Goodbye for Now

We made it back in one piece, as it can be said of any trip back home where all people and pieces of luggage come back in their wholeness and on time. The trip is always very long, and not exactly exciting as it takes us back to the routine of everyday life, filled with much work and responsibilities.
But I am thankful that all was fine, and that we concluded this experience in one piece and I am now able to officially close this blog. It was a pleasure to writeand force myself to reflect on what was going on everyday (or other day), so things will remain in history. Even our last long walk with my hubby along streets of Rome that are now truly inside my memory forever, we made it sure to stop and be amazed by the architecture of areas of the city that were kept as clean and as quiet as one can imagine, filled with the August heat and the occasional pedestrian, most often a tourist like us.

The kids are back most happy for their own beds in which they slept without interruption and noise their full night sleep last night. Mosquitoes welcomed us back home which was not as pleasant a return as one would have wished. But we have now stories to fill long talks around the table with the other family and friends we have here in Edmonton. I wish everyone a safe a restful summer break. Until the next one...

Valeria

Last Days

The time is approaching fast to be back after all these weeks in another place. My place. The place I was born and raised in, where I became a teacher and made friends for life. A nice place, after all, like I think are many places on this planet and all places that someone gets to call home. I just happen to have two.

There are over 530 some pictures in the blog, all of them with a story and a nice memory attached to them. I have taken many more, but these give the idea of what happened here and things we have done and places we have been. When the last day of a long trip comes near, there are strange feelings that surround the air. I am grateful that my kids and my hubby are close by, as it will be strange to leave Rome once again, after I have grown accustomed to being Roman once again.  We tried to make everyone happy, share good hopes for our lives and the future with everyone, and even though times may be tough we go on and sustain each other.

It was funny to reflect on so many aspects of Italian culture and ways of getting by, many that I knew from my previous life here and many that I have forgotten or grown distant to. Arranging the pictures and the memories in my mind many more will come to mind and I will share them again.

In Rome and though this blog, this year again, I have discovered once more the friendship and welcoming nature of people, whether they be my friends or family. So I would like to attempt to thank them all by naming all the individuals we have seen or heard this time around, and that one way or the other are tied to one or more pictures of this adventure, which will be left on this blog once I close it. 

I am not sure how this will fit in the page, but I have thought about it a bit, so I will give it a try. It will be a memory for my kids for years to come, even though I know some of their friends will be staying in their own name-keeping places, like Face book. Here we go...I may have forgotten someone, but the wish was to mention all (and if you see that your name is missing you call me and I will add it to the spot).

Nonna Anna, Luca, Sara, don Carlo, Morino, Stefania, Giulia, Andrea, Nazareno, Giorgio, Daniele, Luana, Leonardo (Andrea), Lorena, Anna, Filippo, Paolo, Stefano, Francesco, Daniele, Luca, Marco, Alessandro, Agnese, Giorgiana, Daniele, Luca, Tonino, Valerio, Bruna, Alberto, Noemi, Alessandro, Roberta, Felipe, Pino, Isabella, Giovanni, Lalla, Massimo, Alessandro, Caterina, Concetta, Libero, Marilena, Federica, Marino, Lucia, Nicola, Teresa, Simone, Alessio, Davide, Elisa, Susanna, Ulisse, Francesco, Rebecca, Paolo.


I also hope this brief memory keeps alive the good stories and anecdotes we will share many times over with our family and friends back home. It was a pleasure to be in touch and know that many read through these lines. I plan to make a small publishing of this record, sooner or later. I still have a few pics left in me to take this morning before we close all bags, but that may be another story and another blog.


See you back home!

Villa D'Este - Part II

As promised, I follow up on the visit to the Villa d'Este, from yesterday afternoon. I wanted to gather together some of the best pics and short videos I took of the villa and the town of Tivoli to accompany this entry. I think the images will speak for themselves to give you an idea of the beauty of this place. Elisa said that next time we have to try the last villa, Villa Gregoriana, to complete the series of beautiful locations to around this town.

In the video you will also notice the Fountain of the Organ, where the power of the moved air by the many fountains in the villa is channeled to the pipes of the organ to play a series of music pieces from the Renaissance. OK: the melodies are no music hits by our standards, but they do hold a bit of amusement knowing the technology dates back to the 1600s. 

The other pictures show the beauty of the town of Tivoli. I have often reflected on how it has been very easy for me this time to take thousands of pictures (literally) with very few people around. Almost every town I have visited allowed me to take shots of corners and piazze with barely any living thing in them. I love these cartolina shots, like postcards, and one day or another I will put them together in a serious looking book.

Three days left, and most likely no more internet connection after tonight. I do plan to give a final couple of entries to this blog. I will probably get back to it during long cold days in Edmonton...who knows. For now everything here is still hot and sunny.

The Thing About "Cozze"

I know this may appear to be a short entry and maybe of not as of an exiting nature as many of our other trips and adventures we have experienced during this staying in Rome and shared on this blog, but I wanted to commit to memory and this form of permanent documentation an observation and a couple of thoughts about family life.

And in this matter for this particular entry sea food has a great deal of importance, given the specific of the occasion.  Michele discovered a few years ago the great and exotic taste of "cozze" (mussels) and especially the home made cooked fashion that my mother prepared for him. So it became a tradition for us every time we come visit nonna Anna, that we have them cooked the same way before we leave, at least once. With the traveling and visiting we end up doing each time, the tradition is squeezed to the last week of our stay, which of course lands in the first week of August when Rome and Italy in general close down for the summer holidays (this is for real: almost every retail store closes down for at least two weeks - I guess they do not understand the option of scattered holiday breaks for employees and the opportunity to take advantage of the tourists' shopping desires! Go figure!).

So, finding a pescheria (fish store) that still serves fresh daily picked mussels is quite a challenge. In short, this year, like the previous ones, we woke up early in the morning and went to the sea, which for us is a little town called Fiumicino, about 30 minutes from home. This time even nonna Anna came with me (it was quite early and she was up, so the stars were aligned for her to be in the mood for going out!...- my mom is not in the habit of leaving the house too often since my dad passed away). We reached destination in no time at all and bought 3 kilos of cozze and 1 kilo of "telline" (a smaller version of clams that I cannot name in English). Coming back home it took over a couple of hours to cook the fish and managing to place on the table these huge bowls that could hold the food.  After all, it takes forever to eat them, but they are all shell, so in the end you eat very little substance - however delicious it may be.

The tradition made everyone happy, even if it took a long time to prepare, my mom was happy to do the meal especially for Michele, and the telline for me.  Nick followed along, and as I reflect on the occasion I think of small ways in which we can demonstrate affection, especially to family members. It may not always show in the most straightforward ways, but if one steps back to reflect, it can be felt in different fashions, which hold the same degree of importance.  I helped along and did the dishes, and even took these few photographs to commemorate the occasion.

... Marco had scrambled eggs.

Villa D'Este - Part I

Today we were able to make it for one last long day trip around the outskirts of Rome. Nothing too fancy but indeed a nice visit to one of three major villas around Rome. The town is called Tivoli, about 30 kilometers outside of Rome, going East. The place is known for its waters that have health qualities, and people come to from all over the world.

It seems like everyone knew about the place from a long time ago, beginning with the Romans, who built beautiful properties for their leisure time. We visited Villa Adriana two years ago (you could find some info about it from an older blog of mine), and this year we did Villa d'Este, the original property of Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, from 1575. You can easily tell from what is left of the place that the cardinal had a real good taste, in architecture and water engineering.

I shall take a bit longer to describe about it in part two of this entry. For now I wanted to make it to say a few words about the special company we had during the visit, besides my brother and niece. Our friend Elisa, my Spanish old friend from university, joined us with her kids, Francesco and Susanna, and another little friend of theirs, Rebecca. It was a pleasure to be able to make it to see one another before we left, especially for our kids to see how their distant friends from Rome grow up, what they experience as ids of the same age and how we connect with our respective lives, even if only in a few chats over a summer lazy afternoon. Marco befriended especially Rebecca, whom we hear has quite a talent in opera singing music. Francesco and Susanna have grown very fast and seemed genuinely happy to catch up with us, as they remember our previous trips and how we keep in touch with Christmas exchanges and pictures.

We not only discovered the beauty of the villa together, but we also topped the evening with a dinner at a small pizza place in Tivoli - one where we were served by a lovely lady who is from Toronto and plans to open a new pizza place.... in Edmonton, of all places! I think this is more than a mere coincidence, right?  Needless to say the food was delicious as much as company, and we are happy to have collected some pictures to commemorate the experience and know we can treasure the memories for a long to come.

The official pics of the blog are more than 500 by now, and I hope to still collect a few more before leaving. However our connection to the net is not as secure starting tomorrow that is why I wanted to commit a short entry to the blog before midnight tonight, as I am not sure when I will be able to do the same again soon.

As soon as I get hooked again I promised to share a few more interesting facts about the villa and a short video of the water fountains that fill it so joyously. Till next time!

A Very Lucky Little Girl

August 5, 2010: Giulia is one. Happy Birthday, little girl!

You are a very lucky girl indeed. Your birthday was a celebration of love, family and friends, surrounded by a palpable air of affection, attention to detail, 'coccole' and a great deal of hope for the future. You are born into a family of many cousins and friends that will take care of you all your life.

Sure there were gifts at your party: many in fact. But what was most amazing was to see how much everyone cared that your special day, the first of a long series was truly a memorable one. This zia from Canada took only a few of the million pictures that everyone was clicking away last night, and these will stay in our little family history that we build as every day goes by. I know I will be looking back at these in a few years and remember your special first birthday, feeling happy I was there to celebrate it with you, your family and your special mom, Stefania.

You deserve all the best in the world, and these gifts of love will make you a nice person, to add beauty and kindness to this place in the universe. Happy birthday, Giulia.

Zia Valeria

Last Week

Here we are at the last stretch of days before we get back to our world in Canada. Things continue to move along, with new plans and plans to adjust to new schedules still working out without a glitch.
The heat is back in Rome, even at night, so sleeping is not as easy, but considering that back in Edmonton we may not have that much sun to shine on us, we are bathing in this light and heat with great delight. I have to admit that I am already beginning to miss the walks in Rome, especially with Nick, discovering new little places, stores and niches of this beautiful city that is so wonderful in its craziness.
Anyhow, we did one more walk early in the morning, and found out how nice places can be when there are not construction sites going on or renovation projects in place. I added some of the pics to the show (close to 500 pics by now) and a small video of "piccioni" bathing in a Bernini fountain by Pantheon. It is amazing how these beauties of architecture and art in general are so commonly used by birds, animals in general and tourists along, almost without a thought. These phenomenal masterpieces stand in the middle of the day and it is easy to pass them by without reflecting on all the work that has gone into making them what they are and what they mean. I hope that these lines will help me remember how it felt to take pictures of them and feel closer to the message of the artists (yes, I do get a bit nostalgic at times!)

In the late evening we met with Paolo and Sandro and Agnese, and their beautiful families. We feel that Daniele, Luca, Marco and Stefano may have actually mastered their fear of dogs, after all the playing around with Zoe as well as the fearless Cesare (the family head cat).

Marco, Michele, Luca e Zoe

We opted out for a home made meal, with some additions brought by the guests. Agnese made two delicious cakes and we bought an enormous "cocomero" which weighed more than 45 pounds. Between the food, the open space in Paolo's "casale" the lovely company of a couple of cats and an easily scared bug black dog, and nice weather (on top of some fresh fried mosquitos "a la carte"), we spent a fantastic time together, one that will be added to the good memories of our kids and us in general.

Daniele e Michele

We are off for a birthday party later today as some of the bags are already packed for the trip back. We squeeze work in between the lazy hours of the day and suck up all the energy left from this vacation break, so that we will be back re-energized for the new work season.  I know it will feel weird to actually be back after so long. It always takes a couple of days to be Canadian again... But we will manage. The stories to tell and anecdotes are many this time, and not only for mom and dad. Michele and Marco have added so many friends to their space lists online.

Oh: I forgot to mention that we have begun hand picking some of the souvenirs we hope to share with our friends once we are back (just to make sure zia Maria does not worry too much!) :)

Spinete

On August 1, every year, the little town of Spinete in Molise celebrates a replay of the old medieval routine of asking the Lord of the place to give in on some privileges and rules for the town. The year is actually 1523, and the town people, especially those who had specific jobs and made money to pay the taxes to the lord, gathered around the mayor of the town to ask for permission to live in better conditions.

The lord, il camerlengo, who lived there with his noble family, initially would complain about all the privileges that the common people were asking and then give in to some of the requests. The whole deal would probably take a few months, but the celebration on August 1 takes place in one afternoon, as the whole town relives the facts, and everyone contributes in their own ways. It was amazing to see how little ones, older folks, really talented drummers and everyone was involved in this lovely tradition, down to the roasted pig, some cold beer and a nice parody to the whole deal.
They spoke a bit in Latin and the old town dialect, took spectators from one corner to the other of the town and had everyone taking pictures and videos like it was never going to end. I gathered some pics in the slide show. If you look at them imagine there is no sign of progress around. The faces are priceless.

Marco learned the shape and value of the old town currency, the Carlino, which he thought could be put to good use for a bit of time in the company of the lady of the square who seemed readily available (you can check the pic with the kids sitting happily together on the bench). He thought should could keep him company for 15 minutes for the cost of one Carlino... Not sure yet what they would do wit the time, but since Marco has learned his Italian quite nicely by now, I am sure he would find something to tell her.

This was the highlight of last afternoon, as we took our hosts to a place and an event they were not even aware of.  Sometimes it takes a Canadian to convince a local to learn a bit about their own history! I hope the video will also be nice to view. BTW: we have now reached more than 400 pictures in the slide show. There is a bit for everyone to enjoy. Some have family faces that will mean most to friends and family - others contain views and sites of this great holiday experience.

Family Visit

... or how to spend a weekend with close cousins, good food discovering other faces of central Italy.

Every time we come to Italy we like to spend a weekend at my hubby's side of the family, in a town called Campobasso. This place is also my mom's birth place, of all towns in Italy: it is definitely more than a coincidence that I married in Canada a person whose parents are from my mom's side.

Oratino

Here live a great number of first cousins on Nick's side, in lovely villas that one could not build nor afford in Rome. It is like combining the life of a little town with a farm life style which is truly a blessing any way you look at it.  Naming all cousins here would be too long, but I did try to add all the best pics of family that will make our family in Edmonton happy. They will know who everyone is and how good they all look over the years.

We are being treated like royalty, which is always the case when we come visit. This is a familiar trait in the Palladino family, it runs in their blood. I let you imagine the way we end up spending our time together: the tables are always filled with good food (mostly home grown), good wine (to keep the spirits happy) and good company. As we come back every two years, this is the time of checking on everyone's health, life, school and overall ensuring we are all good. I take millions of pictures as usual, by now everyone knows I do. These become little treasures that remind us all of the time spent together and the stories we end up sharing and retelling each other, over and over. Like all families do... or at least all families who are as close as ours.

Cripta in Trivento

I also add the usual visits to the small towns around this region, Molise, where every year we discover a new small village, a cathedral with a nice cripta, corners of a small town up a hill (they are all up hill, by the way!), or an old Roman excavation site! It is amazing how a little region like Molise can hold so much history and beauty, and yet much of it remains unknown and undiscovered. If one had the time and a bit of money there could be much to invest in here, in terms of touristic attractions. And many would definitely enjoy the delight of discovering corners of Italy that hold so much history and have so many stories to tell.

We visited just a couple of these in the last two days: Oratino, a medieval town well kept and whose streets are filled with flowers and attractive corners. We ate at a restaurant that was made inside an old olive-making factory.  I should also add that it rained a bit during the first two days, which is a refreshing state of weather after the hot days we have experienced to date.Then we visited Madonna del Canneto, a sanctuary at the border of three regions, and then discovered the beauty of a little archbishop town called Trivento, where a cathedral is built on the ruins of an old pagan temple that goes back to the 4th century. As we entered the church we discovered nothing really unique about the place, but an older fellow at the sanctuary had tipped us about the underground tunnels of the place, which we encountered almost by mistake. NOt even a sign was there to advise us of the beauty of the rooms under the ground. And we entered without even checking on the fact that the door to the cripta had an outside lock with the key in the lock - anyone could have locked us in as we were there. At lunch time in a small town in Italy that is a possibility, where we could have been left stuck inside with no way of escaping!

Of course it did not happen, and we made it back to the main street, safe and sound, as I took more pictures around the town, that you will notice from the ones I added to the slide show, it almost look like a ghost town. Again, lunch time during summer days in Italy is a time when everyone is home enjoying a lovely home cooked meal and gets ready for a nap... The world can wait up for the afternoon portion of the day.

A Birthday Party

Another relaxing way to spend an afternoon in Italy, as well as anywhere else in the world, is to be invited and attend a lovely b-day party. In this case Leo, who was four years old yesterday, celebrated his special day at a park near his parents house, my cousins'. Leo is a very smart boy who has an amazing way of addressing his thoughts and making his creativity known to everyone around him. He loves special dragons, stories and anything that requires imagination and a lot of story telling.

Leo is four.

Thanks to his parents who create a world of characters and emotions to his everyday life. Like all little boys should have access to. The party took place at the park and then we ended up sharing a light dinner together at a Trattoria. One way or the other, the days end quite late indeed, but always happy. This one was also very nice as I saw my cousin Lorena after a very long time. It is nice to connect with family after a while, especially when finding out that they are doing fine in their own way.

We are in Campobasso now, and it rains, but the temperature is quite lovely. I might have to leave the computer work and soon go for some shopping...sigh! What sacrifices one must make on holidays!

At the next one!

"Il Colosseo" and Good Friends

After these many times we made it to visit the Coliseum, one of the eternal symbols of Rome. I believe I must have made it once before when I was much younger and still living here, but our kids never walked the ruins of this monumental celebration to the greatness of ancient Rome. As we were joking around with my uncle, the place has a lot of holes, no roof and lots of very old stuff in side... Strange that people would want to pay to visit it, no?  However I still get goosebumps, knowing that lives and events have walked through the same walls and on the same paths.

Needless to say it was quite an experience, and we made it through the morning with an early wake that allowed us to enjoy the place with less crowd around. You can see how Marco continues to enjoy his visit with his goofy moments, and Michele begins to pose in perfect spots for his Face book memories.

Last night we also had dinner with my friend Lalla's family: Alessandro, the three-year old boy is absolutely adorable. This vacation always turns out a nice excuse to visit with my friends and realize how their families grow and how our children fill our lives with love and hope. Even if days may get tougher at times. We hope to have many of them soon come and visit us as well: we may not have the ruins of Rome but there is much to see in Canada as well.

Tonight we have a b-day party with Leonardo so we expect some new good shots to be taken and more fun with family. And tomorrow we are off to Campobasso. Approaching the last 10 days of this trip.

We added more pics to the slide show. Try to find Marco relaxing on an old ancient pillar... right before the guards come to catch him!

Celebrations

To celebrate our anniversary even though a few days later, we did two things together with the kids and also with my brother and uncle. On July 24, Saturday, we spent the day and the evening at a water park that seems to be quite popular in Rome, called Zoo Marine. Just outside of Rome for about 20 minutes or so, the water park hosts a bunch of slides and attractions as well as some animal shows, in the style of places like in San Diego, just on a smaller scale.  The entrance ticket gives you way to everything in the park, and you can truly relax all day by a chair and an umbrella, enjoying the breeze of the nearby ocean.

We waited till the evening as we also had access to a small concert by an old Italian singer: Gianni Morandi, who entertained us for about and hour and a half in the dolphins' hall. A Dolphin even played a bit of its show to accompany a few of the singer's songs. I knew every word of every song, and so did the audience (minus of course my family who is not quite acquainted with the old Italian songs).  Amazingly enough the kids lasted all the way through and, even more surprising, I did not gel lost on the way back home, traveling on the Litoranea, the road that runs on the side of the ocean, filled with traffic even at midnight.

Another important attraction of the park are professional divers, who put on a funny and daring show. I invite you all to check out the short video at the bottom of the page. The stunt man that gets himself on fire is quite amazing.

On Monday, July 26, we also celebrated my mom's name day (a big deal here in Italy, even more than one's birthday): Sant'Anna. So we combined a tradition of going back to the hotel and restaurant where Nick and I got married in Frascati, Villa Rufinella, with my brother and niece and zio Morino. The villa continues to be a fantastic and beautiful place to admire architecture, a perfect location accompanied by an amazing restaurant. Overall, the day was filled with picture taking poses to ensure we have good documentation of the occasion (my mom does not go out very often, so this was quite an event!). One way or the other we are trying to ensure that happy memories are built day after day, filling this time with laughs and good time. We have to concentrate our efforts as coming here cannot happen more often that we already do. So far things seem to work out.

More to share in the next posts.

Traveling through Different Regions

A new post after a few days of silence. I apologize for all who read this personal blog, for the short delay in updating you all about our trip adventures. As good as the internet connection deal can be, there areas in this beautiful country where one coverage beats the other, and I always seem to own "the other" deal at that spot, where there is no sign of life on my machine.

As you may remember, our kids left with Pino, Bella and Giovanni, our good friends, to go to Calabria, to a small town called Santa Maria del Cedro, about five hours drive from Rome. We joined them on Thursday, venturing one of the worst highway connections in the world: the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway.  For a small section of the road, since we only had to reach a small distance, this highway has alternate access to one or the other side of the road, where cars drive in opposite directions one joining lanes. The constructions in this area (about 500 km in total) started in 1956...and they are not nearly half way done. I let you imagine the rest! We were helped by the fact that we drove in the middle of the week against the main flow of tourism on both days. Nevertheless, the drive was stressful and we felt very grateful that we made it in one piece both ways.

Finding the kids so accustomed to the locals' way of life was a real satisfaction for Nick and I. We had no doubt they would be treated like royalty, so that was a given. But we were happy to hear comments from everyone who met them saying that they were extremely well behaved and polite kids. Parents count on that type of comment to be said when their kids are alone with others - it is like hoping that what we teach and believe in has actually happened in our children and we can feel proud of our hard work in teaching them good ways to be a human beings.

Needless to say the little town, the food, the company, the activities and everything else in between where. extraordinary! Pino and Bella cooked for us a wonderful meal, all the way to an amazingly big watermelon (see photos of our kids attempting to eat it). We spent a nice afternoon by the beach, and the beautiful ocean in Calabria. Everything was so clean, calm and relaxing. Even a jet-lagged Nick had a great time. Dinner was a bit late at a special pizza place where everyone knew each other and the atmosphere was very friendly and it felt truly like home. I observed that overall life goes at a different speed in these towns, especially when they are by the ocean.  It is futile to change the rhythm  of life: we had to adapt (not a great sacrifice after all, let me tell you!)

The following day we headed for Maratea, the only town in Mar Tirreno that belongs to Basilicata, another region of Southern Italy. A very hot day indeed, but sunny and shiny on our visit to the hill where a statue of a big Jesus reigns over visitors and everyone who goes there to reflect on life. The town was also lovely and we had (big surprise!) yet again another phenomenal meal. We made it home alive just in time for dinner at my mom's and had a deserved rest for the day. I should probably mention that I also did a bit of shopping moment as well...those who know me will appreciate the need to satisfy a small pleasure moment once in a while!

The adventures of Saturday belong to a new blog post. For now enjoy the new pics.

Reflections

Ruins at Foro Romano

I shall now take a few minutes to put on my intercultural lenses and reflect on something of what I noticed and never fail to be amazed by in the Italian culture, one that I am truly a part of and yet, as years go by, I feel less connected to as it evolves in these modern times.

From a macro perspective, every year that goes by seems to make everyone more noisy, more apprehensive, more rushed, in everything that needs to be taken care of. The streets of Rome are always filled with cars (whenever you can actually go by with you car, when stretches on major and small roads have parking spots filled in two or three rows of illegal stalls...). The noise level, between the machines, the operating vehicles of the city and especially people screaming and just expressing themselves in very open and public ways, fills the air in the busy hours of the morning, after four p.m. and all the way to the wee hours of the night during summer. The exception is of course the break for lunch from two to four, when the sun is most violent with its heat and it is truly impossible to conduct any business in a reasonable manner, unless you can operate in air-conditioned environments. And Italians do not seem to believe in such wonders of progress.  In fact, everyone takes the time to tell you that the air, the cold and the wind created even by an electronic fan may do you damage for life!

Colosseo from
Via dei Fori
Imperiali

TV offers interesting shows, with documentaries and talk shows at practically any time of day or night. Italians love to talk, discuss, chat, argue... anything that can make them use their imagination, show off a bit of education and rationalize on a topic. In fact I have noticed the art of talking is something that they have perfected and it is reflected in the variations of grammatical structures that allow you to be extremely colorful and original. Politics is at the heart of any decent discussion, sooner or later (what in Canada for us represents the weather. I let you imagine the degrees of personal involvements that the two topics bring to the conversation, as weather and politics can ignite amongst talking folks!)

Things happen every day like a drama in a soap opera. It is amazing how fast paced the political world seems to be and how slow everything in fact ends up moving.  Minus the laws and bylaws that fall in the corner of the public attention that deal with crucial matters that seem to serve well the side in power a any given moment. They are passed quite quickly, even if they seem to go against the very principles of the country, and yet they show up and run people's lives.

The streets are plastered with political posters every day... these are the 'legal' graffitis that you find at every corner, complaining about each other's directions and decisions... As I said: the art of talking and discussing is an all-Italian feature (which I believe I have not totally lost the pleasure of practising, right?)

Close up of
Altare della Patria

Talking about graffitis, there are also EVERYWHERE. Not only on stable features in the city, such as walls and corners of streets, stairs, posts, you name it. They are on garbage collection carts, on the garbage trucks, on trains, on public transportation... I am convinced there is a secret fund that finances the spray paint that these vandals use. The amount is noticeable and the variety of colours used is not small.  I know some may say there is an artistic side to this means of communication, but I fail to understand how it can beautify a millennial city which is exceptionally great left alone with its churches, piazzas, corners and monuments in general...

The economy situation in the world is quite felt inside the country. I have been told that Italy has the lowest wages in Europe, with similar if not more expensive cost of life in comparison. So the question is: how do they do it? I have seen a lot of poverty, but it mainly carries the face of what probably are immigrants from outside of Europe or Eastern European countries in worse situations than Italy. Walking by the street, you see everyone well dressed, clean and maintaining a tone of dignity that is truly admirable. Sure, the beggars on city trains and the guys at the traffic lights wanting to sell you something or clean your windshield are quite insistent...But overall it is hard to see lack of resources.

Everyone has a cell. I mean: everyone! The kid who is 6 and the grandma who is 85. I would assume that younger folks add to the list of communication needs also computers, Internet and easily one or two cable connections on TV. But stats have been shared last week that indicate that Italians are eating less and less well. So some of the personal cuts are made on primary needs rather than tools that we all never had a need for up to probably just 15 years ago.

Overall, the idea in the culture that you can breath here is that everyone is on their own and yet anything that happens is a matter of public scrutiny - at least that is what I perceive. Sure, there is a lot of surface kindness that appears very warm and at the same time people snap and are on top of each other for a transgression that was not intentional (see my screaming thoughts above).

A smile and a greeting do feel warmer here. All emotions are amplified to the maximum levels (of volume and intensity).

What do I think? I think that the economic side of things does seem to affect a people who is struggling to change and keep up with the challenges of the time. To a point that I have long forgotten or left outside of my personal life decisions and of the ones I know back home. So comparisons with other nations in the EU or north America are tough to make. You just have to sit, relax, contemplate and appreciate the uniqueness of this place. Where the food is amazing no matter where you go. Where shopping for fresh food is still the driving action of the day (now with the added information of where everything you eat comes from), preparing a good meal or meals during the day is very essential, making calls to everyone on your list at least once a day is a religious duty, together with texting your life away, and making sure you know what is going on in your apartment building is a responsibility that you must keep up with...

Palazzo delle
Esposizioni

Where the heat melts you to your core, and yet you cannot resist taking a long stroll in the downtown core of the eternal city, as you may have done thousands of times before, to steal that one more perfect shot of what lives and cultures that came before left for you, as a carpet of beautiful evidence of past glory.

Which is what I did yesterday afternoon, thinking about this blog entry. Sorry for the length!

Nick arrives tomorrow and a new part of our stay begins.

Good Memories...

Alessandro

..are what fantastic vacations are made of!

I would say that everyone could agree with this statement. I don’t claim to have originated this idea, but I thought it would well fit this short entry, a couple of days after my last note on this digital space.

Our weekend brought us to an escalation of excitement that started with the visit to Stefania’s house and her beautiful home, to a quiet morning on Saturday and then our biannual visit to another old friend of mine: Paolo (detto Felipe!) who is now the proud father of a 50-day old gorgeous boy, Alessandro. Paolo is an friend who always reminds me of an era in my life when, besides fewer years on my shoulders, I lived a bit of music excitement with concerts and the whole deal of shows, that his group – Ladri di Carrozzelle – started over 20 years ago.

Michele and Zoe play together

He lives in Frascati, a hilly town 20 minutes from Rome, in a house he is restoring, bit by bit, from the work of his grandfather and father, an old farm in a vast property that is turning out to be a lovely dwelling indeed (I added some pics in the picture show). Roberta and Alessandro now make up a great deal of his new life, giving a different meaning to the projects around the property, but still filling the days with a realization that he is blessed with a good life.

My kids know Paolo from past years, and the visit to his place is a mandatory step in our travels. Paolo owns a small studio where Michele and Marco enjoy playing the real instruments, like drums and guitars, chase the dog, visit the chickens and turtles and ride on his motorcycle. Paolo is indeed one of my “cool” friends according to my kids.

So Saturday afternoon was spent in this idyllic setting for a brief ice-cream visit. And the kids would not have wanted to leave any time soon, had it not been for the fact that later in the evening they were going to spend the night at another friends’ family which took them to Calabria for a whole week of added fun by the beach.

I called them last night and they were heading downtown the small village of Santa Maria del Cedro, for dinner and a show in the main square. Speaking already as true locals would.

Marco and the "real" Guitar
Hero!

As I was saying I trust that our kids are truly having the time of their life, and every year that passes by, the summer in Italy leaves a deeper stamp in their identities and remains with them to build the citizens of the world that Nick and I hope they will soon become. We believe that surrounding them with positive and valuable experiences will impact their beliefs, their decisions and assist them in makings good choices in life. And even as the heat continues its devastating effect on a couple of quieter days at my end (soon Nick will join us and suffer with me too!) I know that their happy memories make me feel as happy and as filled with joy, even in a vicarious way.