Having almost mastered Italian I am now moving onto the biggest challenge yet – the German language. Readers of the blog will have seen Erica before – at our local Oktober Beerfest. She has agreed to help teach me German. We meet once a week where she provides coffee and patience as I try to grapple with the grammar and pronunciation.
Mr Berlusconi is well known for his gaffes and his attitude to women. Last week Rosie Bindi, a member of the Democratic Party was being interviewed on a programme. Mr Berlusconi was then interviewed via a telephone link. He began his comments on Ms Bindi’s views with the statement that she was “more beautiful than intelligent”. He apologised later for the comment.
Have restarted the English classes on Wednesdays and I am continuing to teach some students on a one-to-one basis.
In the English class I sometimes use songs. The text we use suggests some well known songs with simple words and well-known tunes. So last year we used “Stevie Wonder and I Just Called to Say I Love You” etc. One of the students brought me the song that they have used in their English class at school. Instead of Stevie Wonder they use Radiohead’s song Creep. The words came as a surprise. Made me wonder which text is closer to spoken English today.
| I JUST CALLED… | CREEP |
| No April rain No flowers bloom No wedding Saturday within the month of June But what it is, is something true Made up of these three words that I must say to youI just called to say I love you I just called to say how much I care I just called to say I love you And I mean it from the bottom of my heart |
You float like a feather In a beautiful world, I wish I was special! You’re so fuckin’ special! But I’m a creep. I’m a weirdo. What the hell and I doing here? I don’t belong here. |
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Thomas Orthmann, San Giorgio’s artist in residence has an exhibition of his recent work at “Wasserburg am Inn”, an historic town near Munich. The exhibition begins on the 17th October and continues through until January 17. |
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Can you spot the difference? (no marks for white sky verses blue sky).
Yesterday the large “Tree of Paradise” (Alianthus altissima) was chopped down. The tree was slowly dying and when there was a strong wind branches would come down. So decided it was time to get rid of it and try to plant something in its place.
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Lovely weather over the last few days made us decide to to to Rome for a day before the autumn set in. We had, as normal, a great day out with our friend Elizabeth. We followed the well worn routine: coffee and brioche at Fabriano station; train to Rome; coffee and brioche in Rome; visit to a gallery or museum (this time the Capitoline Museums); drink before lunch in front of the Pantheon; lunch; stroll through Rome; train back to Fabriano; dinner at Elizabeths; home. As always a lovely day.
We did not come back from the Fano Festival of Flowers empty handed. After spending the summer watering the pots on the terrace Bill has decided to take global warming seriously and is seeking out plants with minimum water requirements. The result is our first bowl of cacti with an assurance that more will follow.
Saturday was the “Festa dei Fiori” at Fano. Decided to go as we have to plant a new shrub border. We were not expecting too much and we were not disappointed. If you wanted to buy some herbs, cyclamens and cacti then this is the place to go. For shrubs and perenniels it was useless. There were only about 40 stalls and about 30 of them were selling herbs, cyclamens or cacti. The others were selling candles, spices etc.
Next week there is another Festival of Flowers at Pesaro which, we are assured, is bigger and better than Fano’s. However, it probably means there are even more stalls selling herbs, cyclamens and cacti.
I have been digging over our garden for the past 3 years. Have found old broken bricks and tiles buried by the builder instead of taking it to a dump; have found old broken bottles; have found old hinges and parts of doors. Nothing of interest. But then last week I found a 50 centesimi coin from the Fascist era.
50 centesimi coins were produced from 1936 al 1943 (series: Empire) and are very common. However, the coins minted in 1939 are interesting because it was the first year steps were taken to reduce the cost of the coinage by replacing nickel by stainless steel.
As a discovery it cannot quite compete with the anglo-saxon treasure found recently in England but much better than another rusted hinge.
Miss Over was from Genoa was crowned in Pesaro. Meanwhile, Maurizio Pizzagalli, a student from Pesaro was crowned Mister Piu’ Bello d’Italia in the only national male beauty contest. His ambition is not to bring peace to the world but to become an actor. Being unlikely to win the Mister piu’ bello d’Italia competition Bill and I are waiting for the “Mister Over” competition to be announced.