Italy in Books Reading Challenge – January

 

Well after all I have had to say on the matter recently Blogging, Photography, Reading you will probably have realised that I seem to be posting as frequently as ever! This is all part of sorting out my blogging frequencies and where, when and what those posts will be about.  In response to all the wonderful feedback I have received, Photo Friday and Sunday Song have already been reinstated.

Meanwhile this extra post is because I suddenly realised it was January 31st and I wanted to get my Italy in Books Reading Challenge for January posted, which I have now done.

Book Reviews are a category I sometimes include on News From Italy if I have felt it is of interest, such as  Marcus of Umbria, or La Bella Lingua            

It seems relevant therefore that if I am taking part in this challenge that I should publish reviews here.

The challenge is the idea of  Brighton Blogger of Book After Book, which you can find out all about over on her blog in the post.  Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011    Maybe some of you will also consider joining in?

The January post with a list of books that people are reading has already been posted. January Reviews 

I intend to read and write about one book set in Italy every month, fiction or non fiction then feature them here as well as on LindyLouMac's Book Reviews.  Hopefully they will be of interest to the different readerships, although I know some of you do read both.

This months choice was Last Train From Liguria by Christine Dwyer Hickey

 

I have never read anything by this author before so I have no comparisons to make with previous novels. All I knew was that Christine Dwyer-Hickey is an award winning Irish novelist. While I found this narrative interesting taking us back and forth between London, Dublin and Italy in the nineteen thirties and mid nineteen nineties it neither excited me nor bored me. In fact leaving me feeling rather indifferent about this well written novel. I am disappointed and feel a little guilty admitting this, but there is no point in pretending otherwise. A decent read that was absorbing but nothing particular really drew me in.

The main setting of the story is fascist era Italy where the female protagonist Bella Stuart takes a position as tutor to Alec the son of the aristocratic Lami family. His mother has little time for him and Alec’s life revolves around Bella and his music teacher Edward King. The reader has already learnt much about the latters past in the opening chapter of the novel, a dark secret he keeps to himself in Italy. When the story moves to the present times it is to meet Anna a young woman of Italian descent and gradually connections with the past are uncovered.

It is a vivid picture of Italy during the rise of fascism that the author gives us with a very atmospheric sense of place. A novel not just about the historical period it is set in but a love story of perception and regret.

Christine Dwyer-Hickey

I will be interested to see if any other participants in the  Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011 choose this title and if so what they make of it.  My copy is at the moment available to anyone in Europe taking part in the challenge as I am willing to mail it to them. In fact I would like to send this book travelling via Bookcrossing  to any one that may like to read it.

Sunday Song – Jovanotti – Ora - Tutto L'Amore Che Ho – All the Love I Have

 

Lorenzo Jovanotti is a very popular Italian singer, songwriter whose real name is Lorenzo Cherubini, he was born in Rome, Italy on 27th of September 1966.

I have chosen to feature a song from this artist as my first Sunday Song for 2011 because just a few days ago on January 25th his latest album ‘Ora’  was released.

     

Magazine covers and other photos courtesy of Soleluna.com

Ora is a much awaited new album as it is three years since his previous release Safari. Ora the Italian word actually translates to ‘Now’ or ‘Time’. I actually prefer to think that Jovanotti would consider the English meaning to be ‘Now’ as this double CD is dedicated to his mother who died recently. The album is very much a tribute to his mother who enjoyed the sort of music that he has produced in the twenty five tracks.

The first single from ‘Ora’ was released before Christmas and went straight to the top of the Italian music charts where it has remained and here it is the last number one hit in Italy for 2010 and the first for 2011  Tutto L'Amore Che Ho – All the Love I Have

Tutto L'Amore Che Ho – All the Love I Have

lorenzojovanotti

If you have a problem with the above video not loading correctly, just click on this link to YouTube

Lyrics courtesy of http://lyricstranslate.com                                                                                            

Tutto L'amore Che ho                                                                                                                

Le meraviglie in questa parte di universo,
sembrano nate per incorniciarti il volto
e se per caso dentro al caos ti avessi perso,
avrei avvertito un forte senso di irrisolto.

Un grande vuoto che mi avrebbe spinto oltre,
fino al confine estremo delle mie speranze,
ti avrei cercato come un cavaliere pazzo,
avrei lottato contro il male e le sue istanze.
I labirinti avrei percorso senza un filo,
nutrendomi di ciò che il suolo avrebbe offerto
e a ogni confine nuovo io avrei chiesto asilo,
avrei rischiato la mia vita in mare aperto.
Considerando che l’amore non ha prezzo
sono disposto a tutto per averne un po’,
considerando che l’amore non ha prezzo
lo pagherò offrendo tutto l’amore,
tutto l’amore che ho.
Un prigioniero dentro al carcere infinito,
mi sentirei se tu non fossi nel mio cuore,
starei nascosto come molti dietro ad un dito
a darla vinta ai venditori di dolore.
E ho visto cose riservate ai sognatori,
ed ho bevuto il succo amaro del disprezzo,
ed ho commesso tutti gli atti miei più puri.
Considerando che l’amore non ha prezzo…
Considerando che l’amore non ha prezzo,
sono disposto a tutto per averne un po’,
considerando che l’amore non ha prezzo
lo pagherò offrendo tutto l’amore,
tutto l’amore che ho,
tutto l’amore che ho.
Senza di te sarebbe stato tutto vano,
come una spada che trafigge un corpo morto,
senza l’amore sarei solo un ciarlatano,
come una barca che non esce mai dal porto.
Considerando che l’amore non ha prezzo,
sono disposto a tutto per averne un po’,
considerando che l’amore non ha prezzo
lo pagherò offrendo tutto l’amore,
tutto l’amore che ho,
tutto l’amore che ho,
tutto l’amore che ho,
tutto l’amore che ho,
tutto l’amore che ho.

All the love I have

The wonders in this part of the universe,
Seem born to frame our faces
And if you'd gotten lost in the chaos,
I'd have had a strong feeling of unresolved.

A great vacuum that would have gone further,
To the extreme limits of my hopes,
I would've looked for you like a mad knight,
I would've fought against evil and its instances.
I would've gone through the labyrinths without hints,
Feeding on the ground that they would offer
And each new frontier I would have asked for a roof,
I'd have risked my life at sea.
Considering that love is priceless
I am willing to do anything to get a bit of it,
Considering that love is priceless
I will pay all the offered love,
all the love I have.
A prisoner inside the infinite prison
Is you I'd feel if you were not in my heart,
I would be hidden like many behind a finger
To give in to the sellers of pain.
And I've seen things reserved for dreamers
And I drank the juice of bitter contempt,
And I committed all my purest acts.
Considering that love is priceless ...
Considering that love is priceless,
I am willing to do anything to get a bit of it,
Considering that love is priceless
I will pay all the offered love,
all the love I have,
all the love I have.
Without you I would be all in vain,
Like a sword that pierces a dead body,
Without love I would be just a charlatan
Like a ship that never leaves port.
Considering that love is priceless,
I am willing to do anything to get a bit of it,
Considering that love is priceless
I will pay all the offered love,
all the love I have,
all the love I have,
all the love I have,
all the love I have,
all the love I have.

 

I have featured Jovanotti on Sunday Song before here are the links

http://lindyloumac.blogspot.com/2010/08/sunday-song-buon-ferragosto-tribute.html

http://lindyloumac.blogspot.com/2010/09/sunday-song-lorenzo-jovanotti.html

If you are still interested in learning more about the artist Jovanotti, then here is a list of sites worth visiting

Jovanotti - Wikipedia Jovanotti - MySpace Jovanotti – Facebook   Jovanotti - Official Website - Soleluna

More Sunday Songs can be found by visiting 5 Minutes Just for Me

Following on from my recent post Blogging, Photography, Reading. I  am planning to feature Sunday Song every other weekend this year.

Buono Domenica Tutti

Friday Photo - Wintry Weather and Japonica Buds.

 

All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection

The cold weather we have been experiencing has certainly not stopped the Japonica buds from opening. This collage was made from photos taken in and from our garden during the last ten days.

I have yet to reply to all your kind words of encouragement in your responses to my last post Blogging, Photography, Reading. If I am going to carry on with News From Italy I think I will concentrate on the photographic aspect of our everyday life more than ever.

With this in mind I am reviving my Friday Photo which I first started posting here last March, only now I have decided to spell Photo correctly no more phonetics!

Have a good weekend everyone.

Blogging, Photography, Reading.

 

It was partly my last post here that set me thinking about just how cyclical our life style in Italy is and that maybe my writing about the everyday happenings here is in jeopardy of becoming rather too repetitive?

This is difficult for me as I do not want to bore my established readers by posting about the same events year in year out.  However that probably means that I will not have much new to tell you about unless something out of the ordinary does occur, that I think might be of interest.

There has always been interest in my garden, musical and advertising posts and I also will have a little more renovation progress to share. Most other happenings, sagras, festas and such events, even the garden posts are in fact going to be the very same or similar to ones I have posted about previous years, if I continue to write about our life.

Is the idea of repetition, as our life here progresses in tune with the seasons, going to put you off I wonder?  Any ideas comments or criticisms are welcome to add to discussions I have already had with some of you.

I do not want this blog to ever be more than fun to produce and read so I am not sure how it will develop this year.

I do also want to spend more time on some of my other interests including photography and reading, both of which I blog about elsewhere.  LindyLouMac's Book Reviews is where I indulge my love of books, I would love you to join me there if you are at all interested.  As for photography I am a contributor to a blog called Beautiful World which you are also welcome to follow.

I would also like to thank everyone for the support and friendship I have gained from so many different places around the world since I started producing News From Italy in this format nearly two years ago now.  I look forward to these relationships continuing to grow throughout the coming months, your comments and support really do make this a worthwhile venture.

Thankyou readers!  Family and Friends and Followers long established or those who have recently joined me you are all appreciated.

A selection of images that express my interest in blogging, photography and reading!

    

          

              

 

        

 

In conclusion I think thanks to my loyal friends in the blogsphere I will continue to post, but please bear with me if it is not as often.

Maybe this is just the January blues but then maybe not as I definitely want to spend more time pursuing my other interests this year!

Thankyou readers!  Family and Friends and Followers long established or those who have recently joined me you are all appreciated.

Sausage Time and Pruning Again!

 

For those of you who have been reading ‘News from Italy’ in it’s various past forms of newsletters and older blog posts for a number of years you will already know that if it is January, it is likely that we will be very busy pruning. That is exactly what we have been doing during the fine spell of weather we have been enjoying recently, although these days it is not just olives to prune as it was at our old house.

December or January is also the normal time time for an important event that takes place in many parts of rural Italy, the Annual Pig Slaughter.  You may remember that our wonderful neighbours had a large number of our windfall apples in the autumn to feed to their pig.  Wine Lesson + Apples

Many of our neighbours in this locality raise at least one pig a year, that keeps them well supplied with pork/maiale including salami/salumi and sausages/salsicce.

Last year we actually participated in this event and I wrote about it for a blog post. Annual Pig Celebration 2010 Post   This year we were away on our UK Road Trip when the slaughter took place  and missed joining in the celebrations that are part of the occasion.  Soon afterwards the sausage making takes place and I also missed watching that this year.  Our neighbours therefore invited us round for an official sausage tasting supper recently just because we missed out on the big celebration lunch itself.

 

These photographs are taken from last years post as I did not take my camera with me the other evening but the album of photos of last year is available to view on Flickr.com if you are interested. The Pig 2010

Life is still lived very much by the seasons using produce that the land and their hard work provides for this kind Italian couple. Without a doubt they are not unusual here, there are very many families all over Italy that still live this type of life controlled by the rhythm of the seasons.

All photographs used are my own All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection

Italy to UK Road Trip

 

We have recently returned from a 26 day road trip to the UK, a journey we made to spend quality time with some of our family and friends over Christmas and New Year. Sadly although we were away so long we still did not get the opportunity to meet up with as many people as we had hoped.

Circumstances and weather were very much against us.

Although not strictly  ‘News From Italy’  I have been asked to share some photos with you. So here then is a selection from our trip showing you not only the weather conditions we experienced but also some of the places we visited.

For those of you interested in viewing the full selection I have created an album on Flickr.com  UK Road Trip Dec 2010 - Jan 2011

When we left home at 8.30am on the 15th of December it was minus 5C and it was no surprise therefore to hear from friends that the very next day there was snow in the Viterbo region. What a shame I was not at home to photograph it!  We were however to see plenty of snow ourselves over the next few weeks, starting from south of the San Gottardo Tunnel and staying with us on our travels until almost New Year.  In mainland Europe however the roads were kept clear, lorries were not allowed to move on the motorways and chaos did not ensue as it did in the UK.

Approaching San Gottardo Tunnel

Sunrise from our hotel in Luzerne, Switzerland. 16th December 2010

Lorries parked up in the fast lane due to snow conditions on the French motorway!

The Dorking Cockerel, a landmark in our hometown, Dorking Surrey.

I did take a lot more snow photos but I think most of you will have by now seen more than enough snow, so let’s move on! In fact I will skip Christmas lights, Christmas and New Year altogether. This time was spent with family and friends in Surrey and Salisbury. A planned trip to Wales sadly never materialised due to weather conditions but on January 4th we were able to travel to Suffolk to spend a few days with friends. It was extremely cold while we were there but at least all the snow had gone and it remained dry. While we were there we visited Diss and Norwich both just over the border in neighbouring Norfolk.

Frozen Mere, Diss, Norfolk.

Norwich Castle, rather imposing!

Norwich Castle Interior

View from slit window in Norwich Castle

Hay Hill, Norwich.

St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich

Finally homeward bound again, we once again stayed overnight near Luzerne in Switzerland, although the scenery was green rather than white this time.

View from our hotel room in Luzerne, Switzerland rather different scenery from last visit on the  16th/17th Dec!!

 

If you enjoyed this taster of our trip but still want to view some more photos my album can be found on Flickr.com  UK Road Trip Dec 2010 - Jan 2011

Italian January Sunsets

 

In my next post I am planning to share with you some photographs from our recent road trip from Italy to the UK but meanwhile I was loading my recent photos to Flickr today and I realised that these sunsets are just too beautiful not to post here.

Gaze at these for a few minutes and you will I hope appreciate the marvel of nature. They were all taken from home over three consecutive days this week.

January 11th 2011

January 11th 2011

January 11th 2011

January 12th 2011

January 12th 2011

January 13th 2011

January 13th 2011

January 13th 2011

This last and most recent sunset is my favourite from this selection.

Have a great weekend everyone, where ever you are in the world.