more from the beach

these are the days

Uncle Cory, my dear brother-in-law, graciously agreed to sacrifice his body for the sand burial ritual -- thus relieving the rest of us adults from the duty. The kiddos were happy to work together towards covering every inch of his body. A few adults couldn't help but to get involved as well :)

Madelyn insisted on being next,

and then her four older cousins followed suit.

Ahhh. . . . summer!

We are moving on from the beach this weekend, and with that we'll say good-bye to this side of the family. Likely we won't see them again until next July. We are just a bit concerned about how well that'll go with the young one, who has grown rather attached to her cousins in these two weeks.

beach week

Sun.
Sand.
Surf.

Beach Week in Panama City Beach, Florida.

corner view / italy

hi,
not yet. still traveling.
dana

Believe it or not, so far we have stayed with relatives who just are not connected. Oh, they have iPhones & work in high-powered positions in the computer industry. . .but they don't have it together so well at home as it isn't a priority. Just now that I've reunited with my husband & his laptop, and we are all staying in a condo in FL have I gained connectivity. Now the issue is time -- I'd rather be on the beach sipping a cocktail :) I hope to download some photos tonight, but don't plan to be a good reader or poster until August when life settles again for us. Also, blogger has been a pain since I've been on the road, a royal pain.

italian summer

They are attempting to fill water guns at the bucket. The play started with five children fully clothed; however, as soon as they began to get a little wet, the clothes were shed, to include a much older boy who is not pictured here.

A Little Water to Beat the Heat

Rosie, an Italian neighbor who understands the need to explain certain things to the uninformed Americana, offered this: They must remove their clothes because the damp clothes against the skin coupled with any wind (even that from running) will cause a fever.

okay. if you say so.

We have been in the HOT than HOT South where fights with water pistols are more than welcomed.

on the road, again

We are still moving about in the States, heading to F-l-o-r-i-d-a next for a beach week with my family. We hit the highway soon.

About the highway. . . . after being gone from the country for a bit, certain everyday things start to seem strange or odd.

The thing that stands out most at the moment (besides the AC) is the driving patterns on the highways. Though people bitch and complain and whine about the driving in Italy, one can always count on certain behaviors on the highways: right lane slow, left lane fast, trucks stick to the right, always pass on the left. Simple. Easy. Reliable. Dependable. Not so in the good ole USofA. Drivers are pretty much free to do whatever the hell they want to do. I know that I learned in driver's ed many, many years ago that the left lane is the passing lane; news flash: it ain't happening on the highways of LA. Slow, fast, passing. . . do what you wanna. . . just don't go too much over the speed limit or the trooper will be sure to get you . . .lots of troopers protecting the highways of LA. . . lots of folks zipping by in SUV's nonetheless. I miss the structure and predictability of Italian highways. I really do.

Gotta run. Hoping this post actually makes it. . . I'm on a computer stealing a very weak signal from an unsuspecting neighbor.

Ciao.

jazz in italy

Second Line Parade in the Streets of Perugia, July 2003

If you can't make it here in the spring, well, then. . . Umbria Jazz could suffice; it runs from 10-19 July, mostly in the Umbrian hill town of Perugia. Our last visit was in July 2003, when we somehow managed to be in Italy in July. Among other talents, this year's line up includes James Taylor, Steely Dan, B.B. King, Wynton Marsalis, & Simply Red.

Umbria, Summer, Jazz. . . . not a bad idea, I tell you.

If Umbria Jazz is not your thing, you could opt to experience Wynton Marsalis, THE amazing Wynton Marsalis, at La Fenice in Venice on July 28. Really sorry to be missing that one.

corner view / italy

hi,
alas. . . it won't be long before corner view lives again here. still on the road, folks.
happy summer,
dana

in giro per la sardegna

Oh me, oh my.

When your Italian neighbor says to you in his best English: My family, we go each summer to Sardegna. My mamma is Sarda. You know Sardegna? We have the apartment. We would like it for you to come with us this summer.

You reply, without hesitation: Certamente! Andiamo! Quando? (Of course, let's go, when?)

And though a thousand thoughts occupy your mind as to why this might not be a good idea (including the stories of your friend who delivered a premature baby there), you go anyway, don't ask too many questions in advance & hope not to have to use the medical services.

I have TONS of photos. . . . here are a few to get started with for now:



The little apartment is in the village of Tinnura, in the hills near Bosa, on the west side of the island; hence, we spent most of our time exploring this side of the island.

One incredible discovery after another.

No, really, this is no overstatement. It's that good. And it's not just the crystal water as these photos may suggest -- it's the welcome lunch courtesy of Zia Angela; the little village of Tinnura covered in murals; the trek into the dingy dark room for a taste of Malvasia siphoned from a demijohn; the simply incredible beauty of Stintino; the walk through the ancient Tharros; the orata (fish) bought from the back of a little truck passing through the neighborhood; the curative waters of the Mediterranean Sea; the hike to the beach that only the locals would know; the always, always, always friendly local people; the religious procession (complete with bulls) through the village streets; the pecorino -- oh, the pecorino. Yep, it was that good. . . . maybe even better.

I left regretting that I hadn't ever attempted to get an assignment at La Maddalena (an island north of the main island) when there was a DoDEA school there. Young & stupid, I guess. Mr. Duncan says it was too isolated, too difficult to travel to and from. To this I say: Isolate me, baby.

I hope to share more later this summer or fall. (Jeesss. . . . I have enough photos to start a Sardegna-only daily blog going for about at least a year. You'll have to humor me.)
ciao

corner view / italy

corner view
12: staple food

Ciao,
We are on the road or in the air now, and have just finished a technology-free (camera excluded) 10 day sojourn on the unbelievable island of Sardegna . . . but, a brief moment for a post.

Here is my young one enjoying a plate of pasta con vongole (clams) in Sardegna last week. It's not quite common to see this dish served with a short pasta, but, hey, it's what the girl requested. She later decided she prefers le cozze (mussels) just like her Momma.

I think it's safe to say that such seafood, and certainly the pasta, is a staple in the (Southern) Italian diet.


Also in this picture (in the box) is a bottle of "just for babies" olive oil, a staple in the diet of every Italian baby, I'm told. (Though one friend did confide that while she insisted on the special oil for her first born, her second son was served the same oil as the rest of the family. Shhhhhhh. . . .don't tell the peditrician; it could be a scandal, thus my refusal to name my dear friend. The baby diet is quite a serious affair here.)

Happy Summer,
Dana

Other corner views:

jane

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