30 May 2009

letter from Italy (3 maggio 2009)

Hello Everyone,

We are happy and safe and about to sail over Tuscany in a balloon...
we are drinking the red wine,
visiting the hilltop villages, and eating the food. The only thing
we,ve done that was terribly upsetting is letting a couple of thieves
distract us long enough to escape with one piece of luggage. This was
the one, of course, with two cameras, our computer (with copies of
every pic and every video we had made), a GPS for driving, and etc.

As a result Tony got to explain the whole thing in Italian to a
carabiniere at the complaints office just down the block from the AVIS
office where this took place. Just another opportunity to speak
Italian, I guess.

But as a result of this we wont be taking pix or sending many emails.
I know all our friends will understand. Ir is an important life
lesson... to focus on the moment, on what we see and hear and feel,
and let the objects fly away if they wish to do so.

I also lost my reading glasses for music, and several books I was
reading, and our beautiful Florentine stationery.

Please send us your best thoughts and sympathetic vibrations, but tea
in the garden is waiting for us, it is a lovely day in Montisi,
Tuscany, with people we like, and after all we are still where we want
to be.

Love and hugs to all, Tony and Joselyn
another letter from Italy (21 aprile 2009)

ciao a tutti,

Already, just a week in Italy and we could fill a book.... we are
happy and well fed, and astounded. In short: posso parlare italiano!

Lake Como -- bellissima.... more beautiful than we expected, with
Swiss alps in view to the north, mountains all around, villages, ducks
(we named them Muck and Squawk)... Quiet, not too many stranieri like
us... felt like a true discovery.

Of course, getting off the train in Monterosso (CTerre) was a shock...
hordes, crowds, cohorts, whatever, pushing on, pushing off.... ouch. I
hated every second until we located our lovely albergo, got situated
and got hiking... many miles of coastal trails, and all the views,
flowers and German marchers complete with double hiking sticks you
could ever hope for.

At one point the local train was 2 hours late, and later we discovered
a woman had fallen or thrown herself on the tracks and was killed. One
death = two hour delay.

We are leaving here (Monterosso) a day early in order to walk through
Pisa and land for a day in Lucca before going to Firenze on the 23rd
for a week.

Italy -- I recommend it to all. Wonder why more people haven't heard
of this peninsula? It sits somewhere between Croatia and Africa.... I
do believe when more people hear about this country they'll want to
visit. They even have 25 variations on coffee!

abbracci... Joselyn and Tony
letters from Italy... 25 aprile 2009

Hi,

We are in Florence now. Arrived 2 days ago, and the first night we joined
a fun restaurant club - the Teatro del Sale, which was crazy fun. There
are club rules - mostly to not be an isolationist, but share in the
conversation. Pay a set fee, and at 7:30, the doors are open to rush in
and get a table. Then food is displayed on a big table and people line up
to get it. The kitchen with flames and chef hats is in view. Every time a
dish is created, it's placed on the food table. The shouting chef
announces to the room (in Italian, of course) the new dish, and people
scramble to get a plate. More rules: do not pile food up on your small
plate, just take it, return it later to the dirty dishes window, and get a
fresh one. The good part is the chef is famous here and this is his
entertainment. All the dishes were delicious and in this format we could
try many local foods. The atmosphere was festive, in this large room with
columns, and a stage for the entertainment after the dinner.

After about an hour of eating, there is a show. The show for us was a 70's
band of four Italians playing on amplified acoustic guitars singing Simon
& Garfunkle, Carol King, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Cath Stevens songs
with Italian accents. It was interesting hearing their versions of these
songs not always in perfect harmony, but with great spirit. The guitar
playing was actually the best and we did enjoy it.

We sat with a group of Italian women friends whom we met at dinner. They
all were divorced. Most were married for 20-30 years, had kids and were
now enjoying the single life. They were very friendly and lots of fun.
Tony used his Italian to communicate which was the only way we could have
had the conversation. He gets compliments often for his Italian and it's
so much fun and helpful.

Tony is making his first espresso here in our apartment and is using a
brass door knob to tamp down the coffee. There are lots of interesting
adjustments when traveling, aren't there?

More later. This is just "a day in the life of the Italian travelers".

Ciao,

Joselyn and Antony

A Kick in the Boot

We’re back from five weeks in Italy. As previously noted: The Coffee, the Women, the Pizza, the Light, the Architecture, the Gondolas, the Pesto, the Food, the Wine, the Food.

Here in northern California rhododendrons continue to bloom in deep burgundy, blood red, royal purple, even white with black speckles. In our back yard flowers now, dead-heading later. Out in the forest a last few wild pink flowers adhere to ancient branches.

We’re shaking off jet lag by reveling in local sunshine. The mind understands it’s high noon, but the body balks, and lags nine hours behind. Considering how long this dislocation lasts, it’s more like Propeller Lag than Jet Lag. Right now it’s five in the morning and both of us are wide awake. Too bad no one else is.

We ventured into Mendocino on Memorial Day weekend, known locally as the Summer Fog Celebration. The Farmer’s Market was full of friendly farmers, and fishermen, and artisan bread chefs. Tip: strawberries are fantastic right now.

Our quest to locate bookstores in Italy was largely successful. Books were everywhere, a few in English and other non-Italian languages, at newsstands and gift shops, autostrada stops and even in bookstores.

In Florence we specially enjoyed the Melbookstore, actual name, part of a regional bookstore chain. Libri! Musica! Video! ... and a blissfully quiet coffee shop a block from the Duomo, with fresh squeezed orange juice and fine Italian coffees.

Italians learn English in school, starting as early as pre-school. Children are too shy to try out English on strangers, but when you turn away they call out “Good Bye-eee!”

Some years ago, members of the Italian parliament were promoting bills to reject English words and English syntax, all of which are rapidly sneaking into the language of Dante (and Roberto Benigni).

There is a Manifesto in Defense of the Italian Language. Its supporters say it’s not so much the use of English words like “computer” or “OK” but rather the use of English syntax. A grammatical Italian would write, “Thank you for not having smoked” but English-influenced signs in airports and elsewhere now use English syntax: “Thank you for not smoking.”

Saverio Vertone, one of the signatories, said he fears "colonization of syntax." He noted “The Italian language is not rich with words (but) it compensates for its relative poverty with a wealth of syntactic constructions, which lend it great subtlety."

Signor Vertone was careful to point out that despite the Manifesto, Italians are not “excessive” about their language, like the French. French language purists insist that a “computer” is an “ordinateur.” In Italy a computer is a computer, email is email, and OK is O-kay-EE.

One online commentator, who threw up his virtual hands and posted “Mama mia!” noted that English is succinct. In English one might post “Passenger Emergency Exit.” In Italian this could likely read: “L’uscita comune per i passeggeri del treno in caso di emergenza.” Three words or twelve. Which is better in an emergency?

So. It seems we’re home, still living on Italian time, reacquainting ourselves with the cat. California is as beautiful as Italy. And in our back yard, the rhodies still are blooming.