OK, so it isn't a letter from Rome but, rather, 'A letter from Milano'....e vicino...
While mio marito begs his fellow Italians to sell Atlas TG services this morning, my a.m. activities include the luxurious exercise of walking from one bar to the next, ordering a cappuccino even better than the last.
And the pasta. Al dente...
Arrived late last nite from Malta, mio marito met us, and whisked we three away to a late nite dinner. Ordered my old stand by, a lovely bottle of Dolcetto D'Alba, 8 euro. So happy. Still just 8 euro for a most fantastic bottle of wine.
Why oh why can the Parisians not learn how to cook pasta. The Italians practically taught them cuisine and yet they cook the middle to muddle and we lose the vitamins and the ability to taste the pasta completely. No wonder I'm getting so fat on the frites.
And of course, not even going to try to get back to Paris while they cripple the country w/strike. Funny how the English are being held up at Eurostar. Singing songs and getting silly. Wonder is Johnny will kick their way to victory...not if my boy Percy has something to say about it...alas, so many of our English friends are becoming our golden elks...so VIVE LONDRE...
And, listen, no complaints about getting stuck in Italy. It's so gorgeous, calm, the land of piano, piano.
It's practically impossible to get excited about anything, but I will....what about Bhutto's crap landing in the crap land that is Pakistan. For heavens sake woman. I know they love you where's the luv when 200 are dead at the greet?!
Won't get excited about the fact the Turks have every reason to bomb Iraq. Anyone remember the TWO Israeli's that were KIDNAPPED, not KILLED, giving fanatical Israeli's the EXCUSE the BOMB BERUIT BACK TO THE STONE AGE. Well, They KILLED 12 Turks, so Bush, per usual, has now diplomatic leverage. And the Turks won't take 12 billionUSD, we give Israel that everyday, they'lll bomb.
Iraq. Don't think we can blame the Turks for fucking it up.
Ugly metaphor: last night, doppo dolcetto d'alba and dinner I say an arrivederci to mio marito as he gets ready for the next day's meetings. I take the muffins for a long, chilly walk in Milan. I arrive back at the hotel, a hotel I know well. I've stayed here often and everyone luvs Colette and Godot. The hotel tells me I can take them everywhere but the restaurant. No problem. I meander to the bar to imbibe in a nightcap. There is an obnoxious guy guzzling red wine and eating his dinner, he grumbles.
Listen, if he has a problem w/the dogs, I'll leave. He becomes agitated. Doesn't talk to me but rather, gets up in drunken state, tries to grab a bottle of water to look sober, it misses, it falls on the floor. The good natured Italian bartender has had about enough of this guy. The obnoxious guy takes off and the bartender tells him he must pay. He's making a fuss in the foyer. He walks by and growls as he sees me and mumbles, "you win.."
What thuh?
I look at the bartender and ask in Italian what the hell's up. He tells me the man is Lithuanian or somesuch, doesn't speak Italian (or act it) and has had way too much to drink. He finally comes back in, and the bartender tells him the bar is closed. For whatever reason he wants to chat me up now. He asks me where I am from, I tell him, he now knows I'm American. He tells me he's Israeli and he and I are partners and wants to shake my hand. I say no. He's so drunk and so particularly unpleasant, breaking up the laid back environs...
I get up from the bar and me, c n g leave.
Why do some people want to make such noise. All the time. Such bad behavior. Israel. Just bad behavior. This argument that they are victims is just too stupid to believe. We Americans ate this up for decades. Time to stop. They haven't been victims since '67. Now they don't even debate, just demand.
What a clusterfuck. I remember 6 or so years ago, just prior to our setting sail, I'd read in The Seattle Times that if you said anything against Isaeli, it was considered anti-semitic...well, we've never been known for analyzing the actual debate, have we....I recall having lunch w/my galpals and stating my views clearly....they sort of agreed, but only in hushed tones, greater Israel bad, very bad....hmmm, the one that visited Israel and Palestine last year and sat at the checkpoints has certainly come around to my way of thinking, out loud, now.
Well, piano piano...life will unfold as it will....I can only effect my own life, which, quite frankly, is quite nice, especially as I'm living life well in Milan for a few days...
No complaints, certo....not really...
Viva Italia....
