Archive for the ‘life in calabria’ Category
Mudslides in Messina: Thanks for Not Getting in the Way Berlusconi!
*UPDATED BELOW*
We’ve had a lot of nasty weather lately and even had damage in Calabria, but nothing even close to the mudslides in Messina, just across the Strait. The death toll is expected to reach at least 50 and the number of homeless 400, making these mudslides the worst in Italy since 150 people were killed in mudslides in Naples in 1998.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has reportedly called off a visit to the area so he doesn’t get in the way of rescue efforts. How considerate! What a nice vaffanc…erm…thank you to the South who continually puts this man back in office.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano did tour the affected area, however, and had this to say:
There is a situation of widespread hydro-geological instability and that’s mainly because of unauthorised buildings in the Messina area, and many others in Italy. A serious plan is needed, rather than massive prestige projects, to invest in the safety of these zones, or other disasters will happen.
Nice to see someone in power at least looking toward the future and how to prevent something like this from happening again, although in Berlusconi’s defense, perhaps he has more important things to do like try to break up “Cloonalis” and wrestle showgirl Elisabetta Canalis away from George Clooney or something.
What, you think I’m being too harsh? Check out these 19 Unbelievable Berlusconi Quotes and get back to me.
Anyway, you may remember I visited and loved Messina, and also that P has a sister living there (she and her family are fine). As far as I know, there is no government or other organized special effort to help the victims in Messina, but if you know of something please let me know, and I’ll post it here.
In the meantime, the Comune of Messina has established a bank account accepting donations:
- C.C. IBAN IT 91Y0102016598000300034781; C.C.P. N. 1406398
Payments can be made to “Comune di Messina – Servizio Tesoreria” specifying “pro-alluvionati” in the memo section.
And of course you can always donate to the Italian Red Cross.
Siamo con voi, Messina!
*UPDATE: Apparently Berlusconi changed his mind and showed up in Messina today to promise affected residents they would be exempt from taxes and added: “Reconstruction is too expensive and cannot be assured, so we will do like in L’Aquila: new homes in other areas, but still within the urban fabric.”
Nice thought, if only this actually was being done in L’Aquila….
And while I’m picking on Berlu, did you know the law that granted him immunity from criminal prosecution while he was in office (that, of course, he pushed through) is up for review by Italy’s Constitutional Court this week? Pins and needles here!
Goat Tears Cure Muscle Aches and Pains!
Did you know goat tears are an instant remedy for your aches and pains?
That’s what Thera-Gesic says:
I don’t care how magical goat tears are. I’ll never make my babies cry on purpose.
You wanna know why?
Happy Love Thursday!
Hug a kid!
And get in those O Foods Contest recipes!
O Foods Recipe: Spaghetti AgliO OliO e PeperoncinO
I had lots of ideas for what my O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Contest recipe would be, but in the end, none was better than one of our standby favorites that is just *laden* with O’s.
Spaghetti AgliO OliO e PeperoncinO
- Spaghetti for two people
- Water for pasta
- A few tablespoons of oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
- 1 hot pepper, chopped, or hot pepper flakes to taste
- Salt to taste
- Optional: bread crumbs, chopped parsley and/or grated cheese
1. Put water for pasta on to boil.
2. Prepare garlic and pepper.
3. Once the water is boiling, add salt and pasta; remove when al dente.
4. In the meantime, just a few minutes before the pasta will be ready, heat oil on medium and then add the garlic, hot pepper, and salt to taste. Just let the garlic get a little brown, but be careful so it doesn’t burn.
5. Remove the garlic, add the pasta to the pan, and toss well together, leaving it all over the heat for about a minute as you mix.
6. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, parsley and/or grated cheese, allowing it to blend together a bit more before removing from heat.
7. Serve hot.
Buon appetito!
You still have until Monday, 28 September 2009 to get your O Food recipes in! Find out all the info on the contest here–which includes the text you need to include in your post to be eligible for prizes.
Love Thursday: The Piaggio Love Ape 50
For the uninitiated, the “Ape 50” is a three-wheeled truck made by Piaggio that you can find on just about any rural road in Italy at any time of day.
Pronounced “AH-peh,” rumor has it that it’s named as such because the sound it makes very much resembles the buzz of a bee as it winds around twists and turns carrying hay, olives, lemons, or whatever its driver needs to get from Punto A to Punto B.
“Ape,” you see, means “bee” in Italian. Incidentally, the famous Vespa scooter? “Vespa” means “wasp.” Clever, eh?
So by now you may be wondering where exactly the “Love” comes in.
Right here baby:
Meet our newest toy, The Looooove Ape 50, which just so happens to have a heart spray-painted on the front.
I didn’t choose this treasure, so obviously I’m not the only one in the house who enjoys finding hearts out and about and bringing them home.
I know it’s bit gaudy and a lot ghetto, but I’m thinking I might like to keep it on there.
What do you think (besides that you’re *so* jealous, admit it!)?
Happy Love Thursday!
Badolato Hosts Tarantella Power 2009
From 22-26 August, our normally sleepy medieval village was absolutely overrun with people eager to celebrate Tarantella Power,* a yearly Calabrian celebration held somewhere in the toe of the boot depending on which town has won the contract.
Well, Badolato Superiore got it this year and for the next few years as well, so if you didn’t make it in 2009, get out your travel planners!
You may think it’s all about the tarantella, but it’s really a celebration of Calabrian culture in general–music, dance, food, wine, art, crafts, and more. So much more. So. Many. People. I’m told over 10,000 showed up for the Piero Pelù concert on the final night!
By the by, in this video, Pelù is singing a song with Marasà, who I’ve discussed before–the song also happens to be on the CD over there in my sidebar.
So, indeed, Tarantella Power began early on the morning of 22 August for P and me as we noticed an artist setting up next to our house, ready to paint the arch of the never-finished palazzo across the street.
As the morning wore on, I offered the artist some coffee (I know, shocking that I was making some), but he preferred water.
So I kept him in steady supply. It was *very* hot that day even though he was painting in the shade and even though some of the younguns from the group that organized the artists’ visits stopped in every now and again to check on him.
Sadly, I didn’t get a glimpse of the finished painting as I only happened to look down from the balcony just as he was packing up and walking away, so no photos of it either. We said our good-byes after exchanging business cards, then a few days later, our doorbell rang.
I looked down at the front door from the balcony (our equivalent of the peep hole, although admittedly, there’s very little peeping involved), and there was our new friend, Gregorio Cosentino, with a “pensierino” (small gift, although to me this isn’t so small!) for us.
Just for offering a little water to a thirsty man on a hot day.
I love Calabria.
*For more photos (with much better coloring), see my Tarantella Power set on Flickr.
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
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