Chroniques italiennes #6, Road Trip

ROME
14:00 initial appointment at San Paolo
He called me to ask if 14:30 would be OK? ok.
14:31 I'm at the wrong metro station, San Giovanni :)
15:30 They pick me up at Agnagnina
15:45 Stop at the Autogrill
16:10 First car joins us
16:15 We go for coffee
16:30 Start again
17:00 Stop at the first Autogrill after the toll, wait for the second car
17:10 Off we go, finally!
18:30 First Bible Study at the camp but were are still so far away
21:00 We are lost
21:30 We finally arrive while the others are having dinner
CASTEL NUOVO DELLA DAUNIA (PUGLIA)
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Chroniques italiennes #4, Road Signs in Puglia

Puglia is situated at the south-eastern tip of the Italian peninsula.

I have kind of an attraction for Puglia. "Sous le soleil des Scorta" written by Laurent Gaudé won the Goncourt Prize in 2004 - Claudia my flatmate and friend shared with me this culture from the south - This spring I almost got a job to work in a factory in Lecce - I planned a camping trip to Puglia during the G8 (however the plan failed) - well some things definitely link me to Puglia :)

I entered Puglia for the first time about 10 days ago. Unfortunately it was not at the seaside but in the mountain part, in a village 30 kms from Foggia, called Castelnuovo della Daunia. We carpooled from Rome and got lost!

Listen, now comes the important lesson you have to learn BEFORE entering as an innocent tourist Puglia for the first time: In Puglia, never trust road signs! I was told so by my italian friends. And I can tell you it's not a lie. Or road sings are inexistant, or they are so far away from one another that you have 100% chances to take the wrong direction at all intermediate crossroads, or they contradict themselves! See below, the only two signs we found for Castelnuovo della Daunia, on the same public square: one showing left, the other right...

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Chroniques italiennes #3, Ferragosto

August break in Rome.

The 8th month is reputed dead in the city. Shops are closed, public transports are slowing down, italians are at the sea side, the metro to the beach is crowded... 2009 was the first year I was experiencing it in Rome. In my opinion it was fine, even though some of my usual shops were closed. I just felt the emptiness on the Ferragosto (Assumption) week-end. The building was empty. Even Italians that are not on holidays at that time (a small portion) leave the city to visit family or spend a long week-end at the sea or countryside. The only thing you should avoid just before Assumption day is to look for a sun lotion because you are supposed to go to the beach on the next day.... I did it, and had troubles to find what I wanted without spending the triple of the usual price in a pharmacy :D

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“You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those people you can't forget. Those are your 'friends.'”

Once I found this quote on thinkexist, and really liked it. I travel and meet lots of new people but I still cannot explain the alchemy involved in relations. Why can you talk for hours with friends you haven't seen for years as well as friends you have left just yesterday and be so stupid at a cocktail? Why is distance sad but at the same time doesn't matter? Why do you feel well with some people having known them for years or just for a few days?

I cannot mention names here, but I would like to tell you how much I enjoy sharing time with you and care about our relation. It's just wonderful to know you and keep in touch whenever possible! It makes me smile :D

hugs xxx, red.impala

ps: no hierarchy in this picture gallery and no exhaustiveness!
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NL - Monster autumn beach

The beach, this afternoon. Sunny, windy, September.

- picture taken through polarized sunglasses, view of 6&8e Petroleum Haven -

but where is Monster???


Agrandir le plan

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Chroniques italiennes #5, "Servito" versus "Fai da Te"

In Italy you have to ways of fill your tank: the lazy way (or generous one if you consider you are sustaining the economy by keeping more jobs in petrol stations) or the healthy way (or not because you have to get out of your car and breathe all the pollution around).

The basic choice is to be served or not? And I always wondered what was the price difference or if you had to tip the employee filling your tank. Now I have the answer.... 0,039 EUR/L. 1,755 EUR for a 45L tank. The choice is yours!

- Served -

- Do it yourself -

here is another story about gas station in Italy: http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/04/living-in-italy-part-10-pay-at-cashier.html
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FAO cookbook

I'm back home and I wanted to prepare erythrean panckes. I don't have the recipe but internet... so I found out that it is called "injera". And I discovered the world cook book from the FAO (INPHO). It's really interesting for traditional and local recipes. Here is the link: http://www.fao.org/inpho/isma?difficulty=&m=cookbook&i=INPhO&commodities=&grp_com=2&p=AdvancedSearchForm&dish_type=7〈=en

It's not super user friendly but if as my mum you buy cereals at the asian shop and don't know what you could do with it, it can be helpful to find a dish with your ingredient. And they are no fancy recipes as most of them were studied from a nutritional point of view and are collected to help population to save the diversity of cooking.

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What's wrong?

Piazzale Verano. Weekday @ 5pm. Can you tell me what's happening in these pictures? And why this situation looks strange?



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IT- non relevant architecture

I don't know what this house represents but it's for sure innovative architecture for Rome. It's located in (or just outside) villa torlonia.


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IT- Gelateria di connaisseurs

After the beach afternoon we went for an icecream. You would never find the place alone and doesn't look very pretty but they sell really good ice cream (artigianale), really cheap (1,5EUR), really big (3 tastes + cream)!

It's called "il borghetto dei pescatori" in Ostia, metro castel furtano on the other side of the old port.





ENJOY!
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Let's go!

Samedi matin. 5 septembre. 10h. C'est parti!

J'ai lancé la machine à laver, je me suis préparé un thé noir, au lait, avec du sucre et une tartine de nutella (il faut bien qqs calories pour affronter la matinée :) Mes colocs ne sont pas encore réveillées et la température est descendue pendant la nuit. Les oiseaux chantent et l'aspirateur des voisins siffle.

Après une semaine de vacances touristiques à Rome, le boulot m'attend. J'ai fait ma liste, première échéance mercredi, et la deuxième avant le 15: un rapport, une présentation, une préparation de réunion, un dossier de candidature, des cartes.

Mmmh, c'est déjà la fin de la tartine. Les choses sérieuses commencent. °<><

IT- Ostia plage

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IT- Port Ostia

(M) Castel Furtano
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36 - 46

Différence entre une pointure 36 (moi) et 46 (Davide)

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