Week 60

Posted on May 16, 2013 by isitreallynecessary

DAY 1

Tegel 5 am. Hammock 10 am.

At my grandma’s ❤

Olimpia & Gaia. Keeping those teenagers busy.

Home is where the trees have eyes.

My mum put those eyes there to keep my brother from climbing trees (epic branch break fail and consequent hospital).

Parenting: “The tree will watch you, now”. My brother is 14 and he’s still scared to death of trees.

But hey, I’m home. This is gonna be bucolic. I used to hate the countryside. I used to hate to be cut off from everything. But today solitude is bliss, as some hipsters sing. Actually my sister’s here, but the rest of the family will come from Rome only tomorrow. And now: Ca’ del vento, countryside, Italy.

Nobody can see you if you lay hidden under this mega red poppies.

Oh, there’s a pes in my garden.

Night: Forlì. Back in time with Elona, Piero and Marco. Some things never change.

DAY 2

I observed my room. What was with all that pink? Jeez.

Eew. Like impossible to take off.

Still proud of my golden bear, though.

Went to see the Low in Bologna. Me and Elona togedaaaa. uhuhu. Driving. Lowcore.

Well you could always count on your friends to get you high. That’s right.

DAY 3

Holy food. Everyone has arrived. If the previous pictures were bucolic, get ready for the following massive italian cliché. I had no idea we could be like this. I think we reached “level: maximum italian stereotype” this weekend. But it was a special occasion, so maybe it’s ok.

Sista + Leo + Dog.

My aunt and my uncle live in front of us. Note: we’re are not eating like this all the time.

In my family, men are cooking.

Passatelli. Recipe? Here.

Homemade – homemade – everything is homemade.

Spinach and ricotta ravioli.

Break before the dessert(s). I actually forgot to take a picture of the roast beef with potatoes, because I was to focused eating it.

Bingo bongo. You dog stay away.

The awkward cousin/siblings picture. Becoming one of my favorite moments. I think we’re getting better and better.

(And, I rule them all).

Ok. Food again.

Torta di riso. Quite long to make, but one of my favorite. Recipe? Here.

Le peschine all’alchermes! It’s not a fruit: this thing here is the most delicious biscuit EVER.

Ice cream vanilla & caramel. Lick lick lick.

Leo, grandpa, grandma. Respect all generations ☀

Still not satisfied, I wanted to eat at least one piadina before leaving. So, me and Elona drove to Faenza to eat it.

We found this first.

Then:

This is where we found it. Drunk like this.

DAY 4

People going back to Rome.

My sister staying in Imola. Me going back to Berlin.

I actually like my nomadic family.

Buon 25 Aprile! Happy Liberation Day, Italy!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by isitreallynecessary

Today, it’s a national holiday in Italy.

National celebrations should refresh the sense of belonging to the same national community, but, honestly, I’m never sure about what unites italian citizens, rather than dividing them.

A little update: last weekend, for the first time in history, our 87-year-old President Napolitano has been re-elected for a second term as head of state, as our parliament has proved unable to agree on a successor. After two months of political void, Enrico Letta, the former deputy leader of the centre-left Democratic party, was asked to become Prime Minister. He accepted and he is currently trying to form our new government in order to proceed with a series of key reforms, and namely the voting system. Not much to celebrate, as you can see.

Going back to national celebrations, the 25th April is the day in which, in 1945, the resistance defeated Nazi-fascism and set the basis for Italy as we know it today. Weaken and exhaust institutions mentioned above included.

The relevance of the 25th of April has always been quite contested, as some sustain it is a factious and fractious celebration, the message of which is twisted by political parties and ideals that are no longer the same or no longer exist. This keeps disturbing me. Aren’t the Italian Constitution and its values valid for everyone without distinction? The Constitution of the Italian Republic is the first result of the principles leading the resistance movement: democracy and freedom. I know that freedom is a different concept than liberation, however, if some can’t recognize themselves in the partisans’ actions, freedom is nevertheless a condition resulting from that same resistance. I feel that we are losing touch with the most important celebration of our Republic, and this can only remind us how much our national identity is still in crisis.

To those out there that today said the 25th of April is dead, I would like to remember that some of those partisan are still alive and, today, they are celebrating and remembering those values they fought (and we should all stand) for: democracy, freedom, political engagement and participation.

So, happy 25th of April and happy Liberation Day, Italy, in its most honorable and pure meaning.

Week 36

Posted on December 20, 2012 by isitreallynecessary

Christmas time: my least favorite of the year!
But I’m leaving Berlin knowing this super hot hot blonde babe might be moving here soon. Fingers crossed.