Only a Kid's Worry?

(Yorkshire in bloom)

My 9 yrs old daughter hardly slept last night. I was worried she was poorly or she had some problems at school, but just before leaving the house she burst out in tears and told me “Mum, I do not want to die of swine flu!”. I quickly tried to reassure her and off she went still worried but with a bit of trust in her mummy who said that everything was under control? But is it? I think the hype around the flu is already getting so huge that our kids have already started feeling the strain. TV is full of it, even the kids’ channels talk about the deaths in Mexico, the cases in Scotland and definitive spreading all over the world. I’m worried, as most of us probably are, but mainly for this confused amount of information thrown at us from all over. How can we face a pandemic if we cannot face our own information system?

CBBC [a BBC children channel in the UK] was highlighting this morning in their Newsround the sick school children in NYC and the fact that the Governor of California had declared a state of emergency. Are these good measures not to spread panic among the population? Or perhaps don’t they consider children part of the population? Of course we want to be informed but what about our children? Don't’ they deserve to get on with their lives and let us worry about this kind of issues?

My hills

Going back to Italy also means for me going back to my hills. I love the seaside, the mountains and the plains of hills but nothing compares to my hills. Not only they are beautiful but they are the source of my people’s riches and livelihood, the vines their wines. In spring they are especially beautiful because of the new rich green colour of the vineyards coming to life again after this year’s long and cold winter.

On Easter Monday my freinds and left out beloved Monferrato region to go for a tour of Le Langhe. Le Langhe is a wonderful wine area located south-east of Turin whiich produces white truffles, Barolo - one of the great Italian red wines - and the Tonda Gentile hazelnut, which makes succulent cakes. It's a region of rolling hills covered with vineyards and topped with villages and medieval castles of red brick.

(View to the Langhe from La Morra and beyond to the Alps)

Below is Barolo, a small village that has given its name to one of the greatest Italian red wines, garnet-red in colour and with spicy, floral aromas of violet and ripe fruit which, on ageing, turn into a rich, complex bouquet of smoke, tobacco and leather.

Here are some samples of the great wines of this area:

In this excellent restaurant of La Morra called "Per Bacco" I had one of my favourite Langhe dishes, "carne all'albese" (albese-style veal), ie. very thin slices of veal seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and flakes of Reggiano cheese and Porcini mushrooms. All this, over a bed of fresh rocket salad (see below).

Simply delicious!

Piling up on pounds

I was shocked yesterday when I went to my gastroenterologist’s for a follow-up visit. He hasn’t been able to sort out my stomach problems that I’ve had for quite a while and I didn’t expect any miracle yesterday, but I was shocked by his behaviour. Every time I go to the clinic they weigh me and compare my ups and downs. I do not go there because I have a problem with weight but because I sometimes have very bad pains. But when he called me in I immediately realized that he was in a terrible mood and I was going to be told off for something. He told me that I had put on ONE kilo since the previous visit and that was not on. I told him that his (very overweight!) assistant had weighed me with my boots on and the boots were heavy but he said that they take into account the clothing otherwise I would have put on much more than that! He was thoroughly unpleasant as according to him I’m not allowed to put on weight. I know I put on weight when I was in Italy but who can resist these?

("Pasticcini" from my favourite cakes shop in Italy)

I’m still size 10 UK although in my forties so I do not think I’m overweight. I know that I have rather brittle bones and I need to be very careful but his attitude towards me was really awful. So I told him to look around as most of the nurses and assistants in his department are as big as elephants and should bully them instead of me! I do not think he will want to see me again! Some of these consultants are very patronising and I can put up with that but I cannot accept when someone becomes offensive. I’m thinking of complaining about him with my GP but what can that change? Another foreigner who cannot understand the rules…Sometimes I feel like that. Anyway, got to go for a run now, trying to get rid of that “terrible extra kilo”…Yes, all in all the gastroenterologist got to me. Now I feel officially fat and misunderstood.

(one of my favourite Italian desserts with strawberries, raspberries and cream/custard)

Happy Birthday, Rita!

Rita Levi-Montalcini, the greatest woman scientist (and probably the greatest Italian scientist of all!) that Italy has ever had is turning 100 years old today.

Born into a well-off Jewish family in Turin in 1909, she fought hard for her career from the beginning. First there was her domineering father, who didn't believe in higher education for women. Then there were Benito Mussolini's race laws, which ejected Jews from universities and forced her into hiding. And after that there was the scientific establishment, which refused to believe in the existence of nerve growth factor (NGF), the discovery of which eventually won Rita a share of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with her colleague Stanley Cohen. Their research conducted while members of the faculty of Washington University, was of fundamental importance to the understanding of cell and organ growth and played a significant role in understanding cancers and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Despite her age, Rita still works every day, exquisitely dressed, hair stylishly coiffured, hands perfectly manicured. In the mornings she shows up at her namesake European Brain Research Institute (EBRI)–Rita Levi-Montalcini, on the outskirts of Rome. In the afternoons she goes downtown to the offices of an educational foundation for African women that she created in 1992.
Now hard of hearing and nearly blind, she is the grand old lady of the Italian Senate, where she became senator for life in 2001, an honour bestowed on former presidents and prominent figures in social, scientific, artistic or literary fields.

“The body may die but the messages that we have sent in life remain. Mine is - believe in values”. she said a couple of days ago during an early birthday party hosted by the Italian President.

Buon Compleanno, Rita!

Clouds over Italy

(an "Italian" fluffy cloud)

Thanks for all your messages on my previous post. Fortunately no new shakes have been felt so we all hope it was just a one off scare.

I'm now back in York since a couple of days and the weather has been beautiful so this makes my return to daily life a bit easier. Although when I go to Italy after a while I feel "abroad" at first, I quickly get used to the lifestyle there and then I find it harder to leave.

(an "angry cloud": is storm coming?)

I had two lovely weeks in my home town, although I ate too much, drank too many cocktails and slept too little! It was fantastic to catch up with my friends. It is so different from here. Although I like Britain, I do not feel I’ve managed to forge really deep friendships with people here. I think it’s mainly because I keep on comparing these relatively “new” friends here to my “old” Italian friends who I’ve known all my life.

I will get back on track soon but for the moment I miss Italy ever so much! And these dark clouds don’t make it look less appealing.

(the storm is here but will be over soon. See that blue sky over there?)

Scared

Just been back to the UK for a few hours and got a new scare. A shake equals to 3.9 of the Richter scale has just been felt in my area in Italy with the epicentre approx. 30 km from my home town. My mum and dad felt it clearly while sitting in the living room. The windows were shaking and the chairs moving. Apparently this is nothing to do with what happened in Abruzzo two weeks ago but the people are scared. I would be if I were there myself and I'm worried for my family and friends. Our region, Piedmont, is an old sismic area, but not as dangerous as the centre and south of Italy. According to the first news there's nothing to be worried about but how can they be sure? The fear remains.

UPDATE 21/4/09: No further shakes in my region. Hopefully it was just a one off scare. Thank you all for your kind messages and thoughts/prayers.

Happy Easter

Easter Blessing to all of you, my Friends! It is a sad Easter for Italy, but there is hope .....as after three days there is the Resurrection, I hope that there will be a reconstruction and a new beginning, of course not within 3 days but soon. We will not forget but we will keep on living...

Sorry I cannot comment on your blogs. I will be back home on the 18th April and back to my usual visits. Thanks for you kind words of support and good wishes...

We are mourning our dead brothers and sisters ...

We will never forget this Good Friday. 287 victims up to now. Many white coffins with children, a 6 months old baby with his mum....Our hearts are bleeding...Jesus, where were you then? We are suffering on the Cross with you now...

I'm still here...

Dear Friends,

I'm writing from a very old laptop via a very slow Internet connection. So I'll be brief. Thanks for all your concerned messages. I'm alive and well. So are my family and friends. Abruzzo is many miles away from my home town which is in the North of Italy, so we have been unaffected by the earthquake, physically at least! We are all shocked and we suffer with Abruzzo, a lovely region of natural and historical beauty and great people. The earthquake was a terrible disaster, as you have surely seen on the news, over 250 people have been found dead among the rubbles, many of them children and young people. Over 1000 casualties and thousands and thousands of people have lost all their possessions, including their homes. After three days of searching I've managed to get hold of a friend of mine who lives in L'Aquila. He, his wife and children are safe, but they've lost everything. They're left with their pyjamas and live under a tent provided by the Italian firefighters. But they are alive. Live is so short, let's live it properly day by day. These catastrophes teach us that and more. Bless you all.

Going Home ...

In a few hours I will be jetting off to Italy where I will spend the next two weeks visiting my family, friends, relaxing (hope so!) and enjoying the sunshine (fingers crossed!). I’m not sure I will be able to blog or even connect to the Internet from there as I’ve got a new laptop I cannot use yet! So if you don’t hear from me and I don’t visit your journals, please do not think I’ve deserted you but that the technology has deserted ME!
Have a wonderful Easter and enjoy the few days of holidays
CIAO!

George Clooney NAKED!!!!!!!!!

APRIL'S FOOL !!!!!

(What were you thinking of, naughty girls??)