STRANDED AT SEA

Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa

Last Sunday a Liberian-registered oil tanker, the MT Salamis, rescued 102 Sudanese and Eritrean migrants from a boat off the Libyan coast and sailed towards Malta. The Maltese authorities, however, refused to let the migrants land and say that the captain ignored their orders to take them back into Libyan waters. The Maltese authorities contacted their Italian and Greek counterparts regarding the situation but are believed to have ignored pleas and, later, admonitions from the EU.

Thus it was that the migrants were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea from Sunday night until early on Wednesday morning, while intense negotiations regarding their fate were being held. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said that Malta had a humanitarian duty to allow the migrants to disembark as the priority was to save their lives. She also said that sending them back to Libya was contrary to international law. At last, Italian Premier Enrico Letta gave permission for the tanker to dock at Siracusa, where the Italian Red Cross was standing by. Mr Letta is said to understand that, because of the sheer number of migrant boats that have arrived at Maltese ports this summer, the island's reception facilities are at breaking point.

Among the migrants were four pregnant women and a five-month-old baby now known as "Sam", who has become the group's mascot. All are said to be doing well.

Commissioner Malmström has thanked Italy on behalf of the EU and tweeted that it would be great if all 28 EU countries would help in such situations. Francesco Rocca, the president of the Italian Red Cross, has said that there needs to be a European strategy so that such an impasse does not happen again. The International Organisation for Migration and UNHCR have also thanked Italy.

On a sadder note, 103 Somali migrants, including 29 women, one of whom is pregnant, were rescued by a fishing boat and the Italian Navy from a dinghy in the Sicilian Channel on Wednesday night. Two other migrants had died during the journey and their bodies had been thrown into the sea. One of these was a seven-year-old child and his shocked and distraught mother is among the survivors, who have been taken to Lampedusa. My thoughts are with this sad lady this weekend.

FELYING

PERFUMERY CAKE

And now onward to serious stuff: A friend of mine who is a beautician is learning English. She has been very kind to me lately so I thought I'd try to combine references to her job and her studies in yet another tipsy cake.  The thing that, admittedly, looks more like a candle is meant to be a lipstick and I used glacé cherries and chocolate sprinkles. [You can't get ready-rolled fondant icing here and it's too hot to make some!] The chocolate letters you can buy here are very handy  and you do get letters like k and w, which are not in the Italian alphabet, in the pack but only one or two of each. Thus it was that I didn't have a w left in my packet and if the one in the word "shadow" looks a little odd, that's because it's a euro sign!

INSIDE LOOKING OUT

When a twitter acquaintance asked me how people were reacting here to the Berlusconi verdict, I was publicly noncommittal but explained to her privately that I was being careful what I said as things might turn nasty. Following the verdict, you see, the well-meaning President Napolitano had worked everybody up by calling for calm and then Senator Sandro Bondi, who is the National Coordinator of Mr Berlusconi's Pdl Party, started talking about the risk of "civil war", a suggestion which I was relieved to see being treated with derision under the hashtag #guerracivile on twitter. President Napolitano called Mr Bondi's words "irresponsible".

For those of you who have not followed the proceedings or are still puzzled by the tax evasion verdict, Italy's highest appeal court upheld the conviction but Mr Berlusconi will only have to serve one year of a four-year prison sentence and gets a choice regarding whether to serve it under house arrest or on a kind of probation which may involve his participating in community service. The question of whether the former Premier will be barred from public office is to be considered by a lower appeal court yet again and this procedure will begin only in October. Mr Berlusconi remains free until the 15th of that month while he considers his position. All this appears quite potty to most people outside Italy and the world's media have already expressed their incredulity. To focus on these admittedly incomprehensible deliberations, however, is to miss the point, which is that, in a country which, although a democracy, still sets great store by who a person is or whom he knows and where money talks in ways long abandoned by Europe's remaining monarchies, it is momentous that the convictìon was upheld at all.

Meanwhile, here, a game of "We'll bring down your government if you don't reform the judiciary!" began and everyone thought this was only to be expected and a perfectly normal development. What astonished me about Mr Bondi's reaction was that he found it unacceptable that the leader of "Italy's most important party" should have his passport rescinded and be barred from public office but never seemed to find it unacceptable that this same leader's behaviour had led to serious allegations being made and had damaged Italy's image abroad.

At a pro-Berlusconi demonstration in Rome yesterday Mr Berlusconi again asserted his innocence but said that the government must continue with the economic reforms which his coalition has agreed to and that he did not want his party to be labelled "irresponsible". Thus there is a little calm - for now.

Personally I believe that the good sense of most Italians will prevail and as for the guerra civile, I wouldn't worry too much - we won't be having it before Ferragosto.

SABATO MUSICALE

Here's a song about picking your life up again after being disappointed in love from 2013 Sanremo winner Marco Mengoni:

Marco Mengoni - Pronto a correre

A SPECIAL PAUSA GELATO

When my American friend Bev sent me a message this afternoon to suggest a pausa gelato, it was a delightful surprise. Although Bev and I are old blogging pals - some of you may remember her blog Romancing Italy - we had never met before and I didn't even know she was in Modica! Now here she was, on the trail of a certain Inspector Montalbano, with her beautiful dog Tala for company. As you see, special ice creams were called for:

Bev tells me she will soon be starting a new blog and I'll tell you here when she does.

Thanks for the gelato and the company, Bev and Tala.

SUMMER STYLE

Hi, folks. Simi here!

I bet you've been all been waiting for a post from me!

This week I've been busy glamming up for summer but it's hard for a doggie- girl to get some shuteye round here after she's had her fur cut! I just doze off nicely and there's my mummy with her camera:

So I'll get the bed how I like it and try again.......

or maybe like this........

Hmmm - too much exertion. I think I'll go in the other room and stretch out on my longer bed.....

Of course, my real bed's the one mummy thinks is hers! Heehee!

Every time we go out that ole black poodle down the road starts whining for me.  What a dog's life he has - not like me!

Well, that's all for now, fans. Look after your humans and see you soon.

Love,

Simi  xx woof!

SAYS IT ALL

And now, back to the stylish Italy that we love. For those of you who have not already seen it, this says it all:

Fiat Commercial - "The British / Italians are coming!"

Be honest: Who would you rather be invaded by?

MORE SHAME

Some of you may recall that earlier this month I wrote about some despicable racist remarks that had been directed, by someone who should have known better, at Italy's Integration Minister Cécile Kyenge.  To be fair to Italy, Senator Calderoli, who uttered the remarks, is now under investigation for defamation but that has not stopped others from insulting the Minister in a similar way.

In Cervia [Ravenna] on Friday - and I can hardly bring myself to write this -  bananas were thrown at Cécile Kyenge at a Democratic Party festival. It is not known who the instigators were but politicians from both Left and Right were quick to express their disgust. Ms Kyenge responded to the incident with dignity, lamenting the waste of food at a time when many people are starving and she has been praised for this, most notably by Maria Carfagna, spokesperson for Mr Berlusconi's Pdl Party in the Lower House. Ms Kyenge also later said that the solidarity shown towards her has made her proud to be Italian.

However, more insults were to come:  Yesterday, when Cécile Kyenge was about to enter the town council chamber in Cantù [Como] at the invitation of the Mayor, two Northern League councillors and a former councillor from their party walked out in protest at her presence.  

Today Ms Kyenge has said that, although the insults and threats will not cause her to resign, she is beginning to fear for the safety of her children. Calling upon Northern League Federal Secretary Roberto Maroni to put a stop to the insults she is receiving from members of his party, she has said that, if the situation continues, she will withdraw from a scheduled debate with Luca Zaia, the Leghista Governor of Veneto [who has also condemned the insults] at the beginning of August. Ms Kyenge also said that politicians with differing views should talk to each other about ideas, not insult each other or indulge in discourteous behaviour of the type exhibited at Cantù.

Italy is bound by EU anti-discrimination directives and, despite its economic problems, remains the fourth largest economy in the organisation. This is hard to believe at times!

ADVICE FOR ITALIAN TOURIST BOARDS

The Etna area, so proud, a few weeks ago, to have become a UNESCO World Heritage Site , has been given a definitive thumbs down by tourists because of a perceived lack of cleanliness there. A dearth of decent toilet facilities also featured high on the list of tourists' complaints. Something, it has been recognised, must be done but before the whole of Italy closes down for the "silly two weeks" around ferragosto [Assumption Day], I have some other suggestions [which some areas will need to heed more than others] for Italian tourist boards:

1. Yes, Italy, you need good toilet facilities at tourist spots. Tourists are not in a position to "wait till they get home" or even to their hotel and they want to be able to relieve themselves in clean surroundings without an interminable wait. Note to Sicily: If the tourists are women, they will also expect the toilet to have a seat!

2. Still on bathrooms, I'm really sorry if some tourists have taken things from or treated yours disrespectfully. The majority, however, have no intention of doing this and to be instructed how to behave in crappy, curt English scrawled on scruffy notices is hardly welcoming.

3.  It is not normal, in most other countries, to see overflowing rubbish containers in the street but having them emptied here depends on your town councils paying their refuse collectors, which is quite a normal thing to do elsewhere. People even get paid every month, without question. So put some pressure on your councils!

4.  Bus stops need to be clearly indicated as do the locations for buying tickets.

5. Tourists need easy transport links from large and small towns to nearby tourist attractions. They do not expect to have to take a taxi or to pay an exorbitant fare for one!

6. Not everybody is capable of climbing 500 steps to get into every church they see.

7. In the rest of the world, tourist offices exist to give tourists information. That is their function! They are also OPEN during the peak tourist season. Incidentally, the rest of the world does not close down for most of August.

8.  If you're going to use English, get it checked by someone who is a native speaker or an English teacher and preferably both. What the hell is "next opening" supposed to mean, for instance? I have recently seen an advertisement in English for a house built in the year "800" [which to an English speaker means 800 AD] when what was meant was obviously the nineteenth century. OK, I'm British and therefore precise but even an Italian would have to admit that there is quite a difference here!

9.  A  "Bed and Breakfast" and a self-catering house or apartment are two completely different concepts - yes, they are! A British or American  person does not expect to have to prepare his or her own breakfast in a "B&B".

10. We do still love you, Italy but a little consideration of tourists' needs would not go amiss!

SABATO MUSICALE

And I love this!

Cesare Cremonini - I Love You

PAUSA GELATO - 3

Flavours of tea, banana and kiwi

TAGLIATA SALAD WITH NECTARINES

Inspired by Nigella's tagliata recipe , I decided to make a salad using this kind of steak:

Tagliata salad with nectarines

500 gr sirloin [in Italy just tell your butcher you want to make tagliata]
3 nectarines [not soft ones]
20 datterini or cherry tomatoes
drained contents of a jar of grilled peppers, cut into smaller pieces if necessary
c. 500 gr rocket leaves, torn if they're large
12 mint leaves

Dressing
4 tablesp olive oil
1 tablesp red wine vinegar
1 tablesp runny honey
pinch chilli flakes
seasalt and a twist or two of black pepper

Start preparing this a few hours before you want to serve it:
First, oil the steak lightly on both sides and place on a heated, ridged griddle pan.  Cook for about 3 mins each side. Put the steak on a board and, when it has cooled a little, cut it diagonally into strips.
Let the griddle pan cool and wash it.
Next, slice the nectarines [not too thinly], drizzle the slices with olive oil [about 1 tablesp] and cook them on the griddle pan too, until stripes start to form on them. Lift the slices off the pan and leave to cool.
Halve the tomatoes.
When the steak and nectarines have cooled, put them in a large serving bowl with the tomatoes, rocket, peppers and mint leaves.  Leave it all in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together with a fork in a small bowl and leave that in the fridge too.
When you are ready to serve, whisk the dressing again with a fork,  pour it over the salad, toss it and there you are!

Serves four generously.

A TOOTHY DISTRICT?

With the world's attention having been on babies, and one baby in particular, for the past few days, I did not post yesterday or on Monday. What do you think about when you think of babies? Cribs, cradles, rattles and baby buggies? The babies themselves and how irresistibly cute they are with all the smiles, gurgles and cuddles? Or perhaps you remember the more stressful moments, like those of teething.

You could be forgiven for imagining that there are rather a lot of teething babies in a district of Modica called "Dente". Or could it be that the area has more than its fair share of dentists? Perhaps the area is shaped like a tooth? The area where I live is called the "Sorda", after a deaf woman who had a café here, so maybe a somewhat toothy lady owned a similar establishment in Dente?  No, none of these provide the reason for the district's name and I've always wondered about it.  Now, thanks to a student of mine, I can tell you the etymology of "Dente":

It seems that, at the beginning of the last century, a wooden sculpture of a Byzantine Madonna was found in the area and afterwards that part of Modica was always called "Urenti", the Sicilian dialect pronunciation of "Oriente". But this is also the way in which "dente" ["tooth"] is pronounced in Sicilian dialect. Later, when the term was translated into standard Italian, a mistake was made and the district acquired the name "Dente" instead of "Oriente."

SABATO MUSICALE

It's that season again and everyone's down at the sea so.....

Pino Daniele - Mareluna

THE WILL TO CHANGE

Paolo Borsellino

19 January 1940 - 19 July 1992

"Palermo non mi piaceva, per questo ho imparato ad amarla. Perché il vero amore consiste nell'amore di ciò che non ci piace per poterlo cambiare."

"I didn't like Palermo, so I learned to love it. Real love is loving what we don't like in order to be able to change it."

CAKE O'CLOCK

Some friends of mine who are watchmakers were opening a new store so I made them a "clock" Tipsy Cake.  The sugar flowers that were supposed to be the hands melted a little in the heat but no one seemed to mind.

"Ogni cosa havi lu sò tempu."

"To everything there is a time."

- Sicilian proverb

A TALE OF KINDNESS

Visualizza Mappa porti e approdi di Sicilia/Ports and harbours of the Sicily map in una mappa di dimensioni maggiori

From yesterday's sorry tale of Italy at its worst to a story that shows the country at its best. I'm particularly happy to be able to tell you that this is happening in Sicily:

On Friday afternoon a 13-year-old Somali boy landed at Portopalo [Siracusa Province] from a migrant boat. He was alone, confused and very frightened. The right side of his face was disfigured, he had lost an eye and his jawbone had been crushed by a shell which had exploded in his face in an ambush in which his father was killed.

The boy was immediately airlifted to the Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania. There, he has won the hearts of all who work in the Paediatrics Department and staff have been buying him clothes and necessities with their own money. He is currently undergoing treatment with antibiotics but needs an initial operation to reconstruct the right side of his face. As he is a minor with no one to give permission for him to have surgery, a local court will shortly appoint a guardian. A scan has revealed that a shell splinter remains in the boy's cranium and doctors are evaluating the possiblities of removing this. He will also need reconstructive surgery on his jaw.

Cultural mediators have been brought in to help the boy communicate and he is said to be happily watching television and playing games with other young patients. Nothing is yet known of the boy's journey as those treating and helping him believe he is still too traumatised to be asked about it.

This poor boy must have suffered unimaginable horrors and I know you will all join me in wishing him well. The island of Sicily has once again demonstrated its capacity for kindness and for taking a stranger to its great heart.

SHAME UPON SHAME

I write tonight as a resident of a country in which a senator who has held ministerial office can make a disgraceful sexist and racist remark and, seemingly, get away with it. As a lover of Italy, this saddens me. 

Most of you will by now have read or heard that Lega Nord Senator Roberto Calderoli, who served as Minister for Legislative Simplification [quite what he simplified I am not sure] in the last Berlusconi Cabinet, insulted the current Integration Minister, Cécile Kyenge, on Sunday by saying that when he saw photos of her he "couldn't help thinking of an orangutan".  He also said that, although Cécile Kyenge had done well to become a minister, she should carry out this role in her own country [a reference to Miss Kyenge's Congolese origin].

To be fair, expressions of outrage quickly followed from all sides of the political spectrum and from all sectors of Italian society:  The PD [Democratic Party] has called for Mr Calderoli's resignation, President Napolitano has expressed his indignation and Prime Minister Letta has spoken of the bad press that Italy is receiving all over the world because of this episode.  Mr Letta has not called for Mr Calderoli's resignation but, in a strongly-worded statement, has urged Lega Nord Federal Secretary Roberto Maroni to "close this page quickly" - that is, to put an end to such racial slurs from members of his party. Meanwhile, petitions calling for Mr Calderoli's resignation are circulating on facebook and twitter. All this has caused Mr Calderoli to issue an apology, in which he said that the remark had been a joke, born out of his love for animals.

Miss Kyenge said today that it is not her place to call for Mr Calderoli's resignation but that she would ask people to reflect on the role of those who hold public office.

I would pose another question: disliking our politicians is one thing and disagreeing with them is a democratic right. However, being ashamed of them, time and time again, is quite another matter. What are you going to do about it, Italy?

SABATO MUSICALE - POUR LA FRANCE

It is not only because tomorrow is Bastille Day that my thoughts are with that other lovely country whose language and literature have meant so much to me. It looks as if celebrations there will be scaled down following yesterday's tragic train crash and my heart goes out to all affected.

Here, for all who have loved, is an old favourite of mine:

Juliette Gréco - Moulin Rouge

WOOLLY VOYAGE?

Some years ago I wrote about the consternation caused to a class of mine by the expression  "as white as a sheet"; this was because they pronounced the word "shit" [which, of course, they all knew] as "sheet".

Well, now I appear to have a group of students who go on holiday on a "sheep"!  Good luck to them, say I.

Image: WP Clipart

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for my sheep to come in.

PAUSA GELATO - 2

REMEMBERING OPERATION HUSKY

Seventy years ago, on the night of 9th - 10th July 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily began, with the landings from the sea beginning at dawn on the 10th.  Codenamed Operation Husky, the landings involved the 7th US Army under General Patton [the "Western Task Force"]  and the 8th British Army under General Montgomery including the 1st Canadian Infantry Division [the "Eastern Task Force"].  It is worth noting that, with seven divisions, this was a bigger force than that which landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day [1944].  The beaches at Pachino were stormed by 25,000 Canadians and, whilst the Americans made rapid progress in the West, the British and Canadian soldiers met with fierce Italo-German resistance in the East. In the campaign, 562 Canadian soldiers lost their lives.

It is in memory of these soldiers in particular that commemoration ceremonies in Sicily have been organised by Canada Company during this month and volunteer marchers are retracing the route of the original march by the Canadian soldiers. There has already been a commemoration ceremony at Pachino and on Friday it will be Modica's turn. Among the visiting Canadians will be 92-year-old veteran Captain Sheridan ["Sherry"] Atkinson who more or less accepted the surrender of Modica. You can read the thoughts of another veteran, Charles Hunter, on the Canada Company website. On July 30th a morning roll call for the Canadian soldiers who lost their lives will be held at the Canadian War Cemetery at Agira.

In January I visited the Allied Landings Museum [Museo dello Sbarco] in Catania and tonight I would like to tell you that there is a smaller, but very lovingly curated, museum on this theme in Modica:  The brainchild of Andrea Blefari and Antonino Montalto, the museum has a well annotated collection of uniforms, medals, unpublished and personal documents, arms, military equipment and photos.  Andrea and Antonino's aim is not only to keep the memory of Operation Husky alive but, in their own words, "to teach the young about the price that is sometimes paid for freedom."

You can visit the Museo della Memoria in Modica by appointment and you will find details on their website.

Andrea and Antonino have now collected so many memorabilia of the campaign that they need more space for their museum and this Commonwealth citizen hopes that the Comune di Modica will soon provide it.

The museum photos speak for themselves but my favourite is the enormous WW2 field kitchen. The second portable kitchen that you will see is from WW1.

Museo della Memoria, Sicilia 1943 - slideshows

A total of 14,864 soldiers from Italy, Germany, the USA and the Commonwealth lost their lives during the Allied Landings in Sicily.

THANK YOU, NIGELLA

Thank you, Nigella, for the magnificent Tagliata recipe in Nigellissima, a book about which I was, admittedly, cynical at first. I'll eat the tagliata rather than my words!

Hang on a minute, though.... It wasn't till I was looking for a link to the book that I realised that you look rather different on the cover of the Italian edition! Now I wonder why that is....

What do you make of it, reader?

A VERY SPECIAL VISITOR

The island of Lampedusa, which has so often featured on this blog as the hoped-for "gateway to Europe" for desperate migrants, is to receive a very special visitor today. The visitor is none other than Pope Francis who, in a symbolic gesture, has chosen Lampedusa as the destination for his first trip outside Rome as Pope. 

Pope Francis wants this to be, above all, a simple visit and he has dispensed with the usual protocol surrounding a papal visit: he will not be surrounded by ministers or bishops and he wants to meet migrants, Lampedusa residents and coastguard, military and civilians who have participated in rescue efforts or who have helped the migrants in other ways. The Pontiff will lay a wreath upon the water for those migrants who lost their lives trying to reach Lampedusa and the altar at which he will celebrate Mass is made out of wood from a migrant boat. He will be given a pastoral staff which is also made of wood from one of the boats. 

I feel sure that a Pope who sees the poor as central to his mission and who told young people gathered in St Peter's Square today not to be afraid of joy can bring a message of hope to Lampedusa.

SABATO MUSICALE

In honour of Mr Jovanotti, who appears in concert in Palermo tonight, I am reposting one of my favourite songs of his. It is, of course, the theme song of the film of the same name:

Jovanotti - Baciami ancora

"COOL AS A CUCUMBER" SEMIFREDDO

I've been wanting to make a savoury semifreddo for some time and, as it's the cherry season in Italy, invented this one a few days ago. It makes an interesting starter for a summer meal and a semifreddo is a lot less hassle to make than a sorbet!

First, peel and deseed a cucumber.  Then chop it finely, sprinkle it with salt and leave it on a saucer for about 30 mins. Meanwhile,  lightly oil a 2lb, long loaf tin with groundnut or sunflower oil.  Then put 250 gr digestive biscuits in a clipped plastic bag and crush them to crumbs with a rolling pin. Stone and halve about 30 cherries.  After 30 mins, rinse the cucumber very well in a sieve and pat the pieces dry with kitchen paper. Sprinkle about 1 tablesp of the biscuit crumbs into the base of the loaf tin. Whip 500 ml panna da montare or whipping cream to the soft peak stage, then mix in all but another tablesp of the crumbs, the cucumber pieces, the cherries and any of their juice from the chopping board.  Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin, level it with a palette knife and sprinkle the rest of the crumbs over.  Wrap the whole tin in clingfilm and then in foil and put it in the freezer overnight.  When you are ready to serve the semifreddo, unwrap it, run a knife around the edges to loosen it and dip the base quickly into very hot water.  Then - keeping your nerve! - invert it onto a long serving dish. Decorate with cucumber slices and some more cherries.

If you have some mini loaf tins, you can make about 8 small semifreddi instead of one big one if you like:

PAUSA GELATO

Orange and peach

CHICKEN, ZUCCHINI AND MELON SALAD

This is an updated version of the "Sunday salad" I created last year:  This time, I used a packet of frozen, grilled courgettes [blanched for a couple of minutes in water to which I added the juice of a lemon] instead of the grilled aubergines. I left out the mint because I didn't have any and really I'd used it last year only because it is the traditional herb for aubergines here. I used cubes of pecorino and grana cheese instead of mozzarella. I also added balls of canteloupe melon. I prefer this year's version!

WELL DONE, ETNA!

Let's start the week with belated congratulations to Mount Etna, which on 21st June was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, becoming the 49th Italian site listed. There are 981 sites listed altogether and of these 759 are cultural, 193 are natural and 29 are of mixed properties. Sicily now has six sites in the list and these are:

The Archaeological Area of Agrigento
The Val di Noto cities
Siracusa
The Necropoli rupestri  [Rocky Necropolis] of Pantalica
The Aeolian Islands
Etna

Part of the Italian Delegation's submission reads,  "

"Mount Etna has erupted many times in human history; its intense and persistent volcanic activity is at the base of myths, legends and naturalistic observation since classic times. Consequently Mount Etna has been known, studied and visited by innumerable scientists and tourists from all around the world."   

It goes on to say, 

"Mount Etna has been, and still is, a major centre for international research with a long history of influence on volcanology, geology and geomorphology."

You can read the full justification here but anyone who has seen Sicily's most famous smoky lady will need no convincing!

SABATO MUSICALE

I like this little song about the nature of love:

Corinne Vigo - In amore

THE BOOBY TRAP

In 1965 the theatre critic Kenneth Tynan became the first person to use a certain four-letter word on British television. Despite the intellectual context of the remark, the incident caused a sensation and I remember, from that time, a newspaper cartoon in which a man, flicking at leisure through his own newspaper, is unmoved by reports of war, tragedy and disaster. When he comes upon a report of the Tynan incident, however, the man is so ouraged that he starts shouting and threatening all kinds of legal action and protest.  

I was reminded of this cartoon when I read the other day of the 139 people who had complained to the BBC about TV presenter Holly Willoughby's attire in the final programme of this season's series of the British talent show "The Voice".  In the end the BBC had to apologise and even the quality British press had a field day with "boob" puns. The dress in question is revealing and might not be very tasteful but it is hardly offensive or scandalous - or have I become Italianised?

The matter of Miss Willoughby's dress has been reported in Italy, too but with considerable puzzlement because no one can see what is wrong with it. How times have changed! When I first came to Italy in 1969 I was always being told that my dresses were "too low" [I didn't have the legs for mini-skirts but I did have boobs] and I felt I had to cover the upper part of my body wherever I went. [In a photo I've kept of myself in one of these "low-cut" dresses, there is no hint of cleavage at all to be seen.] These days, necklines are not only much lower here but you are nobody if you don't have half of your breasts exposed vertically as well. Even Sophia does it so it must be all right. [You have to have the right bra, of course, and, as I've written before, Italians are absolutely brilliant at bra manufacture.] 

I've still got boobs and am getting to the age when I shouldn't show them, I know. I've got a few low-cut day dresses and every time I wear one I remind myself that I wouldn't get away with it in the UK, where men often deal with femininity by insulting it. My dresses - and my body - are nothing like Miss Willoughby's but , with the help of the Italian lingerie industry, I'm enjoying my final seasons of the "If you've got it, flaunt it" variety!

INTRODUCING GIANPIERO

This is my friend Gianpiero Puma who in May opened Puma Studio Makeup with his partner Enrico Basile in Modica. Gianpiero is from Venezuela where he worked as a make-up artist for the television network Venevision.  So ladies, if you're visiting Modica and want to look and feel fabulous, I recommend a visit to Gianpiero and his team in their beautiful salon.

Via Resistenza Partigiana

1° Traversa DX 53/A

97015 Modica [RG]

Tel: 0039 0932 764863

info@pumastudiomakeup.it

"SAN PIETRO RI PETRA"

Modica is preparing to celebrate the feast day of one of her two patron saints, St Peter, on Saturday and, as part of these celebrations, a very special restoration has been unveiled.  It is a statue of the saint which has stood in a niche on the Corso Umberto  [Modica Bassa's main street] since the 1940s and is known locally as "San Pietro ri petra". I must admit, I had never noticed it before [which again proves the truth of the saying that you should not forget to look up when in Sicily].

The restoration was the inspiration of the Modica Rotary Club and one reason for their enthusiasm for the project was the determination of the war generation to have spiritual representations among the houses where ordinary people went about their daily business and lived their lives.  The restoration has been lovingly and faithfully carried out by Gaetana Ascenzo and the statue is now protected from atmospheric pollution by special glass. [Sorry about the reflection.]

Long may San Pietro, protector of fishermen, fishmongers, cobblers, locksmiths, reapers, watchmakers and doormen, continue to bless Modica. 

SABATO MUSICALE

Tonight we may all be able to see the "supermoon" so, with that in mind, here is a pretty song from the late Alex Baroni:

Alex Baroni - La voce della luna

A LITTLE BIT OF WALES

Dining out with friends the other day, I was surprised and delighted to see these among the condiments:

And what a pretty way to serve a steak!

PERFUMERY

As I walked out early on Saturday morning the scent of orange blossom was so heady and strong that I thought I was in Grasse.  At first, I couldn't work out where it was coming from. Then I looked up.

SEA OF SADNESS - 2

Image: Norman Einstein
Wikimedia Commons

Summer moons and calmer seas continue to bring with them the "boatloads of sorrow" and it is estimated that some 1,000 migrants reached the Sicilian and Calabrian coasts during Saturday - Sunday night.

Among these were the 95 survivors of a tragedy which took place 85 miles south of Malta in international waters. Some of these migrants were on a dinghy but others were clinging to a tuna fishing cage being dragged by a Tunisian fishing boat. Of these, at least seven were drowned when the boat crew cut the rope.  Some of the migrants tried to jump onto the fishing boat but were pushed back into the sea by crew members.  The passengers on the dinghy, by now adrift, and the migrants who were still clinging to the cage were spotted by a Maltese naval plane and, advised of their position, the Italian Coast Guard effected the rescue of the 95.

At first the survivors' accounts were treated with caution while investigations were carried out but they have now been verified. It is still not clear why or for how long some of the migrants had been clinging to the cage but it is possible that they threw themselves towards it in desperation because of the cramped conditions on the dinghy. 

Yesterday Laurens Jolles, the UNHCR delegate for Southern Europe, thanked the Italian Coast Guard for  its numerous actions, which have saved hundreds of lives. Monsignor Giancarlo Perego of Fondazione Migrantes called for "humanitarian channels for people to escape situations in the Middle East and Africa". He would like to see patrols accompanying the migrants in a spirit of welcome and a new European policy which would look upon asylum seekers and refugees more sympathetically. Meanwhile Italy's Integration Minister Cécile Kyenge has said that immigrants should be regarded as an important economic resource for  the country and has pointed out that if their lavoro nero  [illegal work] were regularised, the Italian Treasury would receive an extra five million euros in revenue.

As some of my commenters have pointed out on my other posts on this subject, there are no easy answers: The "Welcome Centre" on the island of Lampedusa - a structure built for 300 people -  is reported to be housing 855 at the moment and there are no immediate plans to transfer them.  Jobs are scarce in Italy and, when times are hard, it is always easy to blame an identifiable community. Yet, despite the problems, I do believe that we are beginning to see a change in attitudes towards migrants in Italy.  

EAVESDROPPING IN CATANIA

There are days when I wonder, "What on earth can I write about tonight?" but I have learnt that, if I pay attention to the detail of everyday life and am quietly observant, a subject will usually present itself. Thus it was in Catania on Saturday, when, stopping for an ice cream at a bar which had become a favourite of mine in that city, I overheard not one, but two conversations which I thought were interesting enough to report to you.  I justify my eavesdropping by pointing out that listening in seems to be all the rage at the moment and anyway, both conversations were loud enough to be heard by everyone in the busy street.

As I sat at an outside table watching the world go by, I noticed a young woman seated at the next table. I suppose I first looked across at her because the unpleasant odour of her cigarette smoke was coming in my direction but there was nothing I could do about that, although we were in a small, confined, space.  The terrace of this bar is enclosed by a screen on three sides, so whether it is "outside" or "inside" is debatable, but for smoking purposes such spaces are deemed to be "outside". [Come on, Italy - ban smoking in outdoor enclosed spaces, too, and ban the stupid electronic cigarettes while you're at it!]  The waitress, using halting English, was speaking to the young woman, who I gathered was Eastern European. I also understood that she had gone into the bar to ask for a job. By now, the waitress was explaining to her that the bar owner also owned a lap dancing club and that he was looking for dancers. "You wan' dance in the local?" [By "local" the waitress meant "club".]  "Yeh!" replied the young woman enthusiastically. Then the bar-owner appeared and, with the waitress still using bad English to translate, offered the young woman a job at the "local", which she accepted. 

First I was peturbed at the involvement of one woman in the degradation of another and then I began to wonder if the young woman really understood what kind of job she had been offered. I thought about asking her but decided against it as [a] she probably did; [b] it was none of my business; [c] she was not a minor and [d] she had polluted the entire terrace with her vile cigarette smoke and I did not feel like risking a nasty scene on her behalf. Well, what would you have done?

Finally, as I asked for my bill, I heard the same waitress tell the cashier, "The customer is Italian". This would indicate that the bar charges foreigners more than they charge Italians, which is quite scandalous. I haven't made my mind up yet whether to boycott the bar in future or ask, next time, if, as a Sicilian resident, I have to pay as an Italian or a foreigner!

SENZA PAROLE

The story of the insulting sexist menu featuring a "Julia Gillard dish" went around the world last week and of course, as this Guardian report proves, it was neither the first, nor will it be the last, time that a woman politician has been the victim of sexism. [Our old friend Silvio naturally appears in the Guardian article.]

However, an appallingly sexist and racist comment aimed at Italy's first black cabinet minister, Cécile Kyenge, the Minister for Integration, did not make international headlines. A quick internet check revealed that the British Daily Mail and the Toronto Sun had the story but I did not find it elsewhere in English. I report it here because every now and then, in Italy, a public figure makes a remark which simply could not be uttered, much less written, in Britain and when I first read about it the incident rendered me speechless.

On Thursday Dolores Valandro, a Lega Nord Councillor in Padua suggested, on her facebook page, that Minister Kyenge should be raped, "so that she would know what it feels like."  [This was in response to an online article about crimes allegedly carried out by immigrants.]  Cécile Kyenge said that such language was an incitement to violence and that all Italians should feel ashamed. Prime Minister Enrico Letta quickly agreed with the Minister and condemned the remarks, as did  Dolores Valandro's own party, who said they would expel her. Laura Boldrini, the Speaker of the Camera dei Deputati [Lower House] also expressed her outrage and said that the original remark was made worse by the fact that it came from a woman with a political role.

Dolores Valandro has since apologised and her facebook page has been taken down. Cécile Kyenge, speaking from Genova's Suq [multicultural] Festival today, said that she would always meet the language of violence with the language of non-violence.  All Italians I have spoken to about the incident have expressed their shame that a remark such as the one made by Dolores Valandro on Thursday could be made by a public figure in their country.

SABATO MUSICALE

Time for a dance, folks:

Alex Britti - Baciami [e portami a ballare]

PERFECT PARTNERS

Asiago cheese and cherries

"ENGLISH FUN WEEK" A MODICA!

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CENTRO LINGUISTICO INTERNAZIONALE

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Tel: 0932 905642 / 366 119 6467

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SETTIMANA DI DIVERTIMENTO E GIOCHI IN INGLESE

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8 – 12 LUGLIO 2013, DALLE 10.00 – 12.00

  

PROGRAMMA

DAY 1 / 1° GIORNO         BEACH DAY – SIMULAZIONE DI UN GIORNO ALLA SPIAGGIA!

DAY 2 / 2° GIORNO         JEWELLERY DAY – FABBRICHIAMO DELLA GIOIELLERIA!

DAY 3 / 3° GIORNO         FRUIT DAY – IL GIORNO DELLA FRUTTA!             

DAY 4 / 4° GIORNO         PAINTING DAY – CI DIVERTIAMO CON LA PITTURA!

DAY 5 / 5° GIORNO         DRESSING UP DAY – CI VESTIAMO A FESTA!

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Images / immagini [ apart from logo / tranne logo]: WP Clipart

A PEA-SUPER SALAD!

"I eat my peas with honey,

I've done it all my life,

It makes the peas taste funny

but it keeps them on the knife!"

- Anon.

Well, I do eat my peas with honey when I put them in salads, and that's just what I did the other day when I felt like inventing a new chicken salad for the Sicilian summer:

Pea-super* salad

2 tablesp balsamic vinegar

8 chicken breast escalopes, pounded very thin by your butcher

300 gr fresh or frozen peas plus mint sprig

a goodly chunk of Sicilian peppered Pecorino, cubed

6 - 8 plums, sliced

100 gr pack rocket leaves

a handful of other salad leaves of your choice

a handful of basil leaves, torn

about 8 mint leaves, torn

2 tablesp olive oil

Dressing:

2 tablesp olive oil

1 tablesp honey

1 tablesp balsamic vinegar

seasalt and black pepper

Marinate the chicken escalopes in the balsamic vinegar for at least 2 hours, then lift the chicken pieces out and leave them on kitchen paper. 

Cook the peas in salted water with a sprig of mint until they are just tender, then rinse them in cold water.

Drain the peas and put them into a large salad bowl with the Pecorino, plums, salad  leaves and herbs. Put the bowl in the fridge.

Make the dressing by simply mixing all the ingredients together well and put this in the fridge, too.

Heat the oil on a ridged griddle pan and cook the chicken escalopes on it - about 1 minute per side. As they are cooked, lift them onto a plate and leave to cool.  When you can handle them, cut them into small pieces with a kitchen scissors and add to the salad bowl. Just before serving, give the dressing a final whisk with a fork, pour it over the salad ingredients and toss well.

Buon appetito.

*A pea-souper was a thick, London fog which was so polluted that it was said to look like yellow pea soup. I never saw one, as they were largely a product of an age of heavy industry and coal fires. However, when I was a child I heard my parents talking about them and  I thought the fog had got its name because it was so cold and miserable outside that it made you crave a warming pea soup!

IN BOCCA AL LUPO ALLA "NERINA"!

Ortigia, Siracusa

Today a sailing boat left Ortigia in Siracusa for Ancona, from where her very unusual crew will sail her in the ORC International World Championships which will be held there from 21st - 29th June. The crew, made up of 18 young people who have been in prison or have been addicted to drugs, have been trained to sail as part of a social inclusion programme called "Liberi di... liberi da" [Free of.... free from"] which is funded by the Sicilian Regional Government.

The young people were trained for two years and then given work experience placements in various shipyards in Siracusa. There, reports Corriere della Sera, their co-workers imparted to them their own love of the sea and boats. What is more, the experiment worked so well that the young people are now regarded as indispensable by their employers.

I am sure you will join me in wishing the Nerina and her crew good luck. 

SABATO MUSICALE

The Sicilian summer has arrived and everybody's thinking about the sea, so here is lovely Patrizio Buanne to tell us that "You are inside me, like a high tide".  Enjoy:

Patrizio Buanne - Alta Marea