Days 18-20 Val Taleggio

I’ve been working on my project these days, and sometimes sitting with the guests who play cards and chitchat all day and into the warm evenings out in the garden.

The only place that the internet connection works well is in this garage, which can magnify the heat, now in the high 90s. Fortunately I can use my phone in my apartment so I don’t need to come down here often if I’m able to tolerate the slow speed.

Construction workers are replacing the roof on the building next door, so the peace and quiet is now replaced with the sounds of heavy machinery. Kibee, the Korean artist here with me, did an air quality search and found that the air here is worse than at her home in Seoul, a city known for its poor air quality. The heat sits in the valleys, the air remains stagnant.

Fortunately I’ve been working in the back porch, away from all the commotion.

It’s great to have a nice long table to work on. I look forward to having one when I get back home and move my studio.

The prints are coming out beautifully. If only I could identify the plants more easily. This one appears to be fly honeysuckle.

I’ve put up the banners in my hallway to see where I might attach quotes from my interviews that relate to the gifts of nature.

This label summarizes my project: “Flora releases oxygen in the air. The air brings thanks.” Once I figure out how to hang the banners so they flutter in the wind, they will carry the words of gratitude I’ve gathered in my interviews through the air like prayer flags.

Since some of the guests from Milano are leaving before my project is installed, I did a mini-presentation for them this afternoon.

They were fascinated with the leaf prints.

A group photo. I would like to share a banner with each of these nice people who welcomed me into their circle and made me feel comfortable. I need to save them for the installation on Friday, when most of the vacationers will be back in Milano.

In the evening, Kibee and I went with Ilaria and a group of her friends to dinner in Preghera. The menu of the day offered many choices. The group of eight could not decide on an antipasto so we had one of everything. We also had one of each primi plate as the many in the group wanted to taste everything.

The casoncelli is a Bergamasc dish, one that I had with meat on Ferragosto. This one was vegetarian. Some discussion before we ordered whether it should be a butter or olive oil sauce, and the group went for butter. It was incredible, probably the best dish I have ever had in Italy. And filling. We dined out on the lawn under the stars.

The chef came out to the table to greet us.

The meal started at 8:30pm. We left the restaurant at midnight. A long and very pleasant evening.