Cairo - Culture shock

WOW. Three days but it feels like three months. What a roller coaster drive it was. I could start from the Pyramids and the Sphinx but what really hit me was the chaos, or as I want to call it, the "Linear Chaos", yes because Egyptians experience it as Total Order. I see chaos as a curved, spaghetti-alike kind of plot but they bend it so far that it becomes straight again, the "Linear Chaos" and they just live with it. For an European, even a South European like me, an odd experience.

Al Hussein Mosque, another stunning 10 minutes of a culture so different from ours. I will never forget it.

The Taxi Drive, felt each second of it as being the possible last one of my life (when trying to wear the belt, the driver told me not to do it or my shirt could get dirty !!!!).

Khan El Khalili. The Bizarre Bazar.

Milito, Milito, Milito game over sul Derby, impazzisce Marassi

Tomorrow

I turn 42.
Somehow I feel it today. It was a hard day at work with quotations for Cairo Airport and Wroclaw Airport plus a couple of meetings. Additionally we had to put all the furniture aside to allow the painting of the house tomorrow.

On the other side I know that in one week time we will fly over to Italy to RELAX.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Today I have managed to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine. This is the only salt mine worldwide functioning from the Middle Ages until today. It is quite amazing with several sculpture left behind through the centuries. These works of art have been initiated by the miners themselves and more recently this job has been taken over by artists. This is a UNESCO protected site and one of a kind.

Preghiera per l'Abruzzo, Italia. Aprile 2009

Pochi minuti di riflessione su un'altra tragedia che ci zittisce, ci fa guardare gli schermi come in trance, ci fa ascoltare la radio con il pianto nel cuore. Una parte dell'Italia è in ginocchio e tutti noi siamo in ginocchio con loro, e per loro. Fiumi di parole (le mie tra le altre) saranno scritti che mai eguaglieranno i fiumi di lacrime che tantissima gente versa e dovrà versare. Si sentono testimonianze incredibili di dolore, eroismo, paura, coraggio, forza, tenerezza.

La nostra impotenza esplode in tutta la sua nudità, guardando le fotografie vedo un enorme timore negli occhi della gente che mai e poi mai riuscirà più ad essere quella di due giorni fa. Sono sempre gli occhi quelli che cerco perchè non mentono, a volte una bocca sconvolta da un urlo o sfigurata da una smorfia mi fa deviare ma gli occhi alla fine mi raccontano tutto, mi raccontano il momento. Incredulo anche mio figlio di dieci anni che ieri dopo averne parlato si è trovato accanto a me a guardare il telegiornale ed ha capito solo allora l'ampiezza e la crudezza di quanto era successo.

Io non credo ma la preghiera è un qualcosa che mi aiuta, una preghiera che per me non è una filastrocca imparata da bambino, un testo imposto ma semplicemente un momento di riflessione, una pausa, queste poche righe. Per capire. Se mi leggete per favore pregate, come volete.

Lisbon - Nice to meet you

Good evening. Yesterday me and wife came back from a long weekend in Lisbon. We had 4 marvellous days full of different experiences.

The Weather: it was sunny all the time.
The City: very surprising and exciting (surely the Alfama hood at night....)
The Food: Casa de Linhares, Casa do Alentejo, Restaurante Via Graca. All of them with something to remember.
The Monuments: Well, the cloister of the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem left us speechless.
The Oddities: the Santa Justa lift
The Hotel: Olissippo Castelo
The Sport: up and down the hills
The People: Politeness
The Kiss: An old lady gave me one

So if you get bored, take a plane a fly to Portugal.

Warsaw calls Kabul

I was sitting at the 37th floor of the Marriott Hotel in Warsaw calling Kabul Airport. I realized how crazy that situation was, absurd actually.

116-year-young Genoa CFC

Tiziano Ferro - The greatest gift

Pablo Picasso

Just to dedicate this message to a true genius of our time.

Aquarium

After a few dead fishes, it looks like now we have found some stability within the population of our aquarium. Difficult business. You think, you buy one and put some fishes into it, you feed them and you are ready. NOOOOOO!. Much more complex.

Back from Kiev

Just too short to get a good idea of the city I slept in Hotel Dnipro. Built in 1964 it shows its years and far tooooooooo expensive for the delivered quality. Bought last Tiziano Ferro's CD at EUR 6 (original)!!!! Dinner in the Buddha Bar. The place looks extremely trendy. Have a look at http://www.buddhabar.com.ua/eng/ the choice: Spicy Tuna Tartar with Avocado and Pink Grapefruit and Curry of Lamb and Mango Chutney surely the Tuna was good.
Oh just in time also to get a taxi accident.

Fabrizio De André dieci anni dopo.

A dieci anni dalla sua morte un grazie a Fabrizio De André per le musiche e i testi che ci ha lasciato.



Via del Campo
Via del Campo c'è una graziosa
gli occhi grandi color di foglia
tutta notte sta sulla soglia
vende a tutti la stessa rosa.

Via del Campo c'è una bambina
con le labbra color rugiada
gli occhi grigi come la strada
nascon fiori dove cammina.

Via del Campo c'è una puttana
gli occhi grandi color di foglia
se di amarla ti vien la voglia
basta prenderla per la mano

e ti sembra di andar lontano
lei ti guarda con un sorriso
non credevi che il paradiso
fosse solo lì al primo piano.

Via del Campo ci va un illuso
a pregarla di maritare
a vederla salir le scale
fino a quando il balcone ha chiuso.

Ama e ridi se amor risponde
piangi forte se non ti sente
dai diamanti non nasce niente
dal letame nascono i fior
dai diamanti non nasce niente
dal letame nascono i fior.

Today I started to run again

.......as they say: "Just do it".

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.