In the words of the song, sometimes the best things are there;
‘Sta ‘nfronta te!’
They are right there in front of us and we become so familiar we no
longer recognise the goodness, kindness, love and suddenly, it’s gone!
Sometimes we need to go back to the beginning, maybe to a time when
we had less but wanted more. Did we all crave to be better and move on to
bigger, better, shiny new ‘things’?
What happens when we look back and realise things were perfect,
just the way they were?
Wouldn’t it be good to return to a corner of your mind and
appreciate exactly what you had, in all its simplicity and innocence?
Children embody goodness and lack malice. They accept things as
they are, trust others to look after them and bloom in ignorant bliss. However,
experiences, good and bad, change our perspective and we become weary and
cynical. The higher our expectations are the more we suffer disappointment.
Last night me and The Mary took a trip into the past; to a place
which used to be very dear to me. O Sole Mio was one of the first places I went
on a date. I was 18 and good restaurants in Glasgow were few and far between.
My date, who will remain nameless for fear of getting a visit from the police,
was from the Calton.
He was a boxer but had a side hustle and needed a decent,
respectable girl to get through the doors of certain establishments in town. I
was a dancer and knew lots of the security. Our evening would always start at O
Sole Mio! We would then go to Lucifer’s, Maestro’s and wherever else he needed
to deliver.
Like a child I was oblivious as to what was going on, enjoying the
finer points of the evening. I would then be dropped off home at a decent hour
having had a delightful time as well as serving my virginal purpose to my
suitor. Days of innocence right enough.
It took me a while to realise what was going on, within two weeks he
was chucked but I continued my love affair with Il Mio Ristorante Preferito. It
was the first place to have a wood-burning, brick oven in Glasgow and later
when I was married to an Italian it was the only place he and his friends would
go for Pizza.
Now I balk when I see new, hip pizzeria’s offering authentic,
rustic, baked dough, scorched in metal and ceramic ovens which arrive at the
table with a soggy bottom and doughy rim. Nothing is better than focaccia or
pizza, baked on a porous, clay surface which draws water out from the dough
leaving a tasty puffed up crust.
O Sole Mio has survived despite recessions in 1961 - bank interest
rates, 1973 - an industry crisis, 1975’s - oil price fluctuation, government
spending limitations in the 1980’s, the High interest rates of the 1990’s and
many more. How many Pizza Punks will still be about in 2063?
For 45 years they have given us a taste of Naples and, hopefully,
will continue to do so for many years to come. Our trip down memory lane was
wholesome and delicious. We left feeling nostalgic and loving our vibrant city
even more than we had at the start of the evening.
O Sole Mio reminds me of Mimi’s, one of my very favourite places in
New York. The last thing on my mind as I went to sleep last night was how we need to
keep spreading the news about our wonderful city so more people can be enjoy her.
Hospitality and Glasgow are in my heart and my vagabond shoes will always stray right
to the heart of it.
Maybe it’s not ‘the city that doesn’t sleep’ but every day I find
something, both old and new, to brag about. It’s my kind of town, my kind of
people too, as you walk down the street they may growl but they also smile at strangers.
Whenever I leave, it calls me home and I will forever be grateful
for the memories it holds. Good, bad and sad, it’s made me who I am and I’m proud to call myself a Pure Glasgow
Girl!
Till the next time.
Me and The Mary
Mx
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