(RESIGNED - The Italian crowd celebrating in front of the Italian Parliament)
Silvio Berlusconi resigned as prime minister tonight at 21.43 after the Italian Parliament approved on a package of austerity measures. His "reign" (government) lasted 1284 days.
Demonstrators chanting "resign, resign, resign" had gathered outside parliament and Berlusconi's car was pelted with coins as it drove to the presidential palace.
This is the end of an era. Let's hope it's the start of a new positive one. Let's hope that Italy can make it. Let's hope that something will really changes in the future both for Italy and Europe. Whatever happens now it will take a long time. And the Italian people, after tonight's brief euforic moments, will start complaining again, they will easily get fed up with the interim government, then with the auterity measures and then with the new permanent governement (whenever this is going to happen). I hope I'm wrong.
In the meanwhile, le roi est "mort", vive l'Italie!
This may look like a hurricane on a Caribbean island but unfortunately it’s Genoa, a lovely port city in the Italian Riviera, where at least seven people were killed as flash floods tore through its centre last Friday, a week after torrential rain battered nearby coastal areas. There have always been floods but it is shocking that people still have to die because of them in 2011 when technology seem is so advanced and bad weather conditions should be forecast and measures taken to avoid these disasters. As I have mentioned before, in spire of all our might and arrogance, we are still powerless against the fury of nature.
They/we are calling it the Italian Spring. After Silvio Berlusconi's long years in power, the Italian electorate rose up and said they had enough, overturning laws passed by his government to revive nuclear energy, privatize the water supply and help him avoid prosecution.
The Italian government tried everything possible to delay, compromise and negate the possibility of Italian people expressing dissent. It wasted €300m preventing a high turnout at the ballot for a referendum on three crucial issues. It even passed a decree in the hope of nullifying one of the referendum's counts. In addition, it attempted to prevent adequate television cover of the ballot. Yet the referendum held on 12-13th June succeeded. The result constitutes another huge setback for Silvio Berlusconi's government, after the May local election where even Milan, Berlusconi's home city – rejected his party's candidate for mayor.
Italians were called to the ballot box to give their verdict on three crucial government policies: first we had the opportunity to reject the (in)famous "legitimate impediment’, the law that gave Berlusconi automatic immunity from trial proceedings. Second, we had the chance to stop another controversial reform brought in by Berlusconi's government: water privatisation. And last but not least, we were able to vote against Berlusconi's energy policy, which goes against the current European trend in proposing the construction of nuclear plants in high-risk seismic Italy.
And Italians have spoken. We said no to the current government's most controversial policies. We said no to an undemocratic law that placed the prime minister above the law and prevented him from ever coming to trial. We said no to water privatisation and, again, no to nuclear energy.
And for the first time in many years I am very proud of my country. Forza Italia! (And this is not intended as a pun!)
There is a place in Verona, Italy called Casa di Giulietta where the lovelorn go to leave notes on the wall next to Juliet's balcony asking for love advice. These letters are collected at the end of each day and answered by a group of real-life employees who regard themselves as Juliet's secretaries.
Such is the idea of director Gary Winick's postcard-pretty romantic comedy, Letters to Juliet. Its premise alone is enough to tell you that this is a chick flick through and through, but here's the surprise- despite its predictability, it actually is pretty likable. And indeed what's there not to like? It has stunning views of the Veneto and Tuscan countryside; it stars the radiant Amanda Seyfried (you'll probably remember her from Mamma Mia!); and it's about second chances in love, which anyone who has ever been in love can certainly relate to.
Sophie feels compelled to respond and her reply brings the elderly Claire (a luminous Vanessa Redgrave) to Italy, accompanied by her grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan). Claire wants to find her old beau Lorenzo Bartolini and so they set off on a road trip to visit the 74 men of the same name in the Siena area to locate her special one. Will Claire find the love she lost? Will Sophie find new love? Will Charlie fall in love? You'd probably already know the answers to all three questions.
A touching, romantic and beautiful movie. Even though you knew how it was going to end you slowly got completely wrapped up in the characters at each turn of events. The schmaltz, melodrama and cheese are all put together in a totally engrossing romance.
Anyway, the Tuscan scenery is staggeringly beautiful. And watching real-life couple Redgrave and Nero walk hand in hand is very heart-warming. These two first fell in love during the mid-60's while filming Camelot. This cost Vanessa Redgrave her first marriage, but the lovers did not marry until 2006. Just to prove that it is never too late for love.
A couple of days ago, thousands of people gathered in St Marks' Square, Venice, to admire the traditional "flight of the angel" in which a young woman glides on a harness from St Mark's belltower. This marks the beginning of the Carnival of Venice, the most wonderful event in Italy, if not in the world...
Also this year, as every year, I wish I was there ...
In this very frenetic and hectic world, everybody needs to slow down a bit every now and then and this is what an arty group called the Cracking Art Group thought of to visualize this idea.
Twelve enormous pink snails have moved in to Milan city centre for a new outdoor art installation designed to encourage the fast-living residents of the Lombardy capital to slow down. Three metres long and two metres high, the huge molluscs are currently circling Piazza Scala in front of Milan's famous opera house, La Scala, and the nearby square in front of the Chiesa di San Fedele.
(Photos taken by my friend Giusy in Milan)
After their time spent “at the opera”, the snails will start moving (slowly of course!) towards the square in front of Milan's Palazzo Reale before making their way in single file to the central train station in January.
It is said that Venice is a dead city or at least a dying city, as it is slowly sinking into the marshy ground of the Laguna and because there are less and less “true” Venetians living there and more and more tourists every year. But from the first time I set foot in Venice long time ago, for me it was, it is and it will always be my dream city.
For me going to Venice is like entering a giant theme park, it's the place to get hopelessly lost for a day. Through the mysterious alleyways leading off from the city, endless mazes of backstreets and deserted squares, on a Venice trip, you'll find that this city is a perfect place to walk for hours on end, pretending to know where you are.
When we want to celebrate something important or just forget our tedious lives for a while my best friend and I treat ourselves to a trip to Venice. We don’t even need to stay over night, just a few hours to enjoy together.
This time the weather was fantastic (we just missed the flooding a few days before) and although it was last Sunday of October it was rather crowded as the Venetian Marathon was on. But it was worth it. Just judge for yourselves!
Isn't this absolutely magnificent? I could spend hours and hours just watching gondole and vaporetti travelling up and down the Canal Grande...
The colours are incredible and even more sparkling on a sunny autumn day.
A hidden "canaletto" with the washing out to dry in the sunshine and boats "parked just outside the door!
And this is our own Gondolier! He didn't sing "O Sole Mio" or play the accordion to us, but what can you expect for only 50cents a ride??? Yes, a real bargain!
So happy to be there together!!!! When will you go next?
"The Untouchable” is watching you from the streets of New York. "The Untouchable” is in this case none else than Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s controversial prime minister whom everybody’s got to know now due to the news spread out all over the international papers, of the despicable forced resignation of Dino Boffo, the editor of the Catholic Church's daily, L'Avvenire. Boffo announced his resignation following a campaign against him in Il Giornale, the newspaper owned by the Berlusconi family. With this resignation, Berlusconi was able to claim the first scalp in his rapidly escalating battle with the church and the media, which began when a string of sex scandals struck Berlusconi himself. I don’t usually like talking about politics in this modest blog of mine and even in private unless something really strikes me hard. For years now my country has been putting up with this disgraceful individual that is ruining the dignity and pride of his own nation. But he was voted with a significant majority at the last elections and he seems difficult, if not impossible to get rid of. A friend of mine who lives in NYC saw one of these posters scattered around the city and emailed me a photo. Nobody knows exactly who’s behind this campaign. But it’s good that Berlusconi’s true colours are revealed abroad as well. Who knows, maybe sooner or later the untouchable might get what he deserves, exactly as it happened to Al Capone to whom this poster is inspired.
PS: Another friend of mine from Italy has just told me that these posters are already all over the Italian papers. So it wasn't a "scoop" after all!
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).
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?)
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!
Please meet Ivo, my friend’s Giovanna’s donkey. He lives in a comfy stable on the Monferrato hills in Italy and he’s free to roam the fields during the day. Ivo is my daughter’s favourite “pet”. He’s the loveliest and most intelligent animal ever! Last year my friend’s old mare, Ivo’s best friend, was very ill and she was kept in a separate stable but Ivo brayed and screamed so much that they had to move him next to her to keep her company. When then she died and my friend has to apply for a special authorisation to bury the mare in her property, Ivo spent days on her “grave” grieving and it took him ages to move from that spot.
He does not like being brushed and groomed. Just at the sight of a brush he starts braying and runs away. But he likes cuddles especially from children. Vicky can do anything to him, even ride on him, and he’s always happy. Although we see him only a couple of times a year he knows her very well. She just needs to shout his name and he runs to greet her wherever she is. We will see Ivo soon in a couple of weeks when we travel to Italy. And we can hardly wait.
Carnevale (Carnival), has been celebrated for centuries throughout Italy. The word may well derive from carne vale - 'farewell to meat' - which would explain the function of the celebration: an opportunity to indulge and use up such treats before the start of Lent (like an extended Pancake Day).
In modern Italy Carnevale is generally a time for children, who are led, carried and wheeled around town dressed in costumes - from cute fluffy animal suits to musketeers and Harry Potters, leaving a trail of confetti, sweets and 'silly string' littering streets and piazzas. Sometimes the celebrations extend to organised events for the whole community, but on the whole it's not a very important time for adults.
In Venice, however, the tourist board and hoteliers hit upon a fantastic money-earner in the 1980s when they revived a picturesque version of Venice's past. In Venice it's the grown-ups who have most of the fun, with masked balls, costume parades and a slightly antiseptic nostalgia for more decadent times.
The Venice Carnival began in 1039, and after 1162 was officially used as a symbolic welcoming of entry for rulers of the city upon their return, for example after victory in the war against Ulrico, Patriarch of Aquileia. Later the carnival also was an occasion in medieval times for processions celebrating marriages. Although generally for the upper classes, the masquerade balls transfigured into a more public affair in the 16th century when people donned the colourful masks to free themselves from judging neighbours, all of whom knew each other in such a small city. Too much decadence throughout the middle ages meant that the wearing of the masks became strictly limited to the ‘Carnevale’, as at one stage masks were worn on a daily basis but later banned, and so traditionally the carnival represents the last acceptable opulence binge annually before Lent.
However much the modern Carnival may be contrived for tourists, it's undeniably atmospheric to walk down a lane in Venice and pass cloaked and masked figures. The tourist board and hotels urge their guests to participate by wearing at least a mask as they tour the town. It can be an exciting time for children: as long as the masks don't scare them, there are plenty of opportunities for fun. The city is very busy, particularly during the two Carnival weekends, and there is a genuinely festive atmosphere.
Costumes and masks largely provide the grandeur and mystique to the Carnival. Costumes in calle, campelli, lace, brocade, velvet and satins are elaborate, rich, detailed and evoke a magical feeling. These costumes combined with an appropriate mask allow the wearer to escape into a world where he can live his fantasy.
Costumes fall into two types the carnival costume and the historical costume, both allow one to indulge in an orgy of elaborate and rich dressing. Masks like the Bauta, were used by both men and women but not girls of marriageable age. The mask comes with a small cloak over the shoulders and a witch style hat and a large black cloak.
However much the modern Carnival may be contrived for tourists, it's undeniably atmospheric to walk down a lane in Venice and pass cloaked and masked figures. The tourist board and hotels urge their guests to participate by wearing at least a mask as they tour the town. It can be an exciting time for children: as long as the masks don't scare them, there are plenty of opportunities for fun. The city is very busy, particularly during the two Carnival weekends, and there is a genuinely festive atmosphere.
The hedonistic extravagance that has always been synonymous with the Venice Carnival still lives on today through the beauty of the mastered fashion and appreciation of arts in general.
Sorry if I sound like sponsored by the Venice Tourist Board (!!!), but the Carnevale di Venezia is such a unique event that you should experience it at least once in your life!
(Photos kindly provided by my "reporter-in-location", the lovely Giusy)
I bet most people never think it is possible to see snow in Italy, at least away from the Alps, so that’s why I’ve decided to post these photos that I’ve just received from Italy. My little green town on the hills in Northern Italy is now covered with a thick blanket of soft white snow. At lunchtime they already had 30 cm of snow, but it is still snowing. End of November is a bit early for snow, but the summer and the autumn have been so dry that snow is a blessing now for all the farmers and vine-growers.
This is my town in Italy under the snow. As you can see, people don't mind facing the white slippery stuff!!!
And this is our river ...
Snow can be a nuisance, that’s true, especially if you need to travel, but I love it. Everything looks better and more beautiful in white, even the dullest places!!!
So let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...
(A big thankyou and a huge hug to my friend Giusy who sent me the photos! What would I do without her!!!???)
(RESIGNED - The Italian crowd celebrating in front of the Italian Parliament)
.jpg)
.jpg)
