Russ vs grappa...who will win???

From the desk of Rusilio
Sunday 29th November
Decided to try and buy a second hand car as Brad and Trish will be here for 3 months. Everyone we ask has a different opinion on where to get car from and how to register and insure etc... All done in phrase book Italian, not as easy as you would think. So we decided to ask the locals of Introdacqua about getting a cheap car.
You must understand that to do this you must get to the men, and they all congregate in the street about 5.30pm and talk then move into the local bar for drinks ,cards, poker machines and stuff. If you have seen the godfather it’s a little like that but without the guns.
So Brad and I started a conversation and it wasn’t until we had said where we were from and how long we were staying that Angelo suddenly starts speaking some English!!! Then we find they have relatives in Australia and such and bang we were in and were introduced to Antonio or as it turns out Big Tony. Well he thinks he can get us a car for the cost of insurance. Not what you know but who in this place.

Had to return last evening to see big Tony about car, so we waited in the Bar but he didn’t show. Had a beer or two and started talking to the barman who learned English from the TV music channel and then met a local builder, well things went from bad to worse and we now know this place is called Intro-drink –Qua and not Introdacqua. Made the mistake of asking what a certain drink was and next thing were being shouted all the local drinks. All good until 150 ml of brown liquid made from the bulb of a local mountain flower got put in front of us. and this had to be sculled, believe me it couldn’t be taken any other way!!!!! Looked at the bottle and it was 50% pure alcohol.

So as we staggered home we assessed our gains, I had 6 glasses with fosters written on them under one arm, a block of chocolate for the wife, which in Italian sounds like “molee” so we don’t use that word.
We also have a car as of Monday for our use which came from the builder we were drinking with... Not a bad evening’s work. And yes I slept very well indeed.

Rusilio.

Linda’s bit…
Rainy day today so good chance to catch up with washing and curl up with my book.
Trish had been cooking one of her signature dishes that takes two days and it was ready to eat last night…needless to say we ate without the fellas who lurched up the stairs at about 8.30pm laughing at nothing , full of themselves and well just full! Great to see them having so much fun….and scoring a car for us!
Hoping to head off by ourselves for a day or two Monday or Tuesday and Russell wants to go to Naples and see Pompeii first so that will keep us on the go this week.
More soon!
Lin X