From the Sea [1]
Peter Bichsel [2]
Then I would still say that I like here very much, I also enclose a post card, where the cross is, I live, on the first floor, the widow with the closed shutters. It is already very hot here, yesterday the thermometer rose above 30 degrees [3]. Good, that a light wind always blows from the sea.
A letter, written on May 19, got stuck somewhere and arrived here on the 25th, foreign stamps, blurred postmark and also a smell; the smell, like letters have. Still in stairway she tears it, opens it, leafs through it, stands in front of the apartment door, reads the sentences, finishes reading, holds it blindly at the doorcase. Now the envelope torn open, the sender unreadable, via Alberti [4], perhaps.
Perhaps the sea is not ridiculous in spring. Good, that a light wind always blows from the sea. The 19th was a Sunday, dolce far niente [5], the letter was written, mailed on Monday to the post office, good, that a light wind always blows from the sea. “Good” and some sentences on palm trees, pizzas and Venice. And under the address is “Svizzera” in large letters, double underlined. Who collects the stamps?
She folds the letter, folds it again one more time, drops it to a small packet, opens it, smooths it out and thinks about it. Today it has rained, she tries to put it away, to try it, to imagine about Italy – Espresso [6] with a glass of water, Acqua [7], Campari [8] and a small plate with olives – finally to light a cigarette, to fold the letter.
And he writes “good”, good, that a light wind always blows from the sea. He is in his room, a Sunday somewhere at the sea, Mediterranean Sea, via Alberti, very likely, writes this letter, which has arrived today on 25th, which the postman has put in the mailbox with the newspaper, the printed matters, the bills, this letter, which has a complete address, which has found the recipient, a letter from the sea.
He writes what one writes from the sea and that it is blue and he writes “Greetings from the heart” as one writes “Greetings from the heart” and he apologizes for his handwriting, apologizes for his long silence and writes, that it is good, that a light wind always blows from the sea.
Then, later, the postman throws a letter into the mailbox, and under the address is “Svizzera”, and it is his hand writing, and it is pleasant by the sea, he likes it.
[1]. p. 44. Vom Meer. Eigentlich möchte Frau Blum den Milchmann kennenlernen. Suhrkamp Verlag Frankfurt am Main, Walter-Verlag AG, Germany. 1996.
[2]. Peter Bichsel. 3/24/1935 - . Swiss writer and journalist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Bichsel
[3]. Centigrade. 30°C = 86°F
[4]. Alberti. There are several Alberti on google map:
[5]. dolce far niente. In Italian, literally, the sweetness doing nothing.
Italians have a famous saying, “Dolce far Niente”, which means “the sweetness of doing nothing.” It does not refer to being lazy, it refers to the similar saying “take the time to smell the roses” and the pleasure one gets from being idle. With all the technology pulling our attentions away from the beauty of the world around us – both in the people we meet and the people we love, as well as the beauty of nature, I share how this saying is filled with much wisdom and truth—especially when traveling to Italy. From: https://www.travelitalyexpert.com/dolce-far-niente-the-art-of-doing-nothing/
[6]. Espresso. In Italian, espresso means "pressed out," from the Latin exprimere, "squeeze out." Definitions of espresso. strong black coffee brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans. types: caffe latte, latte. strong espresso coffee with a topping of frothed steamed milk. ---- from google search.
[7]. Acqua. In Italian, Water.
[8]. Campari. A bitter Italian aperitif, often mixed with soda water as a drink.
