thisweekinitaly.com

 A Horrendous Noise in the Night 

Some friends of mine live outside Pistoia at the base of a mountain road.  During a torrential rain storm recently, they heard a tremendous noise. A large semi-trailer truck had turned over at on the curve of the road in front of their property. The truck had rolled over and totally smashed a car; the driver of the car was alive when my friends got to the scene, but he died soon after the police arrived.  Trucks often cross over the center line of the road to negotiate this curve because the road is too narrow to accommodate the large trucks that use it. One of my friends had written to local authorities earlier about this problem and predicted that there would be a death on this road unless the road was widened or large trucks prohibited. I don’t drive in Italy and am not highly familiar with the road system, but I can say I have never seen either a sign limiting the size of trucks that can use a road or a “runaway truck” road to be used by trucks that lose their brakes on a steep descent.

  Perspectives on American Presidential Election from Italy 

The races for the Republican and Democratic nominations for President are followed closely in the Italian press, but there is clearly among Italians more interest in the Democratic battle. I am often asked about Hillary and Obama, but almost never about the Republican contenders. Although women political leaders exist in Europe, they don’t in Italy. So the idea of a woman President intrigues Italians.  Italians know the history of racial conflict in the USA so the idea of a Black President also is compelling. On the Republican side, obviously a Giuliani candidacy would resonate in Italy, but the other Republican hopefuls don’t seem to catch the interest of Italians.  The Mormon issue with Romney is hard for Italians to fathom; there are Mormon missionaries here, but few Italians understand the Mormon religion. Huckabee is a type of politician that does not exist in Italy. McCain does not seem to hold much fascination for Italians.

Cell Phone Incident on Airplane 

Last week when an airplane was about to takeoff in Italy, the pilot stopped the process because he noted some electrical interference on his instruments. Three passengers had not, as requested, turned off their cell phones. One continued to talk on his phone. The three refused to turn off the phones so that the plane had to return to the gate where police got on and removed the three passengers. The flight was two hours late taking off.

Although I cannot be certain, I believe this incident might have played out differently in the USA (and some other nations too). When it became obvious that the passengers would not turn off their phones and that the flight would thus not begin, I think a few male passengers might have “politely suggested” to the recalcitrant ones that it was time to turn off the phones. I beleive the guys with the phones would have gotten the hint.  In Italy, however, in the face of such behavior, the Italians do nothing.  Everything is somebody else’s problem.

   The Financial Times of London 

This newspaper seems to be Italy’s number one critic abroad. When Berlusconi was the head of the government, the Financial Times said that he was unfit to serve because of his many criminal indictments.  This week the newspaper said that Italy is the worst governed nation in Europe. I don’t know enough about the governments in other nations, especially those in Eastern Europe, to know if Italy deserves this rating, but nobody would consider Italy to be anywhere near the best governed country in Europe.

The Latest Government Crisis 

Ever since the Prodi government began a couple of years ago, it’s imminent demise has been predicted by the opposition parties and often by other, more impartial, observers.  This week it finally fell. Now there will be either an interim government or immediate elections.  The resin that there may be an interim (called a technical government) one is that a referendum will be held this summer on the issue of repealing the current election law. It is a problem to elect a new government now under a system that then is repudiated immediately by the voters. An interim government there would have the difficult task of trying to fashion a new electoral law so that the referendum would not take place.

In the Parliamentary debate over whether to affirm or end the current government, one senator broke with his party and voted the opposite way.  The leader of this party in the Senate went screaming at the defector and spit on him.  This is not an unprecedented example of how the members of Parliament often act like monkeys. I am often asked if I plan to apply for Italian citizenship.  If you watch the Italian Parliament operate, you never want to suffer the embarrassment of being an Italian citizen.

Quality of Italian TV 

I’ve mentioned that everyday at 8 am there is an interesting documentary show on TV.  Sometimes, however, in the middle of this show, the station switches to another show (boring) about regional issues in Tuscany. I don’t recall in the USA watching many TV shows that ended abruptly in the middle of the show as the station switched to a different program.  In other ways too Italian TV is less professional than in the United States. On the evening news, for example, the number of times that they have trouble coordinating the news reports with the film coverage is not small.

An Interesting Documentary 

I saw a documentary on Italian TV about an Italian hero who saved the lives of many Jews in Hungary during WWII.  He was an Italian businessman in Budapest.  As the Soviet army approached the city in 1944, the situation grew tense.  The Italian had fought as a volunteer for Franco in the Spanish Civil War.  Spain was neutral in WWII so it was good to have a Spanish passport.  He went to the Spanish Embassy and on the basis of his service in the Spanish Civil War, he got a Spanish passport.  At this point, many Jews were fleeing to the embassies of neutral nations in Budapest where they could get asylum.  Soon after he got his passport, the Spanish embassy staff fled to Switzerland. (Although Spain was neutral, Franco had send a volunteer division to fight with the Germans against the Russians.)  At this point the Italian pretended to be the new Spanish Counsel in Budapest.  He was able to fool the Hungarian government, and in his new role he saved the lives of about 5,000 Hungarian Jews.

Aquatic Antics –Part Two 

I wrote last week about the unfortunate romance of French swimming star Laurie Manaudou and the naked photos of her that showed up on a French website.  I noted that the newspapers in Italy published some of these photos but said that on the web site there were more explicit ones. One of my ever industrious readers found the website   http://missnevadausa.blogspot.com/2007/12/uncensored-laure-manaudou-nude-photos.html . I give this address only for my more lecherous readers because the photos are certainly explicit. I am reminded of the female readers who sometimes wrote into Ann Landers and asked for her advice about a request from their husband or boyfriend for them to pose for nude photos. Ann always gave this idea a big NO.  Ann’s advice was good in the pre-digital age and even more emphatic in the age of the web.

Renting My Apartment This Summer 

Below is the information about renting the apartment. At present the weeks still open are July 27-August 30 with the exception of one week in August that will soon be determined.

 I would like to spend the months of June-October 2008 in the USA. While I am gone from Pistoia, I would like to sublet my apartment. It has a large living room/dining room/kitchen, a bedroom with king sized bed, study, and full bath. There is an airbed which can be used to sleep one or two additional people. Comes with two TVs (stations in Italian), stereo system, and satellite radio which gets programs from USA. There is a washing machine and dishwasher and place to hang out clothes. It is in a modern building with elevator. Pistoia is centrally located along the rail line for easy access to all major cities in Tuscany with connections through Florence (20 miles away) to all of Italy and beyond. Everyone who has visited me in Pistoia has been surprised at how lovely this little known city is.My goal in subletting the apartment is not to make money but to recoup my rent, utility, and condominium costs. Rents (in Euro) are as follows: 1 week – 250, 2 weeks – 475, 3 weeks – 675, and 4 weeks – 800. (Currently one Euro equals about $ 1.50.) I think the rent compares quite favorably to prices for apartments rented through tourist agencies.Interested: contact me at bobnordvall@hotmail.com     

Would You Rather Spend Some Time In Amsterdam than in Italy? 

If so, here is information about an apartment for rent in Amsterdam this summer by a friend of mine from Gettysburg.

 Beautiful Short stay vacation rental centrally located in Amsterdam on the Nieuwe Kerkstraat50 yards from the famous Magere brug and Amstel River; 10 min. walk to most attractions, museums, market. Many cafes and restaurants in a quarter mile radius (with our favorite right on the corner). Built in 1930, this charming 1 BR apartment sleeps 2 comfortably, can sleep max. 4 (1 queen size bed, 1 pull-out couch with ensuite doors for privacy). Apartment recently renovated in 2005. Typical Dutch style-Antique pine hardwood floor, ambiance, Dutch artists displayed on walls.Easily accessible from Schiphol airport, metro (5 min.walk), trains (15-20 min. from airport)Fully equipped kitchen includes: 5-pit stovetop, large oven, espresso machine, microwave, washer, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, toaster oven, coffee machine, all utensils and cooking equipment. 2 outdoor spaces; patio midway through apartment with French doors off dining area, larger private patio (14 sqm) in back off of bedroom (uniquely private and quiet for central city). Supermarket on the corner for all your grocery needs. Amsterdam shopping streets just a short walk. 2 bikes included with rental plus list of recommended restaurants and activities.Extras include: TV/CD/DVD/WiFi high speed internet, central heating, bathroom with shower and wc, bed linens and towels are provided·         sleeps a maximum of 4 people ·         total living space 70 sqm ·         2 patios with outdoor table and grill·         1 bedroom, 1 bathroom (+ pullout couch in living room with sliding doors)·         groundfloor·         Amsterdam ‘Centrum’ district·         no pets·         no smoking·         Min. age 25 (ideal apartment for couple or couple w/ child)Availability and price upon request

Contact: hannahhuber@hotmail.com for more details

The Beauty of Italian Tiles

A friend who worked for an Italian bank in the USA told me the story of his bank financing inthe USA two factories of a prominent Italian tile company.  When he visited one of the factories he noticed that the tiles did not have the lustrous finish for which the company was famous. He asked why and was told that in the USA, if someone slips on a floor tile, it is the occasion for a lawsuit. So the company had to put a gritty substance in the finish surface of the tile to make them slip resistant.

Primer on the Garbage Crisis in Naples and Surrounding Province

In Italy garbage is to be separated according to type and then is processed in various ways: glass and plastic are sent to recycling plants, some garbage is sent to a plant to be burned to produce energy, and some is processed at a facility into compost.  The remainder (about 10%) is to go into landfills.  In each region there is to be a system to separate the garbage as it is deposited by citizens and each region is to have the various kinds of facilities to process the different types.  Only 2% of the garbage in Naples is separated at point of deposit.  There are no processing facilities in the region around Naples. As a result Naples’ garbage has gone into landfills in the region, in other parts of Italy, and in nations abroad.  The landfills around Naples are about full.  The government tied to reopen (on a temporary basis) a landfill that had been closed as few years ago for environmental reasons. Citizens nearby rioted and there was violence. When a ship full of garbage from around Naples arrived in Sardinia, some local citizens prevented it from being unloaded. 

In Italy, as elsewhere, landfills often go, not where it is wisest to put them for environmental reasons, but where it is politically possible to locate them.

Aquatic Antics

Last summer French swimming star Laurie Manaudou left the French national team and moved to Italy to be close to her love, Italian swimming star Luca Mann.  All did not continue to go swimmingly. Soon after the engagement ended, topless (and almost bottomless) photos of Laurie appeared on a French website. Luca claims he had nothing to do with the photos. Some of the photos were in the newspapers in Italy with an enticing article saying that even more explicit ones were on the web site.

Collecting Bills –A Business Dilemma

All businesses sometimes have trouble collecting bills from customers.  This problem is worse in hard economic times. Still not paying one’s bills seems to be much more common in Italy than in the USA. It may be that the inefficient Italian legal system allows customers to be slow payers or no payers without risk of effective legal action.  I have a friend for whom the inability to collect the bills made it ultimately impossible to stay in business.

Free Speech for the Pope

The Pope was invited to speak at a major university in Rome.  Some students and faculty rebelled at the invitation. Why?  About 20 years ago the Pope (then a Cardinal) quoted with approval an argument made by a contemporary theologian that the Catholic Church was justified in prosecuting Galileo for his heliocentric theory of the solar system.  As far as I can tell the argument is that Galileo’s ideas were not only contrary to the theology of the time but were also contrary to the scientific theories of the time. So prosecuting him was not an “anti-science” act. Those who opposed the Pope speaking at the University argued that his views of 20 years ago on this matter show an anti-rational bias that makes him an inappropriate speaker at a university dedicated to the free search for truth.  As a result of the protests, the Pope cancelled his visit.  Most, but not all, of the political spectrum deplored this attack against the Pope.

Probably the true impetus for the anti-papal protests was not his prior views (which I think he may have recanted) on the Galileo issue.  There is among the left in Italy a strong anti-clerical, anti-papal group that opposes the role of the Church in Italian political, social, and cultural life.

“The Caste”

This is the title of the popular book I wrote about a while back concerning Italy’s bloated, pampered, and entrenched class of politicians. A prime example of this “caste” mentality was displayed this week.

The Minister of Justice Mastella resigned after he was formally placed under investigation and his wife placed under house arrest pursuant to a corruption investigation in their home region. Now the Minister of Justice has proposed certain changes in the judicial system opposed by the nation’s judges. So his immediate response was that this was a “witch hunt” by the judges to punish him.  This may be true. The responses of most leading politicians, however, seemed to assume that it is true.  I did not hear “I’ve known Mr. Mastella for years. He is an honorable man.  I find these charges hard to believe.  I hope that this investigation proceeds quickly and efficiently to reach a just conclusion.”  Instead the politicians talked about a “runaway” judiciary that was too powerful and abusive.  You could sense the “circle the wagons” mentality among political leaders as one of their own was in trouble.

Silvio Berlusconi, Supreme Salesman

I’ve written before about Silvio’s skills in this area.  Here is a story he tells from his youth that shows this talent was there from the start.  When he got his first car as a university student, he took off with his girlfriend for a week at the shore.  The stopped at a train crossing where there was a long line of cars. He sees a group of people gathered and discovers a con man playing three-card monte with the crowd.  As always, supremely confident, Silvio watches the game and then enters into it himself. He wins a lot, and is about to leave (The train has now passed, and the cars are moving.).  The con man says to Silvio “give me one more chance.  If you have courage, bet everything on one last game.”  Silvio, ever cocky, agrees. Of course, now he loses it all.

His girlfriend is waiting in the car, and he has no money.  He is going to have to turn around and return to the university.  He says to himself “If I can get out of this situation, I promise myself I will never gamble again.”  He goes to the con man and begs “Don’t let me make a complete fool of myself in front of my girlfriend. Give me back my money, and I will return it to you Monday in the mail.” The con man gave him his money back, and Silvio sends him the money later in the mail along with a gift.  (Silvio says that he never again gambled.)

This is a truly persuasive man.

Slide Show of Pistoia

If you go to the web site  http://www.comune.pistoia.it/  , you will see a slide show of photos of Pistoia.  I don’t think these photos fully capture the beauty of Pistoia, but they do provide at least a glimpse of it.

Varieties of Sign Language
 
I have a friend whose neighbor is deaf from birth. My friend’s mother-in-law, now deceased, was from Sicily. When the mother-in-law came to visit my friend she spoke to the neighbor in sign language, the neighbor using the universal sign language for the deaf and the mother-in-law just using her hands to accompany her speech as she did every day in Sicily. They understood each other fine.
 

Political Change
 
Regardless of who wins the presidential nominations of the two major American political parties, commentators in the USA at this point seem to agree that the 2008 election will usher in a time of change in the United States. As always, change can be good, bad, or neutral. In Italy a prime problem is that major political change (or any kind) seems to be impossible to make. The faces and the policies remain essentially the same year after year.
 
The New Auto Model
 
New automotive models get a lot of play in the Italian media, but none gets more that the unveiling of the new Ferrari racing model for the 2008 Gran Prix racing season. The man who is the President of the Ferrari company is also the head of what might be comparable to the national Chamber of Commerce in the United States. He is the major spokesman for business issues in Italy.
 
Italian Firing Squad
 
As I’ve noted before, Mussolini was not an absolute ruler in Italy as Hitler was in Germany. There was a Fascist Council that in 1943 held a vote on a motion to remove Mussolini from power. Those who voted “yes” were later tried and executed by firing squad. A film of the execution survives. The convicted ones are seated on chairs with their backs to the squad. There are about 24 soldiers in the squad in two rows and about 6-8 persons to be executed. After the first volley of shots, some of the condemned are still alive. There is a second volley, but all are not yet dead. An officer (I think a German) goes up and with a pistol gives the coup de grace to those still breathing.
Are the Italian soldiers simply terrible marksmen? I don’t think so. I think these soldiers already know that Fascism is doomed. After the war, they want to be able to say “I was forced to be a member of the firing squad, but I shot over the heads of the condemned.”
 
A Little More on the Woolrich Arctic Parka
 
The one I just brought back from the USA for my friend in Italy turns out to be made in China.  In past years this item was made in the USA.  It is supposedly warm at temperatures down to minus 40° Fahrenheit.  This is a little bit of “overkill” for what it takes to stay warm in Italy.  On a day when it is 34° Fahrenheit outside, I will be wearing a flannel shirt and a light jacket; Italians will be wearing an Arctic Parka.
 
Visit to Rome
 
I spent a couple of days in Rome with some American friends.  I’ve been to Rome many times before, but there is always more to see. My friends rented an apartment near the Coliseum. Without leaving the immediate neighborhood, we went to some lovely churches with first class works of art.  These are places that get a short note in a guide book, if mentioned at all.

      — Santa Maria in Dominica with the fresco cycle of the story of Constantine, Pope Sylvester, and the Donation of Constantine

      – The church and cloister at Santi Quattro Coronati with the cloister providing a tranquil oasis in the hubbub of Rome

      — The Church of San Clemente

      — The Church of Santi Cosma and Damiano

      — The recently opened Roman houses under the Church of Santi Giovanni and Paolo.  This is a complex of houses and shops. One of the houses was an early Christian house church with some very early Christian wall paintings.

To  fully explore the attractions of Rome would require at least a month.

Coverage of the Naples Garbage Crisis in German Press

Italian newspapers have been reporting the coverage of the Naples garbage crisis in the German press. I guess the simplest way to summarize it is that in Germany the existence of a city with a culture such as Naples is simply inconceivable.

Financing Your Trip from Italy to USA, Courtesy of Woolrich

When I return to USA for Christmas, I always bring back one Woolrich Arctic Parka for a friend and his family members. It is a popular coat in Italy: the Italian who sat next to me on the airplane to the USA had one. This item costs 550 Euro in Italy ($770). In USA, at a Woolrich outlet store the cost is $132. At the outlet store the man said that many Italians come to buy this item when in the USA. Some Italians buy multiple parkas and use the profits of selling them back in Italy (at a reduced price) to finance the trip to the USA.

 Being an Old Fogey in Two Nations In Italy I have made little effort to learn the names of Italian film and TV stars. Upon returning to the USA for Christmas, I saw the year-end edition of People magazine. I discovered a whole new generation of film and TV stars in the USA whose names I don’t know. Somehow I don’t feel deprived.

 Fancy Shoes

I can’t tell the difference between a $60 pair of women’s shoes and a $300 pair by looking at them. Maybe the $300 pair show a refinement of style that my amateur eyes don’t detect. When I see nice shoes for sale at a ridiculously low price at the weekly market in Pistoia or the monthly Thrift Shop at my church, I often buy them figuring I can find a woman who will be happy to have them. Sometimes these are shoes of premier brands such as Ferragamo or Bruno Magli. Recently I spoke with a lady who got a pair of Bruno Magli shoes I brought back to the USA. She said that she has another pair of ordinary shoes in a similar style that leave her feet cold when she wears them in the winter. The Bruno Magli shoes, which certainly don’t seem particularly substantial, keep her feet warm. So there may be points of quality in the construction and materials of the expensive shoes that are not visible. Of course, I would still never pay $300 for a pair of women’s shoes!

Political Advertisements –USA and Italy

I’ve mentioned before that in Italy one votes for a party list, not individual candidates. So a person running for Parliament does not have an “opponent” as does a person running for Congress in the USA. I think this is bad, for example, in that an incumbent does not have an opponent who requires that the incumbent justify his or her votes and actions while in Congress. There is a very low level of personal responsibility in Italian politics. Yet there is a bright side to the Italian system — no “attack ads” against an individual candidate. Politics in Italy is much more about principles and much less about personalities (with the possible exception of Silvio Berlusconi) than in the USA.  

Nostalgia for WWII in USA and Italy

I saw in America a theatrical review “War Bonds” featuring the music of WWII and excerpts from letters sent home by soldiers. As the veterans of WWII are dying off, there has been a wave of nostalgia about the War in the USA. It was a time of loss, sacrifice, and suffering, but it also was a time of prosperity and triumph. The United States exited from the war firmly entrenched as the number one power in the world. I have a friend who now serves about three times a week as part of a military honor guard at the funerals of veterans. Obituaries of veterans in the USA list their military service. World War II in Italy was simply a time of suffering and deprivation. In Italy service in the regular Italian army during the war is not something to be remembered or honored. More likely to be mentioned is service as a member of the Partisan movement that fought the fascists after 1943. The legacy of the war is one of divisions within the nation that still echo today.

 Coverage of US Election in Italy

You get very good coverage of the American primaries in Italy.  Some of the minor candidates are omitted, but they get almost no coverage in the USA too.  While I was in the USA for Christmas, an American friend asked me to explain to him how the Iowa caucus system works.  I did my best from what I had gathered from news reports.  When I returned to Italy, I saw in the newspaper here a very clear and consise explanation of how the Iowa system functions.  

Travel Tip

 When I arrived at airport in Washington to check in for a flight to Munich (where I got connecting flight to Bologna), I asked if I could get a bulkhead seat with more leg room.  I did not say that I required such a seat, but the clerk ended up giving me a seat in Business Class (I had an Economy Class ticket).  I don’t know why I was upgraded. In such a situation one does not ask the clerk to justify her action. Maybe, just maybe, she though I required a bulkhead seat for some reason.  I will certainly make the same request every time that I can.

Mozzarella Crisis

As happens from time to time, there is a garbage crisis in Naples.  In that area all the land fills (controlled by local Mafia) are completely filled with garbage from northern Italy. So people have been setting fire to mounds of garbage in the streets of Naples.  The plastic garbage bags, when burned, omit dioxin.  There is a fear of land and water contamination.  This is prime area where mozzarella is produced, but now there is a scare (unfounded) that the cheese may be contaminated, and sales are down.

Smoking at the Munich Airport

 There are glass cubicles, about 10 feet by 20 feet, in which you are allowed to smoke. If you have no cigarettes, no problem. I am sure simply going into the glass room and breathing the air will be the same as lighting up your own cigarette.