New travel plans

Would you believe that I already have plans for my next trip overseas? The exhaustion from my last treck is forgotten, and, yes, I just finished booking my transatlantic flight to Italy for next month. After a few days in Milan, where I am supposed to have a couple of meetings, I shall proceed to Tirana. In Albania I have many ongoing projects and will remain for a month, returning to the States just in time for Thanksgiving.

No sooner I had my electronic ticket in hand that my favorite airline (Delta) has declared bankruptcy! Worried about what I should or should not do, I perused their web site and, low and behold, I find that they have already posted reassuring reports for anyone to read. By the end of day I even got a personal email from the airline toward this end! They wanted me to know that my travel plans are secure.

Where else in the world would one get such attentive and effective service?

Just a thought

As the catastrophe continues to unfold in the southern states I am at home in New York, which, instead is blessed with a gorgeous day. It's very hard to think of the devastation left by Katrina, and even more difficult to imagine how the thousand of people affected are feeling and how they are coping with this immense disaster.

As I am making my contribution, a thought crosses my mind: how would I feel and what would I do if I was in this kind of situation? The only answer I can come up with is that none of us are ready to deal with similar calamity, but we should think about it and should learn a few things from it. In some countries around the world there are people that, although for different reasons, live today their lives with a small survival kit at hand. We should realize that even in the most modern, richest, and powerful nation, every one of us should learn to become more responsible for our own well being and try to plan in advance what we would do if faced with similar misfortune.

the Cavenago castle has an old (125 meter deep) water well, which is no longer used
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the Cavenago's inside courtyard, where drinks are served before dining
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The medieval castle "Cavenago", dating back to the 1300's, now an "agriturismo"
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Relaxing breaks

It was a humid and hot summer evening on Saturday, July 16th, when I rode with a cousin to the club of Castelconturbia, where she and her family are members. (see pictures below)

This has been a private golf club since the early 1900's and it counts no less than 500 members that include many foreigners. It is located in the midst of the rolling countryside at about 30 km from Malpensa (Milan) airport. The dinners can be consumed either indoors or on a large terrace overlooking the greens, with self-service for appetizers and desserts. The food I have enjoyed here many times is consistently excellent and quite varied; the conversation always lively, although frivolous, which makes the atmosphere very relaxing.

The following Sunday, July 24th, I was the host to some other cousins that live in another northern area of the Piedmont region, but came to visit and gave me a hand in my chores. They choose to dine in an old castle on top of the hills of the village, so that their daughter could listen to my recounting some of the stories of this place.

This medieval castle is named 'Cavenago" from the family that owned it (see pictures above). Its last member was a Count that was put to an horrible death by his army in 1307. Naked and covered with honey he was left to die in a cage, consumed by insects and other animals.

As a child I used to visit this place quite frequently, not only because I lived in the village then (it was during WWII), but also because part of it, owned by relatives, was used it for the wine harvest for which the village is known. All the villages in this area are flanked by hills, which sit at the feet of the Italian Alps (on their northern part is Switzerland) and produce some of the best wines of Italy. The one I lived in as a child is named: 'Ghemme' , and it's the birthplace of a famous architect, Antonelli, who, among other structures, designed the cupola of the Duomo of Turin that bears his name.

Today part of the Cavenago castle is privately owned by a local family and has become an "agriturismo" (place where you can eat local specialties, the ingredients of which are suppoed to be all locally grown). The meals are served family style, and there is only one common menu -- one only has to choose the type of wine to go with it. Reservations are a must, and everyone is expected to be seated at the same time, after a cocktail is served in the outdoor garden area. The food is interesting and very satisfying, and, after dining, everyone usually lingers to visit the surroundings areas.

These were the only 2 relaxing breaks I allowed myself during this trip.

Part of the golf course as seen from the club's balcony
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The golf club

Castaleconturbia Golf Club
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Accident

Two days after my arrival in Italy, on an early Saturday morning, I was awaken by a tremedous noise, right underneath my first floor bedroom window, which was kept open due to the hot weather. The view that appeared below when I peeked out looked dreadful (see pictures below).

Two black cars (an Alfa and a Mini), a few feet apart, were completely smashed against my house: a young man. unhurt and standing with a cell phone in hand, was asking the other driver (a woman, still sitting in her small car and moaning) whether he should call an ambulance! In a couple of minutes I was dressed and with camera in hand I descended onto the street to see what I could do. The scene that followed was beyond my belief! The woman was pretty badly hurt. She was a local nurse, going to work at 6am. Her mother witnessed the accident while walking her dog, and came to her assistance immediately. The man, in his 30's, looked sober although he confessed loudly that he did not see the intersection (my house is on a corner of a 4 way crossing). A few neighbors also attracted by the big bang, came running and tried to call the local police, which, I was informed however, being a weekend, was not available. The response came from another larger town, 3/4 of an hour away, and, only after the ambulance arrived, a police car appeared with 2 'carabinieri' in it. One of them never got out of the car, while his colleague was gathering information and making notes. The latter even asked the father of the victim (who meakly obliged!) to help him take measurements, while his partner was sitting and watching the entire scene..... I took some pictures and took notes that I offered to the victim's family. The man who caused the accident called his father, who also arrived on the scene. After about 1 1/2 hour a pickup truck also arrived and expeditiously loaded the 2 cars and even cleaned up part of the debris, which littered 2 streets for many feet. In addition to the shattered glass there was a lot of spilled oil and gasoline, which made walking quite treacherous. Some of the local people even hinted that I should clean the street because the town would not do this except on a designated day during the week. This was certainly an eye-opening experience for me about the Italian state services, and a heck of a way to start my work visit in Italy!!

The car that caused the accident
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The mini smashed against my house
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Travel woe

Now that I am home and still recuperating my strength, I cannot believe what I lived through during my recent trip to Italy.

My presence was required due to negotiations for the sale of a house I co-owned in northern Italy. The prospected buyer was in a hurry to close on the deal because he wanted to re-adapt the street floor during the summer months so that his business (a restaurant) could get into full swing in the fall. So I was forced to make quick plans and leave New York right after July 4th.

The weather has been consistently hot and humid also in Italy, but I survived it somehow. The house is a 4 story building with thick walls and no elevator. My task was to completely empty its content before the closing and I made it, but I cannot remember perspiring so much, while drinking more than 4 liters of water a day, and trying to get a few hours of sleep, here and there, only with the help of a table top fan.

The work, both mental and physical, was totally exhausting and lasted one full month! I had to deal with furniture and furnishings, linens, apparel, books, papers, documents, and photographs that belonged to 3 generations. The house has been in the maternal side of my family since 1894. I had spent time in it during my youth and I relived many memories while clearing it up. It was hard to give it up, emotionally, but a necessity.

During this stay in Italy I declined several of the invitations I usually receive from friends and relatives alike, so that I could meet the planned deadlines, but I had the chance to enjoy a couple of dinners in good company that I'll describe later on.

The 4 story house I worked in has an open terrace on the top, with a beautiful view
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Updates

It seems ages since I've been able to get back to this blog, but during my stay in Italy I was busy working in an environment that didn't have connection facilities. Only a couple of times I was able to use a terminal in the Public Library of the small village where I was and for a brief period of time. This access was available only for a couple of hours a day, and I had to compete with some kids, waiting on line, to get to one of the two terminals at this place. I was, thus, only able to reply to urgent email and make electronic payments of my bills.

Now, I am home after an horrific trip back, which rerouted me from Amsterdam to Paris, and switched me from one airline to another 3 times before returning to NY!! I am all in one piece, but totally exhausted. The 20 hours that took me to get home was just the 'frosting' on the month long, non stop, work stay in northern Italy. More details will follow, soon.

Happenings

Since I have been in Italy, time has flown and I have not been able to get acess to Internet on a regular basis, thus lack of postings here, my friends!

Lots has happened since I've left NY starting with a much delayed departure from JFK airport, due to tires blow out while we were almost ready to take off.....My connection time in Amsterdam was cut so short (from the 2 1/2 hrs that should have been available) that I was very lucky to catch the flight to Milan. In the 15 minutes available to change plane I had to run from one end to the opposite one of the Amsterdam airport, and, fortunately, even my luggage made it with me to final destination.

From my arrival onward, I have worked non-stop, in very unconfortable weather (hot and humid), seven days a week. Much has been accomplished. but I am not finished yet. More details will have to follow though later on.

For now, I can tell you that I can't wait to get back home!!

Departure

As the long holiday week-end of Independence Day is under way here in the U.S., I am packing for my next overseas trip.

"It's not a vacation" - I need to clarify to everyone that hears that I'll be traveling to northern Italy assuming that I am going to have a good time in the country of "la dolce vita". The pleasure of sightseeing this country as a tourist is quite different from the reality of living and having to cope with everyday life as I have experienced for years there.

A month of hard work (both physical and mental) is ahead of me, and, sincerely, I am not looking forward to it. However, it must be done.

The settling of an estate is not an easy thing to do anywhere. It is doubly so for me, due to dealings with foreign procedures and laws, complex bureaucracy, inefficient administration, and wasteful laissez-faire.

The timing of this trip is also not of my choosing. I will have to cope with stifling temperatures, no air conditioning comfort, and no easy phone or Internet connection, but ticket is in hand and I shall deal with it.

Stay tuned in any case, my friends!

Alive and well

Time is not the only one to fly, but seasons too! I work constantly, but never see the end of the tunnel.....One of these days, may be I'll be able to afford real time off!!

It took me a long time in the spring to recoup from a bad bronchitis, which seems to have plagued many people this year. Notwithstanding, I have plugged along in my cleanup and reorganization work at home, and now all other activites and projects of mine have picked up speed, and are on high gear, again.

Bottom line for summer: I am planning my next trip overseas !! Thus, stay tuned, and I shall resurface from time to time to report any progress that I know some of you, my friends, are following very closely. Thanks for lending me your ear.....and eyes!

Time flies.....

Have not posted much in a while, but, three weeks ago became ill and the result was a bad bronchitis . Its effect is still lingering on and my usual energy is not yet completely restored; nevertheless, I have kept busy, strength permitting.

Have tackled the reorganization of files of all sorts, shredded lots of old papers, and created a new filing system, but still have a long way to go. After three generations of computers I also have to sort out and deal with electronic files, which reside on hard disk, and a large volume of diskettes and cd's. This work seems never ending! The related software is also to be dealt with. One never realizes how much can be easily accumulated over time, which, meantime, flies away very quickly!

Spring is a good time to do cleaning, but I can see that what I started may take more than one season to complete!

springtime in my NY neighborhood
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Spring showers?

Where did April go? Oh...., I know! A lot of my time went into gathering, like most people in the US did, personal financial data for the preparation and mailing of the annual tax returns required by Uncle Sam. Although that has been taken care of, I still remain involved in similar tasks for the foundation I manage. Corporate returns are due next month.

The first half of April was exceptionally cold and dry. Attending to chores, such as taxes, was quite a natural thing to do indoors. But in the last few days we are enjoying a spurt of unusual hot weather. It feels like we jumped into summer, and we have not even had spring with its typical showers. This outburst, however, short as it may be, was enough to bring all treets to a full bloom, and to activate sudden allergies even in people that nornally are not affected by them. It's interesting and very pleasant to see Manhattan lined with flowering trees along avenues and streets. What a change from decades ago when there was no planting of any kind, and, except for parks, gray cement was reigning almost everywhere on this island!

This is also a good time for all sorts of spring cleaning, when everyone is energized by the splendid sunshine and the fresh breezes blowing through the open windows! The amaryllis on my kitchen window sill, planted last December and bloomed by Valentine's day, is also gaining brand new leaves and shoots, and I....am off to some aerobic exercises in the pool that I frequent when time allows me. Let's go : it's a period of renewal!