Nothing is simple paint wise here. I try the paint on the kitchen cupboards to see if I like it and next day when I go to check that it doesn't wipe off, it does. Back to paint man. I told him that I said the paint was for the 'cabinetto', how could this happen? ' He thought I had said: Gabinetto which is the toilet. I had paint for the toilet walls. We had to start again. Ok, I said trying not to be annoyed. 'It'll be ready by tomorrow.' he said smiling. Of course it would be.
We decide to drive for half hour and go to our favourite supermarket where you can grab a Spritz early in the morning, or any other time of the day and we buy some rugs for the floor and soap dispenser and toothbrush holder that isn't see-through plastic with fake pearls rattling around between the two layers (which has been in our bathroom ever since I can remember). We decide against a Spritz, the road home is very winding.
Next morning, we return bright and early and guess what? Another hour and they'll be ready. We go for a coffee five minutes away and realise it is the town where Titian, the famous Renaissance painter came from, the painter who is related to my late husband. We wander and look at his house and go to the church where there is a very small, possible early Titian there and then head back to the paint shop.
He comes out with the paint. A lot of different types of paint. A coloured 1 litre one. The other is a type of varnish and then there's another small bottle. We open them all and peer in. He has written notes in English carefully on each one. The coloured one needs 200 mls of water added. I am to put two coats on the cupboards and then the next day, I make a concoction which has to be used within 3 hours to go over the top of the paint with the varnish and the small vial. This, he says confidently will seal the cupboards.
I take it all home and put it in a corner. It is costly this exercise. What if it peels off, what if I don't like the colour? I am not ready to face the kitchen cupboards as yet. In fact I seriously think it might be easier to get an Ikea kitchen delivered. But no, I have to try this Italian way and cover up the 1970's yellow cupboards. I will not fail.
But I have put the curtains up and have cut them to size but realise I'm going to need a decent sewing kit. I head down to the town and ask around. I show them what I need rather than try and pronounce it. I'm sent down the road to a shop I've never been brave enough to venture into. It has everything, it's like an old fashioned department store. Materials, ready made curtains, bags, coats, tablecloths, cups etc. I bravely enter and show her what I need and samples of the curtain colours. She's on it. She brings out thin drawers full of cottons and then we try and work out what pins are. I look it up but it's not right, another lady comes forward to help. I pretend to put pins in but it looks like I'm sewing so another drawer is brought out and needles are presented but no, evidently I've been saying spille and they're called spillo, she brings out another drawer and we have all we need. There are no prices on anything, she looks up and purses her lips and gives me a couple of prices. They're expensive but necessary. I go home with my sewing kit expanded from the one I took from some hotel long ago and am ready to hem the curtains. Ps. Found this Xmas ornament that I bought two years ago at a Xmas market, it now symbolises another step taken in setting up a home on the other side of the world. I have a sewing kit with extra large Italian sewing pins, am on my way!
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