Needless to say it's been hot here in Gritworld (aka Providence, RI); but thank the gods not as hot or as fiery as other parts of the lower half of North America. The one thing Rhode Island can be assured of, according to the
New York Times, is an increase in serious flooding along the northeast in coming years -- global warming! gotta love it!
On to more immediate matters: Susie and I are both well; life continues to treat us with a kind look and gentle touch. Susie's business continues to flourish at her own pace and on her terms; she's done eight classes already and is now open two mornings a week for retail. She's one lucky
tarte to be sure.
My work is good and steady -- although I continue to be amazed at how many people take photos wanting to share them with a seemingly boundless immediacy and yet with little notion of preserving them. Odd.
Food continues to be one of our lifesavers here in Rubetown -- and we find ourselves occasionally haunting (and re-haunting) the same favorites again and again.
Tini's on Washington Street Downcity:
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| Rabbit and gnocchi |
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| Zucchini fries |
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| Homemade pasta with fresh peas and mushrooms |
And Broadway Bistro on Broadway (duh) on the West Side:
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| Ribs n grits |
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| Sweet potato croquettes |
Hope Artiste Village, where Susie has her shop, sponsored an outing for its tenants to McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket to see the Pawsox play the farm club for the Atlanta Braves. It was a beautiful day, sitting under the bleachers in the shade watching the Red Sox farm club go to town.
As you know we had to cancel our barge trip to the Canal du Midi scheduled for this fall. The good news is that an acquaintance of ours and her partner will be barging in nearly the same locale (Le Somail in the Languedoc) in early September.
Their plan is to fly into Toulouse, train to Carcassonne, spend a couple of nights, pick up the boat -- a Nicols 36 -- at Le Somail, cruise for a week and then spend a couple of nights in Toulouse before flying back to the US. I hope to have glowing reports to post here later this year -- as for us, well we're still hoping and planning on a self-drive barge trip next year so stay tuned!
Siena, mia paese
Ever since our first trip to Italy in 1994 when we discovered an incredible peace of mind inside the walls of Siena, Italy, we couldn't get enough of that wondrous place -- and so, we returned again and again during subsequent years. In the late 1990s I created an information website to document our trips there and to help others find their way to our special place.
The news, good or bad I cannot say, is that I have sold the www.sienaitaly.com name and website to a couple in Florence. They will continue to use my photos and some of my content until such time they see the need to move on. The reason for selling was simple: I just couldn't keep up with the fast changing information -- and that, I felt, was unfair to visitors seeking reliable, accurate information. So it's gone from me but not from my heart.
Non mai!
Over the past three years or so we've made the East Bay Bike path our place of serious exercise -- walking, scootering and biking. After being closed since last year, the northern section of the East Bay Bike path reopened at last, with freshly paved surface and new fencing.
Life is good -- but life is also short. Make the most of it.
Ciao for now.
