Dear friends,
Even though Christmas is almost at our doorstep and the weather gods often show us the cold and especially wet shoulder, we don't let ourselves be deterred from our united efforts to catch up on the schedule at least a bit. I won't conceal that all of this is wearing on my nerves, and I realize that I am increasingly getting on the nerves of my fellow comrades. But according to the motto "per aspera ad astra," we probably have to traverse the valley of tears until the end before reaching the light, the stars. I could experience such a moment on Sunday morning after Schreiner Paolo and I had a coffee at the Bar and Pasticceria "Antica Piazza" in Forcoli and then drove to the construction site in Ghizzano to unload the finished window shutters and, in return, load the entrance door for restoration: While Paolo takes some measurements, I suddenly become aware that, besides bird chirping, I actually hear nothing else. A wonderfully peaceful morning atmosphere. The last raindrops of the previous night are still falling from the trees, and in the spiderweb that glitters in a corner of the scaffolding, the morning dew still hangs. But then, suddenly and as if on cue, the sky clears, and the sun breaks through with its warming rays, slowly at first and initially only through a small gap in the clouds, but then inexorably and more and more. In the valley, the milky-white fog banks still lie mistily below me, and above - in the backlight - the church tower of Ghizzano is already shining towards me. A symbolic image? Hopefully.
But I don't want to forget to report amid all this that Alessandro, the steelworker, and his team have installed the support structure for the outdoor staircase, and the completion is expected in the next few days. This will also include the technical room, where, among other things, the modern heat pump heating system will find its place. Meanwhile, the employees of the heating and plumbing company "Campera" are laying the fixtures for the underfloor heating on the ground floor and the first floor. And last but not least, Salvatore and Marco, the two plasterers, are working stoically and at the highest level on the stucco of the windows and the application of the fine plaster despite adverse weather conditions and even on weekends. So, progress is being made.
I was able to enjoy a cultural delight on Sunday evening when Stefano Cristiani, the CEO of the company "Maro Cristiani" from San Giuliano Terme near Pisa, invited me to a lyrical concert held in their premises. At Maro Cristiani, a highly regarded company for floor coverings and wall tiles, known well beyond the borders of Pisa, with a focus on classical products such as terracotta, marble, and wood, we chose our wall and floor coverings some time ago. Since my last musical cultural experience, a visit to the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden, is almost a year ago, I did not hesitate for long and gladly accepted the invitation. And I did not regret it. With encores, 16 mixed pieces - from classical to folk art to film music by Ennio Morricone - were performed through the commitment of the Cristiani family. And so another, at times challenging week passes, which at the end brought me truly beautiful and joyful moments.
