Ivy Close Images



November/December 2022



Store Fronts




Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

‘Tis the season, to be sure! From mid-November until we enter the new year, the round of festivities continue–both at home and in the community! Not all is fancy, however! Simple “down-home cooking” is often the most satisfying!

So it was when we stopped in to Deb’s Diner in Bristol. “Comfort Food Cooking”—the sign said, and it was! The menu was straightforward and brief, the difficulty came in deciding which tempting item to choose!





The smells wafting through the open window to the kitchen set the mood! The camaraderie of the patrons and the waitress made you feel like a regular! “Burgers and fries!” we both said. With a smile, the waitress made a note on her pad and called out our order. In no time, we saw two huge burgers on the window shelf—then in front of us! “Down-home cooking,” to be sure!





As we savored each bite, my mind wandered to Italy and the storefronts I had seen in Pompeii. How tempting the smells there must have been to passersby...




Pompeii is best known for its tragic end in 79 AD, when Mt Vesuvius erupted and buried the town beneath many feet of volcanic ash and pumice. But look beyond the destruction and you will “feel” and “see” a town that bustled with activity. In the excavated areas of this once-prosperous seaside resort, sidewalks still line the narrow streets. But, just as with Deb’s Diner, it was not the setting but the smells wafting through the air that brought smiles to every passerby’s face! A special delight must have been the aroma of bread baking in the clay ovens.





Archaeologists digging through the ruins have uncovered many carbonized loaves of bread! Darker than usual — from being “overcooked”— yet completely recognizable. In fact, about 80 loaves were found in one bakery alone! Alas, if only the Pompeiian oven above could “talk”! It was built, as was often the custom at the time, into a first-floor storefront.





In fact, bread was just one of many items sold in these small storefronts. Some—including the one above—had stone counters with deep openings to hold amphorae, huge jars that they filled with a great variety of food and drink—wine, grains, fruit, for example! Imagine the hustle and bustle—and the camaraderie!


As at Deb’s and other “down-home” places, Pompeiian locals delighted in talking with friends as they stopped for a quick bite or to buy groceries.



Join me next time when Maine—Window to World trains its lens on another part of the world.


To read past blog entries, go to: ivycloseimages.com/blog-maine-window-to-the-world.html


Comments are welcome: rosalie@ivycloseimages.com



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