Tag Archives: Books

I don’t really belong

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I don’t think I’ll ever be something other than a foreigner in a foreign land.

I mean, I’ll never be totally relaxed. I came to this realisation whilst driving the dogs to the pineta on Sunday morning. I reached the traffic lights and, as I sat there, waiting for the lights to turn green, it struck me again that it’s not the place I am “from”. To the right is a place that looks a little like a timber yard – except that it sells marble. To the left is what look like a run-down workshop – except that it is a place where marble is carved into headstones and statues. The weather is warm and there is not a cloud in the sky and yet it’s towards the end of September and I am dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. This is not deepest Herefordshire.

It’s not such a bad thing – it’s just that it is, in a way, a little bit frightening. I don’t know that you will understand that and I’m not sure that I do either. Still, there it is.

The night before I had been with the family. This was the close family. This was F’s Mum’s birthday dinner. So F’s Mum and Dad, his sister (with husband and niece), twin brother (and girlfriend) and him (with me). There’s no strangeness from his family towards me at all. I am accepted completely and surrounded by his family and, in some way, feel part of it.

We went to Ristorante Venanzio in the small town of Colonnata, near Carrara which is situated deep in the mountains and surrounded by the marble quarries, famous for their white marble. It’s also famous for it’s Lardo di Colonnato, which I love.

Normally, when we go to Carrara for the weekend, we arrive sometime on Friday night and, usually, we drop the dogs at home and then go to Bati Bati for a pizza. I always have the pizza with Lardo, asparagus and aubergine (egg plant to Americans). It is one of the very best pizzas I’ve ever had. And, even now, writing about it, my mouth is salivating (really)!

However, at Venanzio, we had Lardo as antipasto (along with a load of other, very nice, things) which was “to die for”. So tasty. F’s brother told me that they have a special source for it and you won’t find it for sale anywhere else, even in the small village of Colonnata. We had a selection of pasta dishes (my favourite being Lasagnetta with sausage sauce) and then, I had lamb. Unfortunately, like most of Italy, the lamb was only so-so. Not a replacement for La Brace. However, I tasted F’s rabbit with lardo. It was slices of a rolled rabbit joint with lardo and herbs filling it. It was incredible.

Service was excellent (but we were the first there). Sweet was a cake (as it was F’s Mum’s birthday) which was very nice.

It wasn’t so expensive – about €40 each, including wine (4 bottles), a glass of sweet desert wine with the cake and a digestivo. Would definitely go again, the only downside being getting there (or, rather, getting back). The only way is via a narrow switchback road from Carrara – so you really MUST NOT drink and drive!

Anyway, you should go there for the Lardo!

Sunday was a day on the beach and it was one of the best days on the beach. Now, being the end of the season, half the umbrellas have been taken away so there’s much more room and, of course, a lot less people. Now, at this time in September, you can sit in the sun all day without becoming too hot – the breeze is cooling, the sun not so fierce. And so we do.

F talks about coming down next weekend, if the weather is good. It will be the last weekend – the beach closes at the end of September, the café is doing some sort of buffet spread on the Sunday. F suggests we might take a few hours off on Monday so we can stay down Sunday night. Let’s see how the weather is.

But, even here, on the beach, I have the same kind of feeling as I had in the car. It’s not really my place. Even if I feel relaxed and read (I finished “Bring Up The Bodies” – Hilary Mantel, which was great, btw), I almost don’t really belong.

Books I read on holiday

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Although it’s quite difficult to decide between most of them, if there was only one book that you were ever going to read (from my small summer holiday collection), it really should be Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

I didn’t want to like it. After all, I hadn’t bought it because it was highly praised – and, by that I mean over-the-top praised. So I didn’t buy it. In fact (and I may have mentioned this before), the English version was given to me by a friend some months ago. It was brand new, never read. I put it on the unit in the hall.

It seemed that Piero liked it though as, one day, I came home to find it in pieces all over the flat.

As it was a borrowed book, I had to buy a new one.

Having actually paid money for it, I thought that I might as well read the bloody thing and, you know what? it was wonderful. Truly, truly wonderful and now I want to see the film although I cannot imagine that the film could possibly capture the real essence of the book. It made me laugh out loud in a number of places and is, well, just brilliant. Read it!

The problem was that, although I had bought lots of books for the holidays, including a Charles Dickens, I seemed to hoover up the books like a ….. well ……. hoover/vacuum cleaner. I read a book in less than 3 days on average. So, for the whole holiday, I would have needed a minimum of 9 books. I had 6 and so, as you may figure out, I ran out of books!

In fact, I ran out of books by day 16 of the holiday and was, to be honest, quite panicky. I had even tried to “slow down” the last couple of books. What was I to do? Luckily, I only had to wait about 4 and a half days before F, bless him, came to the rescue with another book for me. Which I then proceeded to read within 2 days!

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t pick up any of the books with the intention to read it quickly – I just DID read it quickly. It seemed that I couldn’t stop myself. Maybe it’s because I had hardly read all year. I don’t know.

The books:

Life of Pi – Yann Martel – brilliant book that everyone should read. Funny and frightening and strange but thoroughly enjoyable. Can I just point out that the pronunciation is like “pie” (English) or “pai” (Italian) and NOT like “pi” (Italian) or “pee” (English). Here, in Italy, all I ever hear is Life of Pee which, somehow, doesn’t have quite the same ring, does it? ;-)

Bleak House – Charles Dickens – this was the one that I thought would slow me down. But it didn’t. I read this one in just over 3 days. Typical Dickens stuff and, as he published them in installments, many cliff-hangers throughout. But he can always write a good story. Given the name, I had always thought this to be possibly depressing but it wasn’t at all. Good read. Now, of course, should she want to, Lola can borrow it :-)

The innocent – Harlan Coben – I’ve read a few of his books before and they are really good beach/travelling books if you like crime thrillers. This was no exception and was a good book.

Summer’s Lease – John Mortimer – Never read Mortimer before (famous for Rumpole of the Bailey) but I picked this up because it was set in Italy and, therefore, relevant. Not a huge novel but a good story and a nice bit of whodunit. A little like Agatha Christie set in Italy (Tuscany and Umbria)

The Sword Of Shannara – Terry Brooks – Think Lord of the Rings. This is another of those Fantasy series. It was good but I think I’ve grown out of them now, to be honest. I shan’t be rushing to buy the next one in the series (unlike Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel). Nevertheless, good writing from Mr Brooks, as always.

Under The Dome – Stephen King – Honestly, I don’t think I’ve read King before. I’ve seen many of the films but not read the book. This was a weighty tome but fairly easy reading. Great idea for a story though and I really did like it.

Finally, F, who went back to work after 2 weeks holiday and then returned on the last Friday with the life-saving …

Library of the Dead – Glenn Cooper – He had read this one in Italian. He loved it and so, as he knew I had run out of books, he found the English version in Milan and bought it for me. I read the first chapter on Friday evening and had finished it by about 2 p.m. on the Sunday. Great book and i would recommend it. It’s part of a trilogy and, to my surprise, Last night I found he had already bought the second book for me – so guess what I’ll be reading this weekend on the beach? :-D

Finally, if you wanted three of those books I would pick Life of Pi, under the Dome and Library of the Dead.

If you wanted one from all the books I’ve read this summer, then it would be difficult to choose between Life of Pi and Wolf Hall.

Enjoy

Holiday; Weather; Books; BMWi3

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You know that thing?

You’re on holiday.

You wake up in the morning and go out onto the balcony and the sky is that strong blue and the temperature is such that a pair of shorts and a T-shirt is more than enough to wear.

That. That thing.

Well, that’s what it’s like for me nearly every day in the summer here. Like I’m on holiday :-)

Anyway, last weekend, I started two books. Quinn’s Way and Bleak House.

I finished one of them.

And it wasn’t Bleak House. Just the introduction notes to Bleak House took me an hour or so!

Quinn’s Way was OK. My criticism would be a) that there was a load of stuff about the scamming in the motor trade that was almost like making a list and b) the ending went too fast and my character kinda disappeared.

Bleak House is something else. Not exactly a light read.

Anyway, the weather now is superb. Not too hot (about 33°C) and warm in the mornings.

Oh, yes, and we went to the Milan Launch Party for the BMWi3 last night. This is the new battery powered/hybrid, slightly-larger-than-a-Fiat-500 car. The party was invitation only and it’s ‘cos we know a friend of a colleague of F’s.

Anyway, it only started at 9. We got there about 10 and left about 11.15. But it was nice.

At one point, F said to me: “I hate these people”. “What people?” “The people here. It’s all so false.”

Which is true – but, still, it was nice.

Maybe this will be the last year?

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“If my brother won’t do anything I don’t want to come here any more!”

He goes on to say that the beach place is expensive (which it is) and that he wants to be able to leave stuff in the house without it being moved or other junk being placed (or thrown?) in there all over the place.

I don’t say anything. What can I say? It’s not my house and not my family and not my home town. I don’t have any rights. But I am a little disappointed. But I don’t think he means it, really. I think it’s just frustration coming out. He’s coming down later next weekend, on the Saturday, and then staying a few extra days to do a proper clean and get the grass cut, etc.

I asked if he was going to try and get quotes for the work to be done. He said he wouldn’t have time. As I said to him, I was only asking – it really wasn’t a dig, just conversation.

But, in the event, he is getting the husband of an old friend to come over and give a quote – after the dogs and I have left.

In the meantime, I have finished another two books. This is not quite a book a weekend but quite close.

The first that I finished (weekend before last) was the one I really wanted to read above all, that is, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. And it was good. Absorbing and interesting and, of course, about Tudor times which, to us Brits, was the real “Golden Age” even if the reality was something very different. Now I have to get the next one, Bring Up The Bodies, of course.

Then, FfI lent me a book she said was really good. Which I read, mostly, last weekend and finished it on the Sunday afternoon. Now, I’ve read one of this guy’s books before. And there’s a thing about gay fiction. It’s at once interesting for me and boring as hell. Edmund White is, I suppose, the biggest name in gay fiction and, on the cover, it had some good quotes from famous writers.

But, for me, it leaves something to be desired. It’s not quite as brilliant as it had been made out. And, although the storyline was quite good, the last chapter was a complete let down – as if he’d HAD to finish it and didn’t really know what to write – and so he did it in a hurry. The book was “Jack Holmes and his Friend” and, personally, I wouldn’t recommend it.

In addition, I finally got a book that I should have ordered a couple of years ago. It’s by a friend of a friend and, I think, is self-published (which, to be honest, doesn’t bode well). Still, I’m supposed to recognise some of the characters. We shall see. I don’t think it will be my “next book” but we shall see. The book is “Quinn’s Way” by Steve Gray. As far as I know, it’s his only book. Well, I’ve bought it now and, at the rate I’m going through the books I did buy, I will need it.

But, next, I’m thinking of Dickens. That should slow me down a bit because it’s not really “light” reading although I do like Dickens and his stories and descriptions are always good.

The weather is getting hotter and hotter. The forecast for this weekend (in Milan) is somewhere near 37°C – which is very, very hot. Luckily, for much of it, we shall be by the sea, where it will be considerably cooler (I can’t believe I’ve just written “luckily”!!!!!) and much better for the dogs.

And it’s less than two weeks till the holidays :-)

No, it happened after I left, of course!

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Can you believe it? I missed it …….. again! And everyone at work has been asking as most of them knew I would be there.

Now, some of you or, more probably, all of you will think this is a good thing and, probably, had I been there, I would be thinking the same but, as I wasn’t there, I feel like I missed out.

I heard about it about 2 hours after I left. Apparently, again, people were “fleeing the beach” at the Marina – where I had been just 2 hours before.

Getting burnt. I had put cream on – a spray cream that I bought especially because F was not there to put some on my back. With this I could spray my back. I put some all over because the sun, even at about 9.45 a.m. was strong and there wasn’t a cloud in sight, unlike the day previously when, after about 3 hours on the beach, I gave up since I was shivering and the few people that were there had towels wrapped round them to shield from the cold. It reminded me of a beach in the UK!

So, I put cream on – even on my legs. It was factor 30 – so not nothing. I lay in the sun but got bored and, so, sat up to read. I did, at one point, later in the afternoon realise that my knees had got a bit cooked and also the tops of my feet. I moved into the shade of the umbrella.

However, by the time I got home to take a shower, I was nicely (?) burnt. Down the outside of one leg and the inside of the other. And, of course, the tops of my feet.

But I guess the cream had some effect since it didn’t really hurt. Much.

The trip down was a bit longer than expected with a couple of accidents and, because of them, long queues. But I took it easy – not driving like a maniac. When we reached the motorway that runs along the coast, the windows were open and Dino was sniffing the air as if remembering the smell (although I didn’t smell anything particular – but, then, I’m not a dog) but when we came off the motorway, he got much more excited. Heavy sniffing (sounds almost pornographic!) out of each window. Oh, yes, he knew where he was alright.

The whole weekend was barely contained excitement for him. The trips to the dog area in the pineta, the trips back, the food, the house – everything. In fact, the excitement was so barely contained that he was, almost, excited all the time. Piero less so but even he remembered the way to go to places – the pineta, the walk after playing.

The nice thing about dogs is that they are easily pleased.

And I finished the first of my books – Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood. If I’m honest, I really do like her books that aren’t the usual science fiction/fantasy stuff. It was good and, as always, well written.

I was late up on Saturday. Thank goodness F wasn’t with me or you can be certain I would have been woken earlier. Then I found only one of my beach sandals. I hunted for the other one but couldn’t find it. So I went to buy a pair since I didn’t want to use my leather ones for the beach. I, wrongly, went to Esselunga first (thinking it was Carrefour.) As I came out (with nothing), I heard someone calling my name. It was Fr, an old school friend of F’s. she had a stall in Carrara that evening in the “Marble Weeks” event. She said I should go. I said I would see.

Then I went to Carrefour and managed to find my way (which itself was something of a miracle). I found some. It didn’t really matter what they looked like – they just couldn’t be flip flops as my feet can’t take them – within seconds the place between my big toe and the next becomes red-raw.

Then I came back to the house because, apparently, the towels were there. I found them. Then I went to the beach. The sun was shining through thin cloud, the wind was cool but when it clouded over later, the wind took any heat away.

Saturday night was dinner with F’s parents. I brought some ice-cream. Well, you can’t really go there with nothing, can you?

They were lovely of course. And did too much food, of course. it was too much food even if F had been there. We talked and, more or less, we had a decent conversation.

There was “interesting” moment when, on the news (for the television is on in the kitchen, where we eat, during the meals) there was a report about the first gay marriages that happened in California after the recent ruling by some court in the US that the marriage of gays was legal. It was interesting because I wondered if they would say anything to me. They didn’t although F’s mum gave a dismissive wave of the hand as she walked to get ready for bingo (Saturday being one of her “bingo nights”).

I didn’t go to Carrara. For one thing I was quite tired, I didn’t want to wake up late, I had no jacket and I knew it would be colder in Carrara itself and, finally, I didn’t really want to go by myself. Maybe I shall go next week, if it’s still on.

I was at the beach reasonably early, having done the pineta with the dogs followed by the walk. I had my coffee and pastry at the beach and settled down for the day. F’s sister and niece came to say hello and I said hello to everyone when I left at about 3.30.

I went home, cleaned up a bit and we set off.

Nothing remarkable had happened until I was around Parma when the news said there had been another earthquake had happened and people were fleeing the beach at Marina di Carrara. Damn! That was my first thought. If I had been there I would have taken video – maybe. Of course, after the first few moments I expect (indeed, hope) I would be fleeing too. After all, the dogs would be at the house and I would want to make sure they were OK.

Anyway, I missed it again. But I’m sure, in this seismic country, there will be other occasions.

Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve? Yeah, right!

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The problem with violence depicted on film and TV is that it desensitises us to real violence and death.

The killing of Lee Rigby was a case in point. The advent of mobile phone cameras allows us to see the aftermath and not be particularly shocked by the footage on the basis that we’ve seen much worse in films. Don’t get me wrong, it was a terrible thing – but the video itself was hardly shocking in itself. It could have been the scene of a badly shot film.

So, too, we seem to become desensitised to the runnings of those in power. We’ve all seen the Matrix, haven’t we? The Net. James Bond, etc. We know how the Governments and their spying agencies work. After all, it makes for exciting films.

And so we come to Prism. Sounds like title for a film anyway, doesn’t it?

We understand that the US Government, by way of it’s spying agencies such as the FBI, have been collecting a load of data on almost everyone. Instead of being horrified we are saying “Well, what did you expect?”.

Let’s not get this out of perspective. Governments and powerful individuals and organisations have been doing this for centuries. Those of you from the UK will have seen the Tudors and read the books of the Tudor period when it was well known that letters were intercepted and read and eavesdropping was commonplace.

And, of course, if the letters and conversations were innocent, then there was nothing to fear. Was there?

Well, yes and no. History, it is said, is written by the victors. WWII has the Germans as the bad guys. But, of course, had Germany won the war, history would be different.

And now, you will notice that all the whistle blowers of recent times have, within days, been portrayed as bad, mad or just plain vicious. It has always been so. Mary I was portrayed as either a wicked woman or a bit stupid. But, I’m guessing that, had she had a successful marriage and had children, history would show her in a different light.

But, the justification by the FBI for the Prism stuff is amazing.

I read this:

[They claim] such programs could have foiled the 9-11 terrorist attacks and would prevent “another Boston”.

Erm, excuse me. The Prism thing has been happening for a number of years. One has to ask, why didn’t it prevent the Boston thing in the first place? The argument that it “would prevent” just doesn’t hold water. And, in any event, if someone wanted to do something, there will be a way to do it.

But, of course, we are all compliant in this thing now. We’ve read the books and seen the films. We aren’t up in arms because we already knew all about it. We say “Tut tut” and carry on with our lives in a society that seems to become more Fascist/Communist by the day.

But, Mr FBI man, please don’t think that we are all as stupid as you like to think. “Would prevent another Boston”? Well, maybe. But let’s see when the next atrocity happens, shall we? I’m sure you’ll be explaining why, in that particular case, all this data didn’t actually help.

Sometimes, I’m grateful that I’m old now.

Anyway, the title of the post made me think of this great song. One of my all time favourites. Enjoy but remember that they know you’re watching ;-)


Beverley Knight – Shoulda Woulda Coulda

Reading for summer weekends and holiday

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So, I mentioned I had got some books for my summer reading and I thought I’d tell you what they are. To be honest, they’re a little, shall we say, diverse.

Margaret Atwood – Cat’s Eye – never seen this one before so, obviously, never read it. Very much looking forward to this one.
Terry Brooks – The Sword of Shannara. I’ve read one of the Disc World books a long time ago and it was good but I never really “got into” the series.
Harlan Coben – The Innocent. I was recommended one of his books years ago at the Hay Festival. And it was a good recommendation. So I thought I’d try this one.
Charles Dickens – Bleak House. Probably not one that springs to mind as a “beach book” but he writes very good stories and I haven’t read Dickens since school. Worth a try.
John Mortimer – Summer’s Lease. I know he’s a good writer but I’ve never read him. This one is set in Tuscany so it seems fitting.
Stephen King – Under the Dome. Haven’t read any King for years and years. This is certainly a “beach book”.
Yann Martel – Life of Pi. Loved by Piero anyway ;-) Just not this copy (I hope).
Hilary Mantel – Wolf Hall. May not be considered a “beach book” by many. But it’s the one I really want to read of all of them.

So, there you go. Hopefully, they’ll keep me going all summer.

The Lives and Loves of Hana Lee

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I’ve just read my first “real” e-book (or is it ebook like email. Perhaps, in time, it will become an ebook).

This is one written by someone I know. Well, I say “know” in that I’ve been following his blog (The Ugly Truth) and he came to stay one night at my place on his way somewhere else and we had a pizza and a beer.

Anyway, it’s good and you should read it and not only to support him in his first venture in self-publishing (but not his first book).

The book is The Lives and Loves of Hana Lee.

It’s rather good and I read it in a few days (which tells you that it’s good) even if I would have preferred a paper copy.

I warn you now that it has quite a lot of sex in it – but, for those of you who like sex, I guess that’ll be just fine.

I recommend it. Read the sample in the link above and then, of course, buy it. You will buy it ‘cos you’ll like the sample and you’ll just HAVE TO find out what happens. :-)

How to lose customers.

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When is buying a book not actually buying a book?

You may think this is a trick question but it’s not really. The answer is, of course, when you rent it.

Rent a book? Are you crazy?

Well, yes and no. I mean, one can go into a library and borrow a book – but that’s not really the same as renting it as, unless you are late returning it, you don’t pay to do this.

For renting, however, you must pay.

But, I hear you ask, why the hell would you only rent it? Books aren’t like cars or something, they don’t cost a lot of money anyway.

Which is true. However, in this case, it’s all to do with public perception.

Ebooks can be downloaded on your tablet or Kindle and read. But, if you buy them from Amazon (or from anywhere else where they are DRM protected) you are, in fact, not buying them at all but only renting them – and only for as long as the retailer will allow you to rent it.

So, you pay for a ‘book’ that you don’t, in fact, own. Seems stupid, doesn’t it?

Well, yes, to me it seems beyond stupid.

But, reading all about this woman’s experience has made me decide two things:

1. I won’t be buying a Kindle or ebooks.
2. I think I’ll stop using Amazon all together!

I have, in the past, bought quite a lot of stuff from Amazon.co.uk but now I won’t be doing that.

In any event, I really do like proper books made of paper and also Amazon treat the writers/publishers like shit too. It seems they don’t reserve their shitiness only for their customers.

Ah well, that’ll be another customer lost then.