7.20 p.m.
Hi to all my readers. The list is growing and there’s now about 6 of you out there reading this! I can’t believe it and feel quite guilty that I don’t write something much better!
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I found it hard to believe, but there are two people that actually read this blog! I know this only because they told me. In fact, one of them complained that most of it was boring, so, basically, they only read the first few lines!
So, blogging! It’s interesting stuff. To be honest most blogs are rambles by teenagers or people who think they’re teenagers. Search through the blogs in Blogspot, Journalspace, etc. and most of the information is banal, to say the least. You might find some like minded people, but mostly you don’t – or maybe I’m looking in the wrong places – or maybe there aren’t any people who think like me (which wouldn’t really surprise me).
D telephoned yesterday evening to say that John Prosser, his father and a great man, died on Sunday, 23/4.
He was a first-class guy and friend who will be sorely missed. Of course, I was crap at keeping in touch – but then, we are/were blokes, so what do you expect.
He had suffered with cancer for some time and had been through one bout of chemo, which, sadly, had not done the trick, however, he was due to go onto another course of an experimental kind and, in fact, had started it. But it was just too strong.
Italians have a passion for food. But the passion they have is incredible.
On the plus side, most of the food you get here is fresh – made with fresh ingredients (and you can taste it). In a restaurant, the menu will say if any of the dishes contain frozen food. Getting a take-away pizza (which we do from time to time, from the restaurant at the back of the flat) means that it is cooked that instant using dough made that day and with produce bought that day. Everyone here eats pizza from a restaurant. They have the best (wood or, sometimes, gas fired) pizza ovens and the cost of a pizza – about €6 – €8, sometimes less! Why cook it yourself?
I love Italy. I love the Italians. I think I love the Italian way of life, but it’s more complicated than it seems at first, which is to be expected. I love the culture. I love the buildings (and, in particular, many buildings in Milan). I expected much more red-tape, but, so far, I have been pleasantly surprised.
BUT, don’t go thinking that living in Italy is just like living in the UK, but with better food and more red-tape. It’s not the same at all. Of course, I’m sure you can go to certain areas (Tuscany, maybe), where there will be enclaves of British folk living their British way of life, but in a beautiful setting and where, should you wish, you need not worry too much about actually living with the Italians.
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