SOLIDARITY

With borders closing, an EU deal on migrants which means that, from Sunday, anyone arriving in Greece  from Turkey illegally will be sent back - much to the concern of refugee aid agencies and UNHCR - attitudes everywhere are hardening. Conditions for migrants in Idomeni have been described by the Greek Interior Minister today as "being like a Nazi concentration camp" and the news reports I have been watching tonight indicate that migrants on the Greek-Macedonian border just do not believe that they will not be allowed to go further north within the EU.  Amid all this comes a gesture of solidarity from Italy:

On Wednesday the Italian Senate approved a measure, already passed by the Camera dei Deputati in 2015, to make 3rd October each year a National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Immigration. The date is the anniversary of the migrant tragedy in Sicilian waters of 3rd October 2013, in which 366 people lost their lives.  The President of the Senate, Pietro Grasso, posted the following to facebook on Wednesday [my translation]:

"The Republic recognises 3rd October as a National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Immigration. It is designated a 'National Day' with the aim of preserving and reaffirming our remembrance of all who have lost their lives trying to reach our country whilst fleeing war, persecution and poverty.  This is now law.

It was on 3rd October 2013 that a boat sank near Lampedusa; on that day alone 366 people died. Since the beginning of 2015 there have been 4,200 victims in the Mediterranean.  Let us stop for a second and try to think of this enormous number as individuals and attribute to each of them a name, a face, wishes, dreams, fears and weaknesses: in this way we can understand the scale of the tragedy which is happening day after day off our coasts. The boats also sink under the burden of the stories of people escaping terrible tragedies, war and abject poverty. They are men and women like us, but now they have nothing and desperately seek a future. Europe must put away selfishness and divisions; we must do our part, remember the victims and above all, act to prevent thousands more people dying in our seas."

During this week the Italian Coast Guard and Navy saved 2,500 people in the Mediterranean over two days. On Wedsnesday, with the help of a Norwegian ship, they rescued 1,467 people trying to cross the Sicilian Channel in 12 rubber dinghies.  Three bodies were also found.

Because of the situation in Greece and Turkey, it is thought that migrants will try to reach Italy by crossing the Strait of Otranto from Albania and the region of Puglia is making preparations to deal with the situation, should it happen, by providing the checks and aid required and with humanity.

A PRESENT FROM ALBANIA

I always cheer up when Rosa comes back from Albania at the end of August and, knowing my penchant for earrings, this year she brought me these pretty ones from her home town of Vlorë.

It's Rosa's birthday today and I know you'll all want to say "Tanti auguri" to her, too. I'll tell her!

MIRACLE IN ALBANIA

Image: Wikitravel

Although I am not religious I do believe that there are miracles.  It's just that sometimes we don't recognise them because the miracle we are presented with may not be the one we hoped for at a given time. Rosa, who returned on Sunday from a sad journey home to Albania, has no doubt that she witnessed one, and, having heard her story,  neither have I:

Rosa and her husband had travelled to Albania the previous weekend, having received news from relatives that Rosa's sick mother had taken a turn for the worse.  Rosa arrived on the Sunday and, seeing her, her mother seemed to rally, so much so that Rosa made prepartions to return to Italy on the Tuesday.  But the sea was rough and all ferry crossings to Brindisi had been cancelled from the Monday.  On Tuesday the ferries lay at anchor in the port and the situation was the same on Wednesday and on Thursday morning. 

Thus it was that Rosa was at her mother's bedside when the old lady died on Thursday afternoon.  No one in the port town of Vlore [Valona] can remember the ferries being grounded for four days running before and Rosa is convinced that God had a hand in it.

I'm sure you will join me in offering condolences to Rosa, my steadfast helper and friend.

AND ANOTHER SANTA CAME FROM ALBANIA...

Rosa and her husband had to go to Albania to see a sick relative before Christmas and then, because of a rough sea, could not get back to Italy in time to spend Christmas Day with their children [who stayed with their aunt]. I think we can all imagine how stressful and disappointing that was for them.

However, Rosa was in good spirits when she came to see Simi and me yesterday morning and it was like Christmas all over again: I shall treasure these intricately carved ornaments and the one on the right represents a çiftelia instrument and a sheep, a symbol of good luck in Albania. Rosa tells me that my good fortune will be assured if I fall asleep looking at the object so I have placed it beside my bed and am now full of hope for the New Year.

Then, when I tasted this Albanian dessert, I thought I had gone to heaven. It is called tulumba and consists of fried pastries in syrup - but what a syrup, reader!



Thank you, dear Rosa and family. I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve together and that you have the happiest of new years.

A GIFT FROM ALBANIA

Rosa [my cleaning lady, confidante and friend] has returned to Italy from her holiday in Albania. She had a good time, looks well and happy and was thrilled to learn that so many of you had wished her well on this blog. Rosa was as delighted to bring me this lovely gift today as I was to receive it. She tells me that her home town, the port city of Vlore [Valona in Italian] is beautiful and that the ancient tree in the foreground of the picture is a glorious sight to behold. Can you see the two-headed eagle of the Albanian flag depicted at the bottom of the tree?

I am invited to visit Albania with the family when they go next year and that is something I would really like to do. Rosa is convinced that I would like Vlore as it is a city where no one goes to bed before 5 am. I have to admit that that sounds like my kind of place!

Certainly I shall always treasure this hand-crafted gift, brought back across the Strait of Otranto by one immigrant for another with so much love.