MEET LUIGI

This is Luigi Sorbi. Every other person in these hills is called Sorbo or Sorbi. They are all related although some only distantly. The name means rowan although there are no rowan trees about. People say it means a type of wild cherry.

Luigi is retired and has been for some time. He used to work in Lucca at the sewage works. I have not asked doing what, exactly. I sloped off this morning in dressing gown and slippers to photograph an old door but there was Luigi, working in the olives. I asked if I could take his picture and he said, "Sure," but like most hereabouts he did not stop moving for very long. I got four shots. He is smiling in two of them but there are olive branches in the way. I did not get out of the car lest my shoddy slippers be revealed.

I have earlier pictures of Luigi with the vast pumpkins he grows down at the valley floor but they are outdated and besides, he is not wearing this smashing get-up in them. The other word on his cap is "Perini." He lives in a tidy, fairly modern house in the valley but his olives are up here. He also owns half of a little stone barn. The troublesome old priest owns the other half.

We once bought some canes to prop up our tomatoes from Luigi at the vast cost of five euros. In exchange, he brought us a bottle of homemade grappa which is still in the pantry, eating away at its glass bottle. A person couldn't possibly drink it.

Luigi is always all smiles and very jolly but I think this picture reveals a note of sadness.

This is Luigi and one of his pumpkins which tried to escape but was caught and propped up.
Luigi and pumpkin.

I hope I haven't missed anybody on comments in the past two days. My server is up and down like a yo-yo and I am slightly demented. More than usual.