Pau – Panforte

COUNTRY:
Pau

DESIGN:
Panforte is a traditional dessert of Sienna, Italy.  Another family and mine flew to Italy in 1999 and rented a farmhouse about 20km north of Sienna.  Knowing that ahead of time – I decided to try an experiment and send myself from Bellingham – –> a pigeon.  So I addressed it to the main post office in Sienna and mailed it just before we left for Europe.  Having settled into the farmhouse some days later, we drove into Sienna to explore the city        ( famous among some artists for having the most beautiful light in the world ). My son and I walked to the main post office and over to the general delivery window and stood in line.  Not knowing Italian and the clerk being a short tempered Italian who didn’t know English, I despaired of ever getting the painting back. I tried to explain in English without any luck — so I went into my gesturing mode.  This usually works but didn’t with him and with people piling into the line behind us — I began to look very despondent, about ready to cry.  Seeing this, he relented and let me look thru the box of unclaimed letters and — and —- > there it was in the stack.  I pulled it out and felt the joy of a child, absolutely thrilled that I had recaptured my “bird”.

MAILED:
by me in Bellingham, WA  USA in 1999