Hoping to hear your thoughts on Heat-Moon's conversation with Pete Marvin(Masucci)...his farm, his vineyard...
I thought it was very interesting, in fact this entire section is interesting, even down to what he told the Canadian Customs was it, when asked his purpose: "Passing."
The story of Pete and Pauline and Filomena is romantic, isn't it? It's almost like a novel. I'm glad he put them in his book. I thought Pete's thoughts on vineyards, chickens, and the dairy cows were accurate, and it's a shame really, because in that area that's a lot of land. I remember in New Jersey, the farm market was a big thing. Fresh eggs! Fresh vegetables! A real live FARMER! And here these people are living it but can't sell it for this or that reason. I found it to be true. "Go big or go home" is right.
All over Italy, at least wherever I've gone by train in the last 25 years, from the top of the country to almost Sicily, the Italians have at least a couple of vines and a garden outside their homes, no matter where the home is, or how big it is, whatever. . I was somewhat shocked when, in going to the Villa Arianna, to find an entire sort of mini farm behind row houses in a city. There were pigs and chickens, trees and a small patch of garden and of course grapes, always a couple of grape vines. It sounds so romantic, but as he found, it's very hard to make a profit.
I thought what he was saying was true. He does have a lot of "s---- on XXX" expressions but he's tried a lot of things.
(What, by the way, is cardoon?)
I also marveled at the stone wall, they laid 20 feet. In one day. I loved the idea that the stones were a test of friendship (or character) and that they had an urging in the rocks to be put in just so....as if they were alive.
I have to wonder, skeptic that I am, how that wall held out. I haven't gotten to that in the Revisited book yet. I would suspect it did not, for some reason.
I loved the bit about "It was hot and tent caterpillars warmed the ground like the Chinese army and bees hummed in the horse chestnut blossoms."
I love that picture; that's good writing. Those magnificent old horse chestnuts, also gone, pretty much. I remember them from Pennsylvania, they were unbelievable.
This is a nice section full of surprising people. I am not sure why I am enjoying it as I am, but it seems somehow more familiar than the western bars and sections. But then again, it would.