out to dinner" at Gino's and Angela's again....this time, she cooked us a home-made Italian meal....and Gino baked us a small personal pizza, shaped like a heart....
Then, it was time to leave...we had much of Italy to still see and explore....
we said our final goodbyes, and promised Anthony many good meals and visits when he would come back to California to take care of his properties. We were so happy to have made a friend, again...this time, our landlord! We felt that would not ever be a problem....
We were wrong...looking back on it...Anthony and my husband were not destined to get along....they were different in many, many ways...my husband kept thinking they were friends...Anthony wanted him to work for him at reduced rates. my husband kept thinking he could joke Anthony out of obvious resentments he had over little things he did...Anthony became only more angry at my husband's ways...especially about his unwillingness to change his storage of his Painting supplies in Anthony's garage...
no matter what I said or did, Anthony kept refusing even a cup of tea or coffee...I kept waiting for the other shoe to fall...it did....
That spring, we got a registered letter as our lease came due...Anthony was going to sell the house...sometime in the next year...he gave us sixty days to find a new home....
There are new friendships that are so spontaneous and sparkeley and bright, that they actually burn out. almost as if that was inevitable...especially when they are that different in life-styles...in expectations....
this was such a friendship...
Above the Adriatic, the same stars that light the dark sky, shine down on me in my little apartment, with its views of green, kind trees....
I can still see those stars over the water, on the San Francisco Bay....over the Adriatic...
if I close my eyes....
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