La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I’d be happy to have any of these things in my house. The top image is a 1st-century mosaic of Pegasus that was found on Calle Cruz Conde, now a pedestrianized (no chariots permitted) shopping street near us. I don’t even need the original. Just a perfect and cheap reproduction will do.
Years back, my friend Josephine and her sister Bina owned a marble exporting company on the Italian Riviera. I “worked” there one summer (for about 15 minutes) putting marble shelves through a polisher. It was fun until I turned to grab the next marble shelf and rammed my leg into an iron bar on the side of the machine. The machine was called a Salvatori, but we called her Sally.
Anyway, it hurt and then it didn’t. However, the next day it hurt a lot. But only when I walked up stairs. Then we went to Portofino, took a boat to San Frutuosso, and climbed up some steep stone steps before heading down to the beautiful beach for a swim. On the first step, I heard something that sounded like a rip. Now that truly hurt like hell. I didn’t know until days later that the ripping sound was my middle quadriceps muscle. Fortunately, it was held on by a thread of muscle and could possibly heal without surgery. I was in a cast for weeks and then a splint. You can read more and see photos here.
And that has nothing do with anything except that Josephine always wanted to ship a marble column for my mother. My mother said it wasn’t necessary. I wish my mother had said, “yes.”
San Geraldo and I had dinner last night by the river at La Taberna del Rio. He had his usual, bull’s tail risotto. I decided to try it and loved it.
I just returned from El Corte Inglés where I picked up empanadas for lunch. Before that, I was at the public health center where I got appointments for the COVID and flu vaccines for us both. I was initially given appointments for today, but I changed that because Tom and Jim arrive tomorrow from Boston for four days, so this is no time for side effects. And, yes, I plan to be vaccinated. I sometimes take Tylenol (acetaminophen). And I’m already circumcised.
Me encantaría tener cualquiera de estas cosas en casa. La imagen superior es un mosaico de Pegaso del siglo I que se encontró en la calle Cruz Conde, ahora una calle comercial peatonal (no se permiten carros) cerca de aquí.
Hace años, mi amiga Josephine y su hermana Bina eran dueñas de una empresa exportadora de mármol en la Riviera italiana. Un verano “trabajé” allí (unos 15 minutos) puliendo estantes de mármol. Fue divertido hasta que me giré para agarrar el siguiente estante grande de mármol y me golpeé la pierna contra una barra de hierro lateral de la máquina. La máquina se llamaba Salvatori, pero la llamábamos Sally.
En fin, me dolió y luego dejó de doler. Sin embargo, al día siguiente me dolió mucho. Pero solo al subir las escaleras. Luego fuimos a Portofino, tomamos un barco a San Fruttuoso y subimos unos empinados escalones de piedra antes de bajar a la hermosa playa a nadar. En el primer escalón, oí algo parecido a un desgarro. Eso sí que dolió muchísimo. No supe hasta días después que el desgarro provenía del cuádriceps medio. Por suerte, estaba sujeto por un hilo muscular y posiblemente podría curarse sin cirugía. Estuve escayolada durante semanas y luego con una férula. Puedes leer más y ver fotos aquí.
Y eso no tiene nada que ver, excepto que Josephine siempre quiso enviar una columna de mármol para mi madre. Mi madre dijo que no era necesario. Ahora desearía que mi madre hubiera dicho que sí.
San Geraldo y yo cenamos anoche junto al río en La Taberna del Río. Él pidió su risotto de rabo de toro de siempre. Decidí probarlo y me encantó.
Acabo de volver de El Corte Inglés, donde compré empanadas para almuerzo. Antes, estuve en el centro de salud pública, donde me dieron cita para las vacunas contra la COVID-19 y la gripe. Inicialmente me dieron cita para hoy, pero la cambié porque Tom y Jim llegan mañana de Boston por cuatro días, así que no es momento de efectos secundarios. Y sí, pienso vacunarme. A veces tomo Tylenol (paracetamol). Y ya estoy circuncidado.
Josephine?
• Un estante para chucherías. Lo fijaría a la pared con algo menos llamativo.
• Necesito encontrar el resto de la mesa, pero no dijeron dónde encontraron esta pata.
• Siglo XIV–XV. Ya tenemos uno de estos, aunque el nuestro no es tan antiguo (ver más abajo).
• Siglo XXI. El suyo era un brocal de pozo, colocado alrededor de la boca de un pozo para evitar que la gente se cayera. Compramos el nuestro para usar como un paragüero.
• Risotto de rabo de toro. Siglo XXI, ayer. La Taberna del Río. A 22 minutos a pie de casa.
Like you, I would love to have some of these amazing pieces in my house.
My knee now hurts just from reading your story; yes, my crazy is real!
We are starting the kitchen remodel today, and Carlos is in the laundry room making coffee … it should be a fun time!
Bob,
Hope the remodel is pure fun and no problems (ahem). Can’t wait to see it! I’m amaze how well my leg heeled. It took years before I could bend all the way down on it.
Ow, so much scary medical stuff. But you lived to tell the tale. And to enjoy a bull’s tail? Is this like oxtail? If you were able to swipe these things for your apartment, they’d have to reinforce your floors.. Boud.
Bound,
We joke about that all the time when I select these things.
You could take up mosaic making, you have the talent.
David,
I’ve thought of it. But I’d need a studio space. What a mess.
How good to catch up with you again after such a long time. And how splendid to know that you are still enjoying living in Spain.
Oh, Mitch! You were darling as a young man!
We had those same canvas chairs. I got them at a thrift store. And yes, they did rip. With people in them. What was I thinking? Probably, “Oh, these are great! And cheap!”
I am pretty sure I tore my calf muscles one summer. Did I go to a doctor? Oh hell no. I just watched in amazed amusement as my calf swelled up horribly and then turned all the colors of the rainbow. Eventually, it was fine. Mostly.
I’ve always wondered how one would ride a Pegasus. Those wings would get in the way, wouldn’t they? Oh wait. I’ve just looked that up. It appears that the human’s legs would go behind the wings. Google knows everything.
Ms. Moon the Martyr
Mary martyr moon,
I’ve said it before. You’re tougher than I. I was in hell until my leg was wrapped up. And it was a long slow recovery. And, yes, I learned how to ride Pegasus when I was a kid which is why I was so surprised by the guy on the phoenix riding sidesaddle.
Perhaps he was protecting his modesty.
Great column! I just adore a well-turned column. I’ll send you a 15th-century umbrella stand for Christmas; thanks for the idea.
Wickedhamster,
Send the Pegasus mosaic instead, please!
For some reason the comment left earlier (2.12pm) failed to show our profile. It is to be hoped that this does!
Anonymous,
I’m afraid it still doesn’t. Who knows why. Best to sign your name at the end.
I, too, covet Pegasus and the lion table leg. If you were to sketch and make prints of Pegasus, I believe you would have a ready market for sales.
Wilma,
Since childhood, I’ve had a fascination with Pegasus.
The lion’s head/horse’s hoof combo table leg! The risotto! Wonderful stuff… Jx
PS Is that column circumcised, though?
Jon,
That’s some fancy circumcision work. Mine looks nothing like that. Except of course for the size.
That column can come live at my house along with the lion table leg.
Bull’s tail like chicken feet, something people eat that sound weird and icky to me.
Ellen Abbott,
I couldn’t do chicken feet. And i can only do bull’s tail if they don’t serve the entire tail with bones.
I’m here to read the comments on “I’m already circumcised”, LOL.
Shirley,
No one seems to care.
Thanks for the explanation about the well curb. My mind was stuck on “But they didn’t have umbrellas in Roman days, did they?”
I don’t suppose your friends’ marble company in Italy had workers compensation coverage, did it? Given your long recovery period, I hope it did.
Debra,
I don’t think I’ll mention that to Josephine now. Anyway, statute of limitations. Besides I wasn’t working legally, so they would have been in even bigger trouble… in 1976!
Maybe it just the way the picture was taken–but that leg looks like it was from a pretty BIG table.
Kirk,
It definitely was a big table. Our floor probably couldn’t support it.
That font would make a wonderful planter
Dinlaygray,
That’s what I do with all my Roman relics.
I love the Pegasus. Wasn’t it a “thing” back in the 60s to make mosaics? I seem to remember we had a low patio side table that my mother made.
Kelly,
I remember people covering their patio table tops with mosaics.
Now wouldn’t all of these ancient marble figures/shelves be nice to have!
I am supposing ‘bull’s tail’ is much like having ‘cod tongues’?!! Which actually aren’t that bad. You ought to try them! lol
Jim,
Hmmm… cod tongues. SG had fish lips in China. I couldn’t do that.
Oh, I love your umbrella stand!
J Cabot,
Thanks. We bought it in. Mijas Pueblo when we bought all the plates for the wall.
The artwork is fabulous and the risotto looks scrumptious!
Walt the Fourth,
Both were.
Hmm…. a straight on framed photo of the mosaic, perhaps?
Rade,
Nah, I want to feel it.