Around Pisa in one day

Oh yes. As you can see the Tower is getting worse and worse. Always extraordinary to see and especially it is good to see the fun people are having around it. Work brought me there and had some hours in the morning to first jog around the town and later to visit Piazza del Duomo with its magnificent monuments.

Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in Amsterdam

Last Sunday we went to A'dam to celebrate Brenda's birthday. It was quite a nice experience. The food was good, the atmosphere was really relaxed, the kids got a Pizza and Cookies workshop.

Hanami of Tsukuba University - Cherry blossom party

Thank you Nobu for sharing with me the beautiful pictures of the 2007 Hanami.

Just married - Bao Xishun and Xia Shujuan

World, please join me in congratulating Bao Xishun and Xia Shujuan for their marriage.
Bao is the tallest man on Earth (2m36) and Xia just half of him (1m68)

Pablo Neruda - Celebrating Spring 2007

Probably the best time of the year. Let us introduce it in Italian, English and Spanish with the help of a great poet of the 20th century: Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)


Il Ramo Rubato

Nella notte entreremo
a rubare
un ramo fiorito.

Passeremo il muro,
nelle tenebre del giardino altrui,
due ombre nell'ombra.

Ancora non se n'è andato l'inverno,
e il melo appare
trasformato d'improvviso
in cascata di stelle odorose.

Nella notte entreremo
fino al suo tremulo firmamento,
e le tue piccole mani e le mie
ruberanno le stelle.

E cautamente
nella nostra casa,
nella notte e nell'ombra,
entrerà con i tuoi passi
il silenzioso passo del profumo
e con i piedi stellati
il corpo chiaro della Primavera.

The Stolen Branch

In the night we shall go in
to steal
a flowering branch.

We shall climb over the wall
in the darkness of the alien garden,
two shadows in the shadow.

Winter is not yet gone,
and the apple tree appears
suddenly changed
into a cascade of fragrant stars.

In the night we shall go in
up to its trembling firmament,
and your little hands and mine
will steal the stars.

And silently,
to our house,
in the night and the shadow,
with your steps will enter
perfume's silent step
and with starry feet
the clear body of spring.

La Rama Robada

En la noche entraremos
a robar
una rama florida.

Pasaremos el muro,
en las tinieblas del jardín ajeno,
dos sombras en la sombra.

Aún no se fue el invierno,
y el manzano aparece
convertido de pronto
en cascada de estrellas olorosas.

En la noche entraremos
hasta su tembloroso firmamento,
y tus pequeñas manos y las mías
robarán las estrellas.

Y sigilosamente,
a nuestra casa,
en la noche y la sombra
entrará con tus pasos
el silencioso paso del perfume
y con pies estrellados
el cuerpo claro de la primavera.

YES, I made it

About one month ago I have decided to start running. After 3 years of warming up the couch it was time to get my ass moving.
Went to the shop, bought all the necessary stuff (overdone?), look in the mirror and thought about the next New York Marathon.

Started to follow a running plan and at my second training I got injured.........
I restarted three days ago and tonight I finished without trouble my second session. New York is getting closer.

Dear Mr. President (PINK)

Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you

Back from Poland

Hallo world.

I am back from a quick Polish biz trip. For those among you who never went in that direction I have uploaded these images to give you an idea of the contrasts that you will see in the country. You see this mostly in Warsaw but in the upcoming years will become more and more.

That "GREENISH THING" is the WC of the 1st Class Wagon I travelled with. Useless to add words, I fear.

The other picture shows the Old City centre (Stare Miasto). This part of the town was completely destroyed after World War II but now it looks just stunning.

I would like to add one more note about the people I met. I found exceptionally friendly.

Ladies & Gentlemen: Mr. Paul Wolfowitz

From Wikipedia:
Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (b. December 22, 1943) is an American academic and political figure. He is currently the President of the World Bank, but may be most famous as a prominent architect of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration known as the Bush Doctrine, which resulted in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
A former aide to neoconservative Democratic Senator Henry M. Jackson in the 1970s, Wolfowitz also served in the U.S. Defense Department, as Director of Policy Planning and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. State Department, as U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, and as Deputy Secretary of Defense in the Administration of George W. Bush.

Astor Piazzolla's Libertango danced in NY

This is more or less one of those moments when I think that words are just useless.

Black & white passion underlined by astonishing sounds.

SWITCH YOUR SPEAKERS ON AND ENJOY

Windy Dutch Sunday

Today we decide to reach for the beach. So we packed the kids and went to Bloemendaal aan Zee.............once we got there we realized how cold a Dutch beach can be in January. The sun was shining but the wind was rock 'n roll. Nevertheless the beach was packed!

After I guess 5 minutes we decided that we would have come back in springtime and moved to Alkmaar. We first had a bite at the Spanish restaurant Granada (good food) and strolled around the beautiful town.

Kenneth's party

Ken, my friend. Thank you for the inspirational evening. It was outstanding. Seeing all those people, the music, the atmosphere and of course..........the fine art.

Thank you also to Humph for the pictures.

The Marathon Kid - The incredible story of Budhia Singh

I recently saw a BBC documentary about Budhia Singh a boy born in 2002.

When Budhia's father died a year ago, his mother, who washes dishes in Bhubaneswar, capital of the eastern Indian state of Orissa, was unable to provide for her four children.
She sold Budhia to a man for 800 rupees ($20).
But the young boy came to the attention of Biranchi Das, a judo coach and the secretary of the local judo association.
Mr Das said he noticed Budhia's talent when scolding him for being a bully.
"Once, after he had done some mischief, I asked him to keep running till I came back," Mr Das told the BBC.
"I got busy in some work. When I came back after five hours, I was stunned to find him still running."

A good story so far? Do not think so. Budhia is running at least 30 km. a day, sometimes barefoot, and the documentary has shown his attempt to run 70 km in one day, Budhia collapsed after 67 km and almost died. Incredibly enough his trainer, Mr. Das, is convinced that drinking while running has a negative effect on Budhia's performance, so no water or anything else during those 67 km. and when the race started at 5h30 am the temperature was already above 20 degrees Celsius.
It was extremely sad to see in which dreadful conditions the boy was when he collapsed.

Child rights activists and paediatricians expressing concern over Budhia's health said that by making the boy run long distances at such a tender age might affect his heart and kidney functions as well as his general health.

Happy New Year

Yes, I know that I am a bit late but I was in Italy and after being back I caught the flu. So I take now the chance to wish to all the world a FANTASTIC, HEALTHY, PEACEFUL 2007

Oh my God. Another year ending in 7. This means that I will turn into a new decade but we always go for the better !!!!!! So we will have a magnificent one. Looking forward to it.

As I said, I was back in my hometown for some days, it was good to be back there and pass the Xmas with my Mum & Dad and of course the rest of the FAMILY (it always sound a bit Mafia when I write it). The weather was tremendous 15, 16 degrees Celsius and not a drop of rain. It felt almost like spring. The food was..........too good.........too much.

Love you all.

A good party

Last night it was real good fun.
The party: Vanderlande Xmas Party
The location: Orangerie, Den Bosch (The Netherlands)
Mistery guest: Leeeeee Towers

Restaurant "A mangiare" in Reggio Emilia, Italy

Few lines to celebrate a surprising restaurant.
On one of the business trips driving from Bologna to Milano we stopped in Reggio Emilia to have a bite. We ended up at the restaurant "A mangiare" in Viale Monte Grappa 3A.
The cuisine was purely based on regional products. Next to the usual waters (flat and sparkling "Lauretana" but this time into a Pininfarina designed bottled!!) we had a lovely red wine "Moro del Moro" from the local Rinaldini winehouse (14,5 %).
As it was quite late we just went for a starter and a main course. The starter was made of a nice Parmigiano Reggiano mousse partnered by a just perfect pear jam. The main course: hand made tagliatelle with 16 month riped Culatello di Zibello (the king of Italian hams).
The city itself is crap but if you are on the road and hungry give it a try.

November, 6th 2006

The day I drove the Alfa Romeo 159 (JTDm 1.9)
What an outstanding car. The design I knew from the road but the driving experience matched the visual emotions.

A different Sunday

So, yesterday I spent the whole day helping my friend Manlio at the Palace Hotel (www.palacehotel.nl) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.

The occasion was a wine tasting event organized by the Dutch wine magazine Perswijn (www.perswijn.nl) and Manlio was standing there representing his company "Vino e Olio" (www.vinoeolio.nl).

We have presented some beautiful wines: 4 Brunello di Montalcino, 1 Rosso di Montalcino and 3 Supertuscans. Additionally, and not secondly, three beatiful white wines of the Casa d'Ambra (the "Kime" was just WOW).

It was a very interesting experience which ended up Italian style at the "La Toscana" restaurant on the Noorwijk sea promenade. Oh, I almost forgot. It was brilliant to have a glimpse of the sea again.

Auschwitz 21-09-2006

How does it feel? That's the question they ask me. How does it feel?
I can say many words, write maybe more but I cannot explain.
"Feel" the word says it all, so personal that cannot be explained. You are there where onemillionfivehundredthousand people lost their innocent lives, shooting pictures on a warm September day.
Two things hit me the most. The beds in the barracks and the crossroad.
The crossroad. That bloody crossroad. Here the SS doctors (what should I call them) divided the healthy (read >> capable of work) from the others. The ones doomed to suffer a long dreadful detention, the others (children, old people, pregnant women, sick persons) found immediate death.

Today 60 years after this human shame, we can talk about Korea, Vietnam, the Soviets..............Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq.........................and the ones to come.

My flight with Valentino Rossi

Yes. On September 5th I flew from Bologna to Amsterdam in the same plane as Valentino Rossi.
The motor racing champion sat of course on the 1st row, I was sitting on the 4th. I have also managed to get an autograph, as I said to him, for my son.............

For more info about Valentino see:
http://www.fanclubvalentinorossi.com/

Valentino is ranked at number 64 of 2006 Top 100 Forbes celebrieties just behind Russian tennis starlet Maria Sharapova and in front of Oscar winner Halle Berry:
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/53/QN4Y.html