Another one has gone

A few hours and 2008 is history while on the other side of the world 2009 is already present time.

Good moments and bad moments have signed the last 365 days. I hope you all will have a great year ahead.

Back from Vienna

It was truly "touch and go" but I had the chance to see some beautiful things: the Dome (twin to the one in Cologne, only one tower in Vienna though), the Graben and its wonderful palaces, the Schonbrunn Palace from a distance.
Last but not least if you get there try the "Aviator" of the Weingut Keringer winery. Outstanding red. We had a bottle in the "Mark Twain Room" at the Griechenbeisl (picture) an establishment that dates back to 1447 !!!! (www.griechenbeisl.at)

Sampdoria - GENOA 0-1

I am happy like a child. My dedicated trip to Genoa resulted in a oh-so-wished victory of my team.
It was top fun to enjoy the match with The Doctor and see the other side of town kneel down at the end of the game.

Charlotte Roche - Wetlands

Reading the book. What to say? Dunno. Personally I found Bukowski much more fun.

Buon Compleanno Lidia

Cooking trip

The sky is the limit. Tonight's menu is:
- Sweet potato and chorizo soup
- Chicken kurma
- Chocolate cake with dates, strawberry chutney

Took a looooooong time but loved it.

Ravioli

Today I made ravioli.....for the first time in my life.....peculiare for a 41-year-old Italian.
Filling according to Jamie Oliver's suggestions: parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, basil, sundried tomatoes, Parma ham, mortadella (my own idea).
It was good but a lot of work to prepare the dough. Next time possibly experience will speed up the process.

Amazing Bruges

Today we came back from a weekend in Bruges, a truly captivating Flemish pearl. If you are around, do not miss it. The city shows a brilliant large historical centre, canals, unbeaten chocolate tradition, nice restaurants and so on.

Sailing with Ernest

What a wonderful afternoon last Saturday. The boat, the weather, the drinks, the food. Thank you "amis" for the beautiful day.

Montenegro - Crna gora

My work took me to an incredible place, Montenegro. A land of mountains and sea where nature is still nature without being disturbed by human made crazy ideas. This is the way it is so far but construction works are very active along the beautiful coast.

I will treasure the old part of Budva, the bay of Kotor with the incredible little village of Perast, the smile of the people, the beautiful peaks, the view of Sveti Stefan from the hills.....and the dreadfully slow trucks and tractors !!!!

Budapest Airport.........

..........that´s the place where I stranded and the place I am right now. Due to "technical problems" the inbound flight from Amsterdam to Budapest was delayed and so I have missed my connection to Podgorica....my waiting time to the next flight is 10 hours......long hours.

Diego Alberto Milito - El Principe de Bernal

Nothing else to say. People out there know what I mean.

Bar Rafaeli

To my men readers.
I thought it was about time to post a girl again.
She is very popular right now, quite peculiar from Israel

Violet Hill - Coldplay

This songs just KICKS ASS. The beat is fascinating and I love the crescendo.
I need it tonight and I dedicate this to Elisa.



Was a long and dark December
From the rooftops I remember
There was snow
White snow

Clearly I remember
From the windows they were watching
While we froze
Down below

When the future's architectured
By a carnival of idiots on show
You'd better lie low

If you love me
Won't you let me know?

Was a long and dark December
When the banks became cathedrals
And the fog
Became God

Priests clutched onto bibles
Hollowed out to fit their rifles
And the cross was held aloft

Bury me in honor
When I'm dead and hit the ground
A love back home unfolds

If you love me
Won't you let me know?

I don't want to be a soldier
Who the captain of some sinking ship
Would stow, far below

So if you love me
Why'd you let me go?

I took my love down to Violet Hill
There we sat in snow
All that time she was silent still

So if you love me
Won't you let me know?

If you love me,
Won't you let me know?

A te - Jovanotti

Emotional summary of the last three weeks.

Again back, unfortunately, from holiday. Genoa, St.Tropez, Genoa to shortly summarize. You could expect to hear highlights about the St.Tropez glamour or the Mediterannean lifestyle and weather but that's not the case. What did we take back in our memory suitcase? My daughter turning 5, the face of my son receving Gormiti's, Francesco Valle who sings Ligabue at the small football field of the S. Eugenio church in Crevari, my father and his friend "Maestro Franco Albanese" who astonished me with an amazing performance of Genoese songs, the cruise ships that leaves the harbour in Genoa and recall the images of one of Fellini's most famous movie, Tonino Carotone and Magnifico & Turbolenza who play as support act to Manu Chao.


Three weeks worth living.

Summertime

Hi folks, it is again that time of the year when we gear up and leave Holland to head mostly south. Tomorrow we'll pack the car and drive to Italy (1 week), France (1 week) and Italy (1 week).

Done that we'll be back and online.

Take good care of yourself and enjoy life.

Let me entertain you....me, myself and I

After years of writing I have decided it was about time to show my face to the world.
..and I AM NOT the one in the backround.

159 - The Magic Number

Some time ago I wrote about it, now I drive it. Just pure pleasure. I love it.

I am in the mood to leave an empty page. Fill it in with your thoughts.

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Turkey - Club Voyage Torba

Hi folks.
We are back from a spring break. Destination Turkey and more precisely Torba (nearby Bodrum). It will not go in the book as the best vacation ever mostly due to the weather. Out of the 9 days we had 3 bad ones and at night it was rather chill due to the wind. Apart from this we had a good stay at Club Voyage Torba, we enjoyed strolling around in Bodrum and the sweetness dripping baklava's were just PERFECT.

Greetings from Prague

This is a very fast one.
Greetings from the lobby of Hotel U Prince (www.hoteluprince.cz).

Tremendous weather today.

Into the Wild - Sean Penn

If you want to think about life, have a good look at this movie. For me this is a true masterpiece and I believe Penn's first one as director. The story of a graduated smart guy who decides to leave everything to go to Alaska. During his Kerouac's alike On the Road experience he meets several friends: old guy, hippies, Danish couple, young girl and so on. Experiences that will help him to find the meaning of life (and of being happy) while out Into The Wild.

This said, listen good to Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) soundtrack. Amazing.

Tallinn - Estonia

What a fantastic city. I am totally surprised. It is unspoiled, no big shops in the Old Town, no globalization chains on Toompea Hill. Medieval, cobblestones, Russian churches, a pharmacy dating back at least to 1422 and so on. A truly jump back in the past. Visit this town NOW before it is too late to admire its spirit.
I am also lodging in a beautiful hotel in the Old Town, Hotel Telegraaf (good 2-nights stay offer through booking.com). Tonight however the pool was not accessible due to maintenance !!
I had some truly awesome food at Restaurant Ö (http://www.restoran-o.ee/).

A place to come back on a summer day.

Shot rings out in the Memphis sky

Martin Luther King
(15-1-1929 4-4-1968)

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring! And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.But not only that:Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.From every mountainside, let freedom ring.And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:Free at last! Free at last!Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Auschwitz 1 - Children shoes display

Children footsteps at the end of the corridor,
no laughs or cry of joy, only silence.

Awareness of their faith, empty looks staring ahead.
Standing, waiting in a queue. Their last day.



Dusty shoes are left behind, images of what should have never been.
Tears wet my face.
I am alive, bear the memories.

Francis Bacon at Palazzo Reale - Milan

If you happen to be in Milan, be aware that until June 29th there will be the possibility to admire the works of Sir Francis Bacon.
I believe that Sir Bacon has been one of the greatest artist of the 20th century.
For more information check: http://www.francisbacon.it/
Enjoy.

"Fugazza" & "Faina"

Funny thing Internet. Just surf a bit and you discover that two tremendously typical things of your hometown (Genoa, Italy) are just to be found at the other side of the world and spelled in Genoese.

So I discovered that in Buenos Aires you can eat "Fugazza" (focaccia in Italy) and "Faina" (farinata in Italy). This is not so crazy if you think that the Genoese founded the Boca in the XIX century but funny anyhow to see how the dialect words place their roots in the Pampa country. One more reason to go there someday.

By the way the best focaccia in Genoa can be eaten at Priano (Voltri). The best farinata at Vexima (also in Voltri).

Eduardo - Arsenal

My best wishes of a quick recovery to this youngster.

Quadranga: 2008 new beachwear fashion ???

If you ask me, YES. This might be cracking business. Look out guys !!! Danger on the beach.

Praga - Praha - Prague - Praag

This week my work brought me to the Czech Republic and more precisely to Prague. I must say that I am really impressed by the beauty of this city. I heard many people say what a nice looking place this is but I was extremely surprised. I think that the Czech people should be proud of having such a nice capital. The Old Town, Charles Bridge, the Lesser Quarter, The Castle....the beer.

Lucho Figueroa

I am happy for Lucho. Soy feliz por Lucho. Sono contento per Lucho. Ik ben blij voor Lucho.

Lithuania - Vilnius & Kaunas

East, east, east. Lands of contrast again. Two new airport terminals built this year in Kaunas and Vilnius but outside the "big cities" it looks like the '50s. The Old Town of Vilnius is magnificent, absolutely beautiful. Kaunas will check next time. "Restaurant La Provence" offers amazing food and the wine list is very rich......Lithuanian Airlines rocks.............

Gormiti - An Italian story

Back from Italy I want to write a couple of lines about an incredible hype: the Gormiti.

This is absolutely huge. During the Xmas period it is estimated that 30 million pieces have been sold. Basically there is no home in Italy (where kids are, but not only) without one of these little monsters.

So you are informed. If you get there you know what this is all about.

Things we leave behind

This is the view from my parents' house. The Mediterranean is king. It is so peaceful to look at this picture. In this case the sky (and the sea) is really the limit.

I took this picture without further thinking but now I see it I realize that this is an important picture for me.
It strikes me also the fact that it seems that all the colours are outside and the inside seems to be black and white.