Circolo Italiano: A Club for People Who Love Italia

It’s a gorgeous day at the cafe. But I’m not supposed to be here. I got a call, one of those somewhat rare calls from the cafe, when one of my workers called in sick. So here I am taking my first break of the day after slinging hash and cranking coffee all morning.

It’s the day of our club picnic….Circolo Italiano, the only club that I’ve ever joined. It’s a group of fifty-somethings who all have an affinity for Italy. Cindy of course, is Miss Italy, speaking the language beautifully and even setting the controls on her GPS to show up in Italian–same with her iPod. Today’s the day of our annual summer picnic, where we gather in an Easthampton park and enjoy a potluck, the music of roving Italian musicians, and maybe even a little bocce. I’ll have to be late to this important annual occasion on account of my being way up here. The club meetings usually feature a speaker on some sort of cultural topic like Italian art, food, or culture, followed by a potluck. And lots of red wine.

I’ve been a member of Circolo Italiano since 2002, when I met Cindy. She took me to my first meeting, on a lovely Sunday afternoon in rural Colrain MA. There we dined at the Green Emporium, and we’ve been members ever since. I have my lovely Cindy to thank for this pleasant diversion–a club that I’m happy to be a member of.