Livorno Now Blog

Cold weather practicalities - it's just not me

2012-02-08T23:30:00.001+01:00

It's at times like these – snow, ice, and temperaturesbarely rising above 2°C - that apractical disposition comes in handy. Faced with a forecast of heavy snow andarctic temperatures for an unforeseeably long period, any practical personwould

1) look for (andeasily locate) mountain weather apparel for all the family

2) wrap the lemon tree and all other delicate growth inprotective fabric

3) take a quick course in how to fit snow chains to cartyres.

And certainly would NOT

try to force into motion a washing machine located on an outsidebalcony when it's pretty bloody obvious the pipes would be frozen solid.
Sadly, I am not that practical person.

Now facing one frozen lemontree (in fact, a whole garden in jeopardy), family members with frostbite stillasking me where their warm gear is, and one very dead washing machine. Thechains? Just did without.

Alien Cakes!

2012-01-19T19:39:00.000+01:00

"I'm making cakes!" I announced this afternoon to my kids' backs as they hammered that box-thing that keeps them glued to the TV screen for far too long. I only 'make cakes' about once a year, so I thought this rare event might entice them into the kitchen for a change. My 12-year-old turned his head quickly and, with a worried look on his face, asked what I was making exactly. He had one of his classmates round and I recognized his expression at once - it meant:

"Oh no, what weird English dish are you going to embarrass me with this time?"!

I was only making plain old scones, but I suppose they are strange to unaccustomed Italian kids, and my bi-lingual son often has issues with his multi-cultural life, unwilling, like most youngsters, to be different from everyone else.

Our Italian guest accepted a scone, bit into it and nodded approvingly. "Buono!" (I think he was a little surprised). My son smiled at me in relief and they proceeded to clear the plate.

The trials and tribulations of being an English mother in Italy!

(the photo is borrowed from cookbook.co.za - I was too slow off the mark to get a snap of mine. And they didn't look this good, anyway).

Captain Schettino is like so many other Italians

2012-01-18T11:47:00.000+01:00

The media are having a ball with the recorded telephone conversation between Captain Schettino and Coast Guard De Falco, on the night of the terrible Costa Concordia disaster, and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Schettino sounds terrified, in shock, a man who is quickly realizing the dramatic consequences of foolish behaviour, unable to react to the stern voice of authority on the other end of the line. But the media are looking for someone to blame for the disaster and he seems to be the only candidate.

It looks as if the Concordia captain may be guilty of gross human error, negligence of his duties in a position of authority, and inability to cope in such a huge emergency. In the end, perhaps he wasn't the right person for a job of such responsibility. It makes me wonder what kind of training ship captains receive to deal with an emergency of this kind. Costa cruises are washing their hands of their employee, but presumably they were the ones who employed him.

To be quite honest, the reports that indicate that Schettino may have 'bent the rules' to do a colleague a favour in sailing too close to the island of Giglio sound all too familiar. That is the general way of things in Italy. Bending the rules, doing people favours, covering up mistakes: it's all part of Italian life. His behaviour was abominable for a man in such a position, but he was behaving in a way that reflects a general trend. The tragic difference, of course, is that he was responsible for the lives of 4000+ people on board a huge ship, and too many of those lives have been lost.

This is a wake-up call, not only for the whole issue of safety on board cruise ships, but also for that section of the Italian population that regularly bends rules, shirks responsibility and gets by on favours.

To like or...to unlike?

2012-01-12T23:42:00.001+01:00

"How is the Internet changing the way you think?", is the intriguing question currently being asked among scholars (see John Brockman). But the question I've been asking myself lately is "how is it changing our language?"

Take just one small, but HUGELY significant example, that familiar little 'thumbs up' sign that invites us to 'like' comments, articles, photos, songs and videos all over the net: it's been bugging me for a while now. For a start, why doesn't it say 'I like this' instead of using the imperative to persuade me to 'be the first' or to join ranks with my fb friends in giving the okay to a post? 'Like me, like me!' it nags from the screen. Like me, or else. It's just too easy to give in and click.

What we are really saying, though, when we add our like to the worldwide web is completely open to interpretation: 'I like what you're saying.. I like the fact that you've posted this, even though it stinks..I like you...I don't really like this but my friend does so what the hell'..are just a few possibilities that come to mind.

And what about how you feel when you post something and receive not one single sign of approval? Pissed off? Rejected? Alone? Is that what this is all about, seeking out the approval of on-line 'friends', sounding out their solidarity, or maybe just longing for the attention of virtual acquaintances?

And then.. (and I really don't want to sound pompous), my greatest hate: the 'UNLIKE' button! (I almost shudder to write it down!) I do realize that it would have been impractical to have an 'I don't like this anymore' button, but as a teacher of English I can only deplore the coining of a term that is going to cause havoc with the English language for decades to come! I don't think it is a question of language evolution. In Facebook-speak, to 'unlike' something has a whole new connotation. In fact, the whole concept of the word 'like' is no longer confined to the meaning we know, or thought we knew. 'Liking' or 'unliking' something has taken on a much broader sense that requires someone much more knowledgeable than me to explain...

I dare you not to 'like' this post!

San Silvestro and the Big Dinner

2012-01-02T12:10:00.002+01:00

"No fish!" I said, mischievously defying my Livornese family and friends to go vegetarian for New Year's Eve, but they were having none of it. In addition to the eccentric Italian New Year's Eve traditions of wearing red underwear, throwing unwanted items out of the window, and eating lentils at midnight, fish seems inevitable at Il Cenone - the last 'big dinner' of the year on the night of San Silvestro

Fresh squid for the risotto

Here's the menu we came up with, and very nearly didn't manage to finish.

Canapés of salmon and stracchino cheese

Marinated anchovies

Marinated Red Mullet

Prawn and crabmeat cocktail

Seafood risotto

Christmas pudding and rum sauce

Crema al mascarpone and Pandoro

Only a slight emphasis on fish!

At 11.30pm, to keep a much regretted promise made to the kids earlier in the day, we staggered out with thousands of others to the Terrazza Mascagni for the traditional fireworks, dodging the firecrackers and objects being thrown out of windows and swigging champagne to keep warm :)

Happy New Year!

Enjoy 2012 one day at a time

2011-12-31T15:20:00.000+01:00

I suppose I'm not the only one to have that 'end of year' feeling, looking back over the past 365 days, wondering where they went, wishing some of them never happened, and hoping the next 366 will be positive and fulfilling. Looking back at 2011, looking forward to 2012, but trying to appreciate and enjoy the present moment as well.

I sincerely wish everyone a Happy New Year's Eve and look forward to reporting more about life here in Livorno in the days and months to come. Cin Cin!

Change of Season

2011-09-19T19:47:00.008+02:00

Suddenly today the brightly-coloured cottons in my wardrobe seem gawdy and stupidly inadequate; I remember the winter duvet still waiting to go to the cleaners, the kids' jeans still bearing unmended holes. All at once the melons and peaches, salads and cold meats make me shiver and I want bananas, soups and lasagne; I want mugs of coffee instead of chilled water, full-bodied red wine instead of sparkling white. In the space of 24 hours, it is cosy indoors instead of stifling, raining outside, instead of baking. Time to swap sandals for trainers, t-shirts for sweatshirts, and reach for the pyjamas.. suddenly it's autumn.

Back to School, but let's not overdo it

2011-09-15T21:27:00.002+02:00

At last, it's back to school after the long, long summer break. I can hardly remember the early days of the vacanze, and I am certainly having trouble going back to the early morning routine - how did I ever do it, all those months ago?!
But, as usual, the schools never go back to a regular full-time routine straight away. Perhaps to break parents in slowly? Or the pupils? Or even the poor teachers?
Whatever the reason, after his first day back yesterday, my youngest son (12), in the second year of Scuola Media, announced that they won't be starting the regular timetable until the 7th October!! Flushed with indignance, I felt like rushing to the headmistress's office to demand an explanation, to point out that it is highly inconvenient for working parents to deal with children finishing school at 11am until October... Other parents shrug.. and utter phrases like "that's the way it is", or worse: "poor children, they can't cope with full hours from day one after such a long break"!

Meanwhile, on the subject of Italian education, the local newspaper, Il Tirreno, featured a so-called 'revolutionary' primary school on its front page this morning. So revolutionary it has children sitting in groups instead of rows, while the teacher has a chair on wheels so she/he can 'roll' around the class to monitor kids... From the photo, it looked vaguely like my own primary school classroom setup (approx 40 years ago), although I think my teacher preferred to walk round the class.

Relics of Saint Valentine in Livorno

2011-02-13T13:06:00.002+01:00

The Mystery of San Valentino in Livorno

For most of us La Festa degli Innamorati, or Valentine’s Day, has associations of hearts, chocolates and romance, both in Livorno and elsewhere in Italy.But in our haste to buy gifts and cards for our loved ones, few of us are aware that Saint Valentine is much closer than we imagine: in fact right here in the heart of Livorno’s old Venezia district lie relics of that very saint most associated with love and romance, San Valentino Martire, carefully guarded in the lovely 18th-century Church of Santa Caterina.

Until recently the saintly remains were preserved in a glass casket inside the church. I saw them myself a couple of years ago when I went to see the acclaimed and then recently restored Vasari altar piece there. The parish priest pointed the relics out to me, and they are mentioned briefly by the Livorno Diocese on their website . Mysteriously though, since then the casket has been removed from public view.

The mystery deepens when looking for details of Saint Valentine himself. Celebrated as the patron saint of happy marriages, love, lovers, young people, and travellers, not much is really known about the saint, except his name and that he was buried at the Via Flaminia, north of Rome, on February 14th. There were probably several saints of the same name and many versions of their lives exist.

What's more, Livorno is not the only city with a claim on St Valentine’s remains – his relics seem to be scattered around Europe, from Dublin, to Roquemaure (France), to Vienna, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Sambir in the Ukraine.

Claims regarding saints’ remains may raise an eyebrow or two among sceptics, but there is no room for scepticism where faith or romance is concerned. Just as the faithful will always be inspired by religious relics, so romantics will continue to be moved by Saint Valentine’s day on 14th February, in Livorno and elsewhere.

With or without its St Valentine relics, Livorno's St Catherine’s Church is well worth a visit.

Obituary for Dr Giuliano Valdes

2011-02-03T15:03:00.002+01:00

I am shocked and extremely saddened to have received the news that my friend and colleague Dr Giuliano Valdes died suddenly last Thursday, 27th January 2011, at the age of only 59.
Dr Valdes, editor and cartographer, and owner of Editing Studio in Pisa, first contacted me in 1996 to ask me to translate a guide book about Prague. I subsequently collaborated on various projects, including guides that he himself had written, in particular one about Pisa, Valdes' hometown (Guide Demetra), and another about the Empoli-Valdelsa area in Tuscany (Felice Editore) - 'The Land of Leonardo and Boccaccio'. It was while translating these works that I developed a deep interested in art and architecture. Through Dr Valdes' recommendations, I was commissioned to do other translation work in the same field.
In the very early days, before email became what it is now, I used to make the short trip to Pisa to discuss translation problems, armed with paper print-outs. That was how I discovered the charming quarter of San Martino in Pisa, where Valdes had his home and studio. I used to love walking through previously unknown streets of Pisa, stumbling into all kinds of hidden corners.
In all the years I worked for him, our relationship remained formal - his phone calls to me alsways began with the same phrase: 'Buongiorno Dottoressa Thompson, sono Valdes'. But, if he happened to catch my husband on the phone, he was always ready to chat about the latest gossip to do with his favourite football team Inter Milan. He was extremely professional in his work, a great stickler for detail and correctness, and was therefore often upset by others' lack of efficiency. There was a kind of charming old-fashionednes about him, as if he belonged to another age.
I had a great deal of respect for this quiet, intelligent man, and enjoyed working for him over the years. I know that he will be terribly missed by his wife, daughter, and all those who worked with him, including myself.

Pass the space oil

2010-12-01T16:39:00.003+01:00

After my olive-picking experience back in October at my friend Jessica's in Limoncino, I brought home a big bottle of Jessica's olive oil. Although the oil we use at home is carefully selected and great quality, this even more delicious new oil quickly became a favourite with the family. I covered the clear glass bottle in silver foil to protect it from the potentially damaging daylight, turning it into something my sons decided you'd find on a spaceship... and so it became known as the 'space oil'! 'Pass the space oil' is now a daily household phrase.. until it runs out I suppose.

Disappointing 20% Turn Out for Hospital Referendum

2010-11-29T19:37:00.003+01:00

It was disappointing to see the Tirreno headlines this morning, claiming that yesterday's referendum - regarding the building of a new hospital in Montenero - only attracted a 20% turn out at the polling stations. Officially, this means the referendum was inquorate since it required 50% of the voting population to cast their vote in order to be valid. So to my mind, the result is invalid, even though 73% of those who did bother to turn up voted against the location of the planned hospital building.

The local press and Mr Cosimi, the mayor of Livorno, however, are hailing it as a victory!! Their interpretation is that the 80% of voters who decided to stay at home must be in favour of the new hospital location.

One victory is certain: that of having succeeded in creating a smokescreen of confusion around the referendum, which may well be why so many potential voters were put off. To begin with, if you are against the building of the new hospital in Montenero you had to vote SI, while if you were for it, and therefore with the local government, you had to place your X on NO.
From what I gathered in various conversations leading up to the weekend, people were also unsure as to whether they were being invited to vote for or against the hospital itself, or merely regarding its location. Then there was the decision to open the vote to 16 and 17 year olds and to non-citizen foreign residents residing in Livorno for more than 5 years - a decision based on fairness and liberal-mindedness, or a ploy to make it more difficult to reach quorate?

So, with 20,738 votes against, and 7,439 votes for, this referendum was significant but invalid, and destined to be ignored. Perhaps protesters need to do more than just mark an X on a polling slip.

A week of unnatural disasters

2010-11-17T21:35:00.002+01:00

...and the week isn't over yet.
1. Washed my son's brand new mobile phone in the washing machine, on a particularly vigorous programme. It's drying out, but showing no signs of visible life (you may think this is a hopeless attempt, but my phone actually survived a full washing-machine cycle and is still going strong...!).
2. A crack in my Panda's windscreen kept growing, so I thought it best to get it replaced. Three different estimates at more or less the same price... in one place they wanted to keep my car for a full morning (out of the question); in another they casually shouted the price down to me from their first floor office (I demand more attention than that!); so I plumped for Doctor Glass, with their highly professional service and 20 minute windscreen change (279 euro :((( ). Great service!
3. The final family disaster that turned good: Salvino's bus broke down on his way back from Bergamo with the orchestra, at 1.30am on Sunday night. After hanging around in a dreary layby for an hour, my husband decided to study the instructions manual for himself and, with a bit of help from an otherwise hopeless driver, eventually managed to get the bus going again!! Hero of the highway!

Technical work on Livorno Now

2010-11-12T15:33:00.002+01:00

Having experienced annoying technical problems on various occasions with the Livorno Now site, I have decided to update the whole system. It is in the hands of an expert, but I probably won't be able to make any changes to the site for another two weeks (until about the end of November). So please bear with me. I look forward to presenting a new-look, easier to use site as soon as possible.

Montenero Walking Again

2010-09-19T18:43:00.002+02:00

After an interval of four long months I resume my Montenero walk.

The clouds are so low, they graze the hilltop, and in the silence I am surprised to hear the sound of a priest reciting mass to a group of chanting pilgrims, no doubt on a visit to the Sanctuary. Further on, as I pass a row of houses, I hear bathroom noises, and raised voices in a heated argument - accusations I don't wait to hear. Dogs behind fences would attack me if they could; their sudden barking startles me and I nearly step on a flattened frog in the road. A team of gardeners loudly strim hedges in a garden of olive trees; in a couple of months all those olives will be ready to pick, and I will be wondering - once again - what to do with mine.

On the longest and hardest uphill climb I bump into another church group heading up to mass (someone at the front is carrying a tall object that rises above the congregation - I expect it to be a cross, but it is a loud speaker). They are slow so I overtake them, by now red and sweating from my exertion. I attract curious stares. I am the only one who doesn't know the words to their litany, and I hope they don't think me disrespectful as I dodge round them.

Despite the greyness, the view from Via Byron is as wide and breathtaking as ever. A young girl waters plants in the little shrine to the Madonna. Lord Byron probably rode his horse along here when he stayed in Livorno, but I doubt he would have stopped to pray. I don't stop either.

A quick check of the pulse tells me four months is too long a break, and I slow down slightly to save my heart from any more battering.

Holiday within your means, or else!

2010-08-10T08:26:00.004+02:00

If you are splashing out a bit on your (Italian) summer holiday this year, beware! Not content with checking up on thousands of bars, shops and restaurants in resorts all over the country to make sure they are issuing the proper receipts, it seems that the Italian taxman is also carrying out spot checks on holidaymakers themselves to make sure they are not having a holiday that is beyond their means!

Presumably then, if you have decided to have a bit of a splurge, or have been saving up carefully for months for a decent summer vacation, but are on a 'low income', you could be done by the fiscal brigade?? Will I be pounced on if I order a strawberry Mojito instead of an aperitivo more fitting to my income? Does this mean that those who struggle to get to the end of the month should be camping or staying in a hostel to comply with Italian tax law? Does it follow that those who come into a higher earnings bracket and choose to stay in a b&b will get a tax refund?! And what about all the thousands who cannot afford a holiday at all? Perhaps they should be receiving special tax relief (no question about it).

For goodness sake, a holiday is precisely that - a break from the (tax-paying) routine, a time to spend as you like, according to taste and, yes, budget. But Mr Guardia di Finanza, do not judge me if I choose to live beyond my means for a few days, dine on oysters and luxuriate in a plush hotel. Look elsewhere for your big-time evaders (probably far from Italian shores).

ps. I'll be staying in a self-catering apartment.

Girls' Day Out - South of Livorno

2010-08-07T19:16:00.008+02:00

A visit from our friend Laura, over from Olbia for a few days, was the ideal excuse for a girls' day out. She wanted to explore the Livorno area, so Lori and I obliged. We decided to head south.

First stop, Castiglioncello for breakfast and a stroll along the new coastal path. Here's Laura and I to prove it!

Next - after an unexpected tour of the backroads of Rosignano as we searched for the main Aurelia again - Tenuta San Guido for lunch. This peaceful old farmstead is part of the huge San Guido estate which produces the much revered Sassicaia , among others. A glass of this Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc wine was selling for €20, so we opted for at taste of Le Difese which was enough for our unrefined palates! This photo shows part of the San Guido building. After lunch we drove up the cypress-lined avenue that leads to Bolgheri. The village was made famous by the 19th-century Italian poet Giosué Carducci, who wrote about it in his poem Davanti a San Guido. He was the first Italian to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature, in 1906. Today the village has become a popular destination for visitors - some nice views, wine shops and restaurants, and a quaint church. The 2000 cypress trees leading to the village are the best part, though.

We were so exhausted, we had to take a few minutes' rest in the shade of a Bolgheri restaurant.
Heading back to Livorno along the Romito coast road, we made one last stop - aperitivi at Calafuria. Breathtakingly blue sea below the Greek-looking terrace. Shame about the trucks zooming past - when are they going to sort that out? Great day. Great company. Thanks girls!!

Florence in the Rain

2010-08-07T19:08:00.002+02:00

I was probably the only happy person sloshing around Florence in the rain on Thursday. Having expected to be melting in the usually unbearable August Florentine heat, I was quite content with the deluge. The cruisers I was accompanying didn't see it the same way...

Holding Back the Years? Simply Red in Lucca

2010-07-25T15:24:00.002+02:00

What is that deep visceral sensation that some music gives you? That feeling of raw nostalgia, an awareness of times past, and the years passing. It is not just the appeal of the music itself, but the way in which a particular track can take you back to a precise moment in time. I don’t think there is anything more powerful than music for doing that.
I was at Simply Red’s ‘Farewell Concert’ in Lucca on Friday, in the stunning surroundings of a packed Piazza Napoleone. Mick Hucknall has clearly somehow ‘held back the years’ – his voice has that same distinctive sound that I remember when he released that first, landmark, album - Picture Book - twenty five years ago. It was a significant album for me – I was 21 and had just started my language degree in London.
It was a brilliant performance, satisfyingly including all the old familiar songs that made the band so famous. ‘Stars’ was the one that got everyone to their feet, and it was great to be able to dance all evening, sing out loud with the rest of the audience. Not so great to be reminded how quickly time has passed, and a real shame if this is really the last time we will be able to see Simply Red live.

Beat the Heat - How to Keep Cool in the Sultry Italian Summer

2010-07-22T14:54:00.007+02:00

Some (not too serious) tips for anyone having a heat crisis.

STEER CLEAR of beer – it will only make you feel hotter. Opt for good red wine instead – even if it doesn’t succeed in cooling you down, it is much better for you, much nicer, and will at least help you to forget the soaring temperature (and anything else you would rather dispel from your mind). In large quantities, it will also aid sleep (in any weather).

RESIST the temptation to create any of those wonderful sounding summer grain salads. Cooking ‘farro’ or any of the other ‘ancient grains’ is guaranteed to raise the temperature in your kitchen by at least 5°, and while you flee the kitchen to get away from the heat, you will, like me, inevitably forget the bubbling pan and the grain will stick hard to the bottom, meaning you will have to exert more heat-producing energy to remove it.

REFUSE categorically to travel in a car or any other means of transport that does not have air conditioning, unless that vehicle happens to be travelling fast to northern Europe.

AVOID all tourist spots. Crowds make heat.

STAY AWAY FROM heartbreaking films or melancholy music – tears are hot too.

HEAD FOR your local shopping centre (for Livorno, read IPERCOOP) for an energizing a/c fix, but don’t blame me for the attack of severe depression that inevitably follows .

Any further (and better) suggestions welcome. (roll on September!).

End of UK Stay

2010-07-20T20:02:00.009+02:00

I've been back in Livorno for over a week, but would like to post the last few photos from my British holiday.
The first one was taken in Gateshead, near Newcastle. It's the contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley called the Angel of the North. I love the way it dominates the land around, 20m high, embracing and protecting all who lay eyes on her.

The New Forest is only a short drive from my Dad's house and its 571 sq km offer great walking territory. The forest was created by William I about 1000 years ago as a hunting ground. No hunting in this National Park these days, although you might feel like shooting the wild ponies when they come sniffing around your picnic!
My friends Roy and Georgia live in an idyllic Hampshire village with their three children. It is so English that I felt like a foreigner! The family set of muddy welly boots in the garage sums it up really.

UK holiday - part four. Robin Hood had no Sat Nav or Text Messages

2010-07-06T01:23:00.003+02:00

We always try to see at least one big-screen film when we're in England, and I usually bow down to my two boys on the choice of what we see: today it was Ridley Scott's Robin Hood.
As hunky Russell Crowe galloped from one battle to another, I marvelled at the way those medieval knights got from one end of the country to the other without so much as a signpost to help them, while I had given in earlier today to using the SatNav just to get me across Bournemouth. Similarly, 12th-century lovers parted, not knowing when, if ever, they would meet again as the men rode away to war, and having no means of communicating, sometimes for years. They just got on with their arduous lives and kept hoping, I suppose. What a contrast to today's techno age, when couples cannot even stand the five-minute wait for an answer to a text message without dissolving into panic and insecurity!
Paradoxically, the age of communication seems to have made us less able to communicate with each other - it's all speed and no substance!
I know Ridley Scott wasn't thinking along these lines, but his picture of medieval England is food for thought.

UK holiday - part three, a Bournemouth - Livorno Connection

2010-07-06T00:50:00.002+02:00

I took a few minutes today to visit the graveyard at St Peter's Church in Bournemouth, to look for a grave that connects Livorno and Bournemouth: that of the Shelley family. The English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley spent several periods in Livorno from 1818 to 1820, writing works such as The Cenci, and To a Skylark there. He died two years later in a boating accident near La Spezia and was cremated on the beach near Viareggio. His heart, however, was buried in this cemetery in Bournemouth, alongside his wife, Mary (author of Frankenstein), his son Percy, and Percy's wife, Jane. Curiously, no mention is made of Shelley's heart on the gravestone, but the church assures me it is here. Unfortunately for Livorno, Shelley's ashes were buried in the English cemetery in Rome. Had they been brought to Livorno, the city's old English cemetery would certainly be better known than it is today.
After taking a few photos, I went inside the 19th-century church for a quick look and was amused to find a café in one corner, with several people chatting and enjoying their morning tea together. How very English!

Away from Livorno - UK holiday, part two

2010-07-02T21:43:00.004+02:00

Bournemouth gardens were first laid out in in 1874 when the town was already a popular holiday resort. They run through the middle of town and all the way down to the seafront, carefully tended by an army of gardeners. Holidaymakers still enjoy strolling and sitting here, and at the moment there is a big screen showing the Wimbledon tennis matches, with a nearby stand selling the traditional strawberries and cream. Deck chairs for hire, too, of course: a very English seaside resort!

Away from Livorno - UK holiday, part one

2010-06-29T18:33:00.004+02:00

I do sometimes feel the need for a holiday from Livorno, a need for a dose of British soil and air. That's where I am now (near Bournemouth, Dorset), unexpectedly seeking shade during the few days of warm sunny weather that have hit us. Glastonbury and Wimbledon goers all very surprised and pleased!
One of the first places I head for when I arrive is Hengistbury Head and the beach huts on Mudeford Spit. Everyone who comes to visit me here is obliged to visit my favourite spot in Dorset! (this time I was with my Livorno friend Carol and her children Jenny and Oliver).
I love the sea air, the light, the inevitable breeze, but above all the beach huts that line this short stretch of beach, sea on one side and Christchurch harbour on the other. The wooden huts - used as beachside retreats - are so simple and cheerful. Each one is different, painted in seaside colours and decorated in original and eccentric ways by their owners. The beach they line is unspoilt, with fine golden sand. No car parks, so not too many people. Bliss!
Because of the beauty of this spot and the unusual nature of the beach accommodation, these huts are sadly some of the most expensive in the country - a notice I saw in the Beach House Café offered one for sale at 120,000 pounds. Unfortunately, it was already sold... If I have aroused your interest, you can get a list of huts for rent and sale from this website.

Beginning of the (endless) school holidays

2010-06-16T08:54:00.004+02:00

This is the first week of the Italian school holidays. They last for a very long time - from now until the middle of September, causing great joy for all school pupils, and a dramatic shift in routine for all parents! Where available, grandparents are called in for support; otherwise, families with working parents rely on babysitters and an ever-growing choice of summer activity centres to keep the kids busy and entertained. In Livorno of course, the beach and the bagno feature largely in the summer routine, although so far the weather has not been kind to Livorno's sunworshippers.
On the plus side, the long series of 'end of year' dinners is now over, and the early morning school run is one less stressful part of the day for a few months!

Piecing together Fragments of History at the Old English Cemetery

2010-06-02T11:11:00.004+02:00

The Old English Cemetery in Via Verdi, Livorno, is an on-going project that I have been interested in, time permitting, for several years. I've recently met several other like-minded people there, all of whom are currently working together to try to restore some dignity to this very neglected but very precious historic site.
Only yesterday we were piecing together some tiny fragments of a gravestone dating from the 18th century, found heaped together in an almost hidden child's grave. When complete it should read:
Beneath this stone is the remains of Richard Peterson, son of Richard and Sarah Peterson, died 21 April 1790 aged 2 years.
The photo shows progress on the puzzle so far.
For more detailed information on this, see Matteo Giunti's painstaking study and resource, Leghorn Merchant Networks

The Great Motorino Dilemma

2010-06-01T23:15:00.002+02:00

In Italy at the age of 14 you are allowed to ride a 50cc scooter. All you have to do is pass a multiple-choice written test about the highway code, persuade parents to equip you with bike and helmet, and you are away.
I was secretly relieved when my son failed his first test. When he passed the second one, we found a thousand excuses to put off the dreaded day...
Now he's nearly 16, it's summer, we live out of town, and all his friends have one.

Livorno comes second in Italy on the 'motorino' table, with 227 scooters for every 1000 inhabitants. Which means that one in four Livornese (counting children under 14 and over 75s) have a scooter! It's hard not to notice them when driving around town, especially in the warmer weather! Just as it's hard to ignore all the accidents.

Orvieto Duomo

2010-05-22T07:55:00.002+02:00

I had to go to Umbria a few days ago to accompany my son to a football tournament. On the way we stopped in Orvieto to have a look at the famous cathedral, one of Italy's finest Gothic works. It stands out above everything else in this small town, and even the pouring rain didn't detract from its magnificence. Inside the duomo - in the San Brizzi chapel - are the movingly dramatic frescoes by Luca Signorelli which date from the early 16th century. Outside, on the facade, are these incredibly expressive bas-reliefs which show scenes from the old and new testaments. You can just feel the anguish of these characters.

Visitors from Florida

2010-04-25T22:45:00.002+02:00

We had two lovely people staying with us this week, Philip McKellop and his daughter Monique from Jacksonville Florida. Philip was in Livorno to visit old friends he grew up with here in the 1970s. Of American and Austrian background, he used to live in Ardenza with his mother and brother, but at the age of 19 he decided to move to the States to start a new life. He built up a successful business and has a family with two children. Only recently one of his old Livorno friends managed to contact him and sparked off a visit to the town of his childhood and adolescence.
It was good to be part of this 'homecoming' and we hope they'll be back again soon!

Morning in Montelupo

2010-04-16T22:57:00.005+02:00

I had to go to Montelupo for work on Wednesday. Up into the hills between Montelupo and Florence to the Tenuta San Vito in Fior di Selva, an idyllic typical Tuscan wine estate that offers accommodation and winetasting to visitors. As I inspected the villas and the surrounding countryside, a falcon hovered in the distance, on the tracks, it seemed, of a hare in fast retreat. Vines just starting to leaf, and warm April sunshine. "I could live here", I thought!

Mr Whippy where were you?

2010-04-10T10:50:00.002+02:00

I was delighted to come across this British reg icecream van parked on the side of the road opposite San Jacopo church in Livorno last weekend! I looked around hopefully for the driver and the chance of a 99, but was disappointed. He'd obviously gone for a cappuccino somewhere. Still, it brought a smile to my face!

Running on Natural Power

2010-03-11T22:15:00.003+01:00

A few weeks ago I joined the small army of methane gas powered Fiat Pandas now swarming around the streets of Livorno (and Italy). Methane gas tanks are now fitted to a growing range of cars, providing an economical environment-friendly fuel. In fact this natural gas costs around 0.85 euros per kg, and I can get about 230km from a full tank of 10 euros' worth. There are currently nearly half a million methane-powered vehicles in Italy.
The car actually has two fuel tanks, one for the gas and one for ordinary petrol. Seeing as there are only two possible filling stations for Methane gas (Metano) in Livorno, it is comforting to know that the engine automatically switches to petrol when the gas runs out! (need to keep the petrol topped up though..)
Useless Fact: Methane gas, I learned from Wikipedia, was discovered by Alessandro Volta while studying marsh gas on Lake Maggiore in 1778.
Do It Yourself: apparently I could make this gas all by myself. Just need a largish quantity of pig or chicken manure. See this article for more info.

Formaggio, Fromage and Cheese

2010-03-08T15:52:00.003+01:00

To ease the monotony of ordinary supermarket shopping on Saturday, I dropped into one of my favourite delicatessen stores in Livorno - Dilaghi Formaggi. The owner Daniele has a fantastic range of cheeses including a good choice of French unpasteurised individual fromages, two kinds of English Stilton, and a great selection of Italian formaggi. He also specialises in hams - including the speciality Spanish Patanegra Jamon Iberico Bellota. Fine wines on the shelves complete this gourmet picture. A great place to go if you are entertaining and want to impress!
Dilaghi Formaggi is in the Le Fate shopping centre in Via Grotta delle Fate 42, Livorno

A Garden in Livorno (mine)

2010-03-01T21:44:00.003+01:00

Spring is in the air and I have one lone clump of daffodils in my garden. It is the only good thing there at the moment, as the rest is a scene of neglect and abandon. My 'Tuscan garden' is lightyears away from what you might be imagining - no olive groves or banks of irises, no huge terracotta urns or hillside vines. The garden is getting the better of us, and maybe this is a subject I will come back to, but in the meantime I do have one lovely clump of yellow daffodils to take my mind off the rest.

A Lesson in Italian Life

2010-02-18T14:15:00.005+01:00

Last week I needed to get a ticket for the Italy v England Six Nations rugby match being played in Rome last Sunday. With it being so last minute, both the online and telephone booking systems had already closed, so I had to track down a local agent. The Italian Rugby Federation site led me to two authorised LisTicket agents in Livorno, only one of which had access to tickets for the match.
Tickets were still available but as the agent began to feed my data into the electronic system, a problem arose: you have to give your date and place of birth, but the system is not set up to accept a birthplace outside Italy!
I should have known there would be a way round this - I've been living here long enough for goodness' sake - but instead I thought maybe there was a problem with this particular agent's system, and I wasn't ready to give up yet. I drove to Pisa to the equivalent agent there.
To begin with I encountered the same problem, but luckily a much more streetwise young man who works there suddenly remembered how to override the system - 'just put Rome as the place of birth. It makes no difference!' And it didn't.
I drove home with a big grin on my face, mainly because I had succeeded in getting a ticket, but also because this was so typical of how things work in Italy. The red tape is often so ridiculously complex that you just have to find a way of getting round it. Trying to deal with it head on just doesn't work!

When the Sun Shines

2010-02-17T11:13:00.003+01:00

Doesn't it make a difference to everything when the sun is shining? Even the rundown old cottage with the bashed in shutters and drab peeling paintwork which I pass every morning on my Montenero walk looked quaint today. Keep shining sun, we have missed you!

Thought for the Day

2010-02-17T10:54:00.001+01:00

I couldn't resist this snippet which arrived in my mailbox this morning:
"The first testicular guard "Cup" was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974.
It took 100 years for men to realize that the brain is also important".
Sorry fellas!

On the Futility of Wine Charms

2010-01-04T07:41:00.003+01:00

Our New Year's Eve party served to confirm one thing: wine charms are lovely, but useless. In case you don't know, I'm talking about those earring like decorations designed to fit around the stem of a wine glass, so that the user can identify his or her glass. Each charm is different. I have a great Christmas set with mini suction pads that cling to the base of the glass, leaving a jolly santa or snowman to jiggle around as you sip. Others are more sophisticated, with sparkling bits and pretend silver plate.
However, apart from adding extra interest to your festive drinking vessel, these charms are all but worthless, because after you have consumed a few of your favourite drinks, you can never remember which charm is yours!
Happy New Year!

No Snow Means Back to the Supermarket

2009-12-29T19:02:00.001+01:00

I had it all planned out. After Christmas - not unknown to create abnormally high stress levels - we would leave for the Apennine mountains where a little hotel at the bottom of the ski slopes would provide the boys with easy skiing and me with a few days of no-shopping, no-cooking bliss. But it was not to be...
In Livorno the thermometer soared from -1°C to +17°C in a week, and something similar must have happened up there at our local ski resorts (at Abetone and Monte Cimone) which at just 1200m are not the most reliable of places for guaranteed winter sports. In fact, much to the boys' dismay, hourly checking of the local webcam has only served to confirm that the snow has gone and the skilifts are quietly closed.
So here in Livorno my depleted fridge will have to be replenished, and New Year's Eve celebrations organised, meals planned, food bought. It looks as though I'll be back at the supermarket sooner than expected!