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4 Ego Enhancers
When it theoretically became my turn, I was surprised when the man on my left pointed to me and said "Louie." How did he know my nickname? The old woman on my right pointed at me and she said "Louie" too, then showered me another of her endearing smiles. That time I flashed a smile in return. I was wrong: I wasn't being taken advantage of; I was being taken care of. I exited the bakery with a warm glow, and it wasn't just from the freshly baked bread in my bag. Sharon and I sat on a bench outside the cafe-bar. An elderly man hobbled over and told me Sharon was "splendido." I agreed, "Si, molto splendido." There Sharon sat, hair unkempt, no makeup, and hadn't had a proper bath in a week. If a woman ever wanted her self-esteem bolstered, Italy was the place to go. Two cops came out of the coffee-bar. One carried a machine gun. Could the coffee be that bad? Maybe the price being charged was criminal? The old guy who was talking to us, even though, at first, we had repeatedly said 'Non capisco,' told us the police carried machine guns because they didn't know which of them was Mafia. We walked along the narrow cobblestone streets in the medieval quarter admiring tiny shops filled with artisan's ceramic plates, masks, and silver rings. Steep staircases led to churches and houses. No wonder the old folks were in such good shape. We followed a small road out of Bolsena to Orvieto, through farmland, over hill and dale. One farmer had a unique garage--his tractor was parked inside a hole chipped from the mountainside. Rounding a corner, Orvieto made an imposing sight, stuck on a high plateau. Our own high vantage point offered a view of the tightly clustered brown buildings. We descended a series of hairpin corners to the valley floor, then climbed a series of hairpins to enter the gate into the old city. In the old days, if someone had wanted to attack, they would have been too weary to fight by the time they climbed the mountain to reach the city. At the end of a narrow one-way street, a huge church suddenly appeared like a heavenly vision. Carved marble statues and intricate gold painted biblical scenes positively glowed. It was the most breathtaking facade I had ever witnessed. I was glad Sharon had wanted to go to Orvieto. |
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