I had one of my very best meals in Italy this week, after a trip to the beach at Santa Severa. It was our third choice of restaurant, the first one never getting their act together (at 12:35 the waitress insisted it was 12:20 and could not seat us. We showed her the phone time, to no avail); restaurant 2 was in a shopping center; finally, we arrived at Ristorante Rosetta. It was a giant banquet hall sort of place, anticipating extended families of at least 12 members on Sundays, ample parking. |
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 | Spinning Blair Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 12 x 12" 30 x 30cm 475.00 |
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| We ordered the Rigatoni with mussels and pecorino (this was not an entirely Italian restaurant, where mixing shellfish and cheese are strictly prohibited); it was absolutely divine, with large grindings of peppercorns for crunch. We followed up with a Rombo (turbot), which was cooked to buttery perfection, and deboned (for the first time anywhere in Italy). The potatoes accompanying the fish were thinly sliced and perfectly seasoned, beautifully arranged on the plate. Although dogs were allowed, we left Berlino in the shaded car to sleep off serious playtime on the shore. We were eating cat food, in any case. |
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 | Net Mending by the Sea Blair Pessemier acrylic/canvas 18 x 12" 45 x 30cm 475.00 |
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| It was a rugged beach day, very windy, and new rivulets of water after heavy rains punctuated a normally smooth walk across the sand. Berlino somehow saw through to get his toes wet. There was lots of flotsam and jetsam. I bid hello to Harika, whose ashes are dispersed here. At 11 AM we were the only folks on the beach, and even though I had my swimsuit, I didn’t go in. This may have been the first time I’d been there when no one was in the water, regardless of the hour. It’s been a hard winter. |
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 | New Home for the Genie Laurie Pessemier Acrylic/paper 17x 23.5" 40 x 63cm 275.00 |
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| Santa Severa has a marine museum, and a small Etruscan museum. It is in the center of the “Etruscan” region, between Tarquinia and Ceveteri (where the Rosetta restaurant is). If you’ve not explored Etruscan history, it’s worth a look – many people feel the Etruscans were a more sophisticated and developed civilization than the Romans. The Romans just spread further. |
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| We drove back to Stimigliano in the afternoon, where we are hanging at the moment. The house here seems very small, but the places to go are closer in. Who knows what we’ll find next? |
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 | | The Jolly Joker Blair Pessemier acrylic/canvas 11 x 14" 28 x 33cm 475.00 |
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INVITING All Artists to present their Work: Paint, Literature, Crafts, Food....
Pessemier's Sunday Salon
Weekly on Sunday No Reservation Necessary
How it works: Bring a piece of your ART: that could be visual, like painting or printmaking; or literary, as in poetry or prose; or crafts, like metalwork or knitting; or food, or music. Something you made, or feel particularly inspired by. You have about 5 minutes to present, and we'll ooh, ahh, or answer questions you have. You can also come and see how we work before diving in. Just show up on Zoom at a minute or two before the hour.
No selling, no networking until after everyone has presented. NO POLITICS please. |
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