Trick or treat? Happy Halloween

Trick or treat? Happy Halloween

    On the eve of All Saints’ Day many countries observe a yearly celebration. 

     It has very remote origins that date back to ancient Celtic and Anglo–Saxon traditions. 

     According to the legend, the wandering spirits come back on the night of October 31 in search of a body to possess. 

     The Celts believed that on this magical night all physical laws, that govern time and space were suspended, making possible the fusion between real world and afterlife. To avoid to be possessed, the farmers of the villages made ​​their homes cold and undesirable extinguishing the fires in the fireplaces. They disguised as monsters and roamed the streets to scare away the spirits without being recognized. To illuminate the path they carved a pumpkin and incorporated in that a candle, like a lantern. 

   31 October is Halloween, the night when witches, ghosts, demons and other scary things come out to haunt people. Children dress up in costumes and go “Trick or treat” to each house in the neighbourhood. If the neighbours don’t give them sweets, the children play a trick on them. 

Crepe paper. Little golden roses

Soundtrack The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough - Cyndi Lauper

Here we are

Hanging onto strains of greed and blues

Break the chain then we break down

Oh it’s not real if you don’t feel it

Unspoken expectations

Ideals you used to play with

They’ve finally taken shape for us

What’s good enough for you

Is good enough for me

It’s good enough

It’s good enough for me

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Now you’ll say

You’re startin’ to feel the push and pull

Of what could be and never can

You mirror me stumblin’ through those

Old fashioned superstitions

I find too hard to break

Oh maybe you’re out of place

What’s good enough for you

Is good enough for me

It’s good enough

It’s good enough for me

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Good Enough for you

Is good enough for me

It’s good, it’s good enough

It’s good enough for me

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Old fashioned superstitions

I find too hard to break 
Oh maybe you’re out of place

What’s good enough for you

Is good enough for me

It’s good enough

It’s good enough for me

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Good Enough for you

Is good enough for me

It’s good, it’s good enough

It’s good enough for me

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Well, well, well, well

Yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Discovering the city of Bari part 3

Discovering the city of Bari part 3

See Part 1                                              See Part 2

     The new city…From the old quarter, passing under the arches of Piazza Chiurlia, you can arrive in the Murat Quarter, the heart of the city with its shops, offices and fashionable restaurants. The streets of the Murat Quarter are on a grid pattern, but is very easy to orient oneself.

Via Sparano is worth mentioning: it’s famous for its shops of luxury goods, such as the wonderful Palazzo Mincuzzi.

     Corso Vittorio Emanuele is rich in restaurants, a large tree-lines road ideal for walking leisurely. Here you can find the Palace of the Prefecture near Piazza Massari, which is the terminal of many buses and taxi ranks.

     Opposite the Palace of the Prefecture stands the Town Hall and the Piccinni Theatre with its “Doric” arcade; the Palazzo Fizzarotti is farther on. This place is the remains of a Venetian work of art dating back to the XXth century and it’s a sign of the popularity of Venice that can be seen in many towns on the Adriatic Sea. Piazza Garibaldi stands at the end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and divides it from the Libertà Quarter. Corso Cavour is one of the sides of the Murat Quarter, at the beginning of Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Here you can find the Margherita Theatre built on piles in the sea.

     Following the tree-lined boulevard of Corso Cavour, on the left we have: the buildings of the Bank of Italy, the Chamber of Commerce and the Petruzzelli Theatre. 

     On the right side of the theatre you have Via Cognetti with the Palazzo dell’Acquedotto Pugliese built in 1932. Inside the decorations of Duilio Cambellotti celebrate the important symbol of water and the Apulian waterworkd, which is the biggest in Europe.

     The modern airport of Bari-Palese, rebuilt in 2005 and dedicated to Karol Wojtyla, is the terminal of many airline companies, while the road links are guaranteed by buses and other public transport.

     The harbour of Bari is one of the most important ports of call of the Mediterranean Sea fro passengers and holiday cruisers. It has direct sea links with the Balkans, Greece and Turkey.

     Shopping

     The marked commercial ability of the city of Bari offers cheap and high quality shopping: from the top brands to the famous bookshops of the publishers Laterza or Feltrinelli. The centre of the town is rich in shops. We suggest you go shopping in Corso Cavour, Via Sparano or Via Manzoni, especially when the sales are on with good discounts. We also suggest you see the various products in ceramics and try the typical specialities such as the fine wines and olive oils or dairy products and foodstuffs (such as bread, sweets…).

     Gastronomy

     The gastronomic tradition is part of the culture of Bari: here you will eat very well. We suggest you taste the “orecchiette” woth turnip tops. The “braciole” (horsemeat, beef or veal), the raw sea urchins in delicate sauces, the raw anchovies served as a fine tartare, the sea food salads and green olives or fried olives, worth mentioning are the eating grapes and typical sweets made during the religious feasts.

     At Christmas you can taste the “cartellate” which are crisp fritters with a wine dressing made of grapes or figs. For the day of San Giuseppe “zeppole” (fried doughnuts) are usually made. 

     At Easter you can taste almond paste sweets, the “scarcelle”, loaves of shortcrust decorated with hard-boiled eggs. A particular speciality is the very thin pizza of many different flavoured types. The elegant restaurants in the centre of the city and the typical trattorias in the old quarter offer genuine products at very cheap prices compared to other big cities. 

     Source: Flash Tour, printed in Italy on 2007. 

See Part 1                                              See Part 2

Balloon sculptures. A flower with four petals

Discovering the city of Bari part 2

Discovering the city of Bari part 2

See Part 1                                              See Part 3

     The old town preserves the history of the city. The old quarter was surrounded by a boundary wall of which only the side on the sea now remains, “la Muraglia” (the Wall), which was lapped by the sea until 1930.

     The view you can have from Via Venezia towards Piazza del Ferrarese is very enchanting.

     Following the boundary wall, on the left, you can see one of the best views of Bari: the small harbour, palm trees, the Trajan colonnade, the Margherita Theatre, and farther away the Barion Boat Club, the illuminated seafront. Then you arrive at the Fortino of S. Antonio Abate, a tower of the 14^th century with a wonderful panorama from the top and an exhibition area at ground level. Inside the Fort, there was a chapel dedicated to the Patron Saint of the animals, S. Antonio, who, according to tradition, are blessed on 17^th January.

     Proceeding along the Wall which overlooks the Basilica of S. Nicola and its Corte del Catapano, as far as the Monastero di Santa Scolastica, you can take in the waterfront at a glance.

     Finally, you can go down in the heart of the old quarter, in a maze of alleys and small squares, walking on black and white lava stones (“chianche”). The architecture has preserved the various styles, which are the remains of ancient civilizations: every corner is a pleasant discovery.

     The old town may be considered as an independent town within Bari, lively, with its symbols and traditions such as S. John’s Night (on 23^rd June). On this day the women of the old quarter make the “orecchiette” by hand (a typical Apulian pasta) and offer them as a good omen and sign of hospitality. This is a typical traditions in the city of S. Nicola, the thaumaturgist and Patron Saint of children. The wonderful Basilica was built for his cult, a great Romanesque church which hosts in the crypt the bones of S. Nicola stolen from Mira by 62 seamen of Bari. There are two feasts that celebrate the Patron Saint: the first from 7^th to 10^th May, which attracts pilgrims from all over the world. It’s celebrated with an extraordinary historic parade where the statue of the Saint is carried out the sea on a fishing boat. The other is held on 6^th December, in which the inhabitants of Bari take part with their folk customs, such as the pilgrimage of girls looking for husband. As often occurred in many seaside towns, our adverturer seamen chose S. Nicola to protect their trade, which attracted people from all the Mediterranean Sea.

     Leaving the Basilica of S. Nicola, through via del Carmine, you can reach the Cathedral of San Sabino with its monastery. The old quarter is rich in convents, cloisters and sacred shrines, all vestiges of ancient communities: for example, the Venetians founded the Church of S. Marco, the orthodox church has the Church of S. Giovanni Crisostomo. History has it that the nearby Arco delle Meraviglie was built by a Lombard family during the night, so that two lovers could meet. The Arabs left their marks too: the “Capa dù Turk” (Turk’s head), a bas-relief of the head of a Moor who was decapitated because he ventured out during a witch’s night when it was better not to go for a walk…

     Near the ancient Cathedral of San Sabino, a remarkable example of the Apulian Romanesque style, you can find the Norman-Swabian Castle built outside the old quarter and protected by a moat. The castle is surrounded by two orders of walls, the taller and narrower are those inside built by the Normans (to defend themselves from attacks), the lower and larger those of the exterior built by the Aragonese (to resist cannonades). The interior of the castle is worth visiting: arches, gateway, halls, courts which remind you of ancient times. The castle hosts also exhibitions and cultural events. The old quarter is rich in patrician residences like the Palazzi Alberotanza, Starita or Tanzi, and the places of the authorities like those of the Dogana and Sedile which give onto Piazza Mercantile. In a corner of the square you can find the “infamous column”, where the insolvent inhabitants were pilloried.

     The old quarter is lively with its restaurants and cafes at night. It’s rich also in cultural activities in the Murat Hall and in the church of the Vallisa which is now an auditorium; but the atmosphere is so quiet in the old quarter in the mornings, that you can go shopping leisurely among old workshops and little shops.

     It’s not so easy to describe the old town: there’s a lot of history to tell and many things to discover. 

     Source: Flash Tour, printed in Italy on 2007. 

See Part 1                                              See Part 3

Ribbons origami

Discovering the city of Bari part 1

Discovering the city of Bari part 1

See Part 2                                           See Part 3

     Apulia has had many invaders from different civilizations. They arrived from the sea to a land full of light, scents and hospitable people. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Swabians and Aragonese: people and cultures which have left their marks in these lands. Times and travellers are different nowadays, but in our land, rich in charm and culture, new ideas and ancient traditions live in harmony. Everyone arriving in Apulia finds something familiar so that he feels at home.

     Bari is a seaside town and the old town overlooks the sea front which is the longest in Italy. Proceeding along the seafront, we suggest you to go southwards where you can discover the splendid buildings built in the reign of Umberto Ist, such as the Kuursaal Santalucia Theatre in Liberty style. Following the seafront you come to the Palace of the Provincial Council with its Picture Gallery, and the monumental palaces built during the Fascist epoch such as the Albergo delle Nazioni.

     Along the sea stretch two of the city’s Quarters: Madonnella and Japigia. The road south along the sea leads to Torre a Mare, a small fishing town, whose name comes from an ancient Angevin watch – tower, like many others along all the Apulian coast.

     Following the seafront northwards, you can find the Fiera del Levante. This is the seat of important trade exhibitions such as the trade fair (in September), Orolevante, Modalevante and Expolevante.

     Following the S.S. 16 you reach Palese and Santo Spirito, two pleasant small villages with small harbours and many places where you can spend pleasant evenings. They are worth visiting because they have preserved their own identity, so picturesque and different from that of the main city.

     The new part of Bari was founded by Joachim Murat in 1813, who laid the first stone just at the intersection between Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Corso Cavour, which are the first two sides of the Murat Quarter. Its boundary is marked by Via Quintino Sella that divides it from the Libertà Quarter, whereas the railway in the boundary southwards. Beyond the station are the working-class neighbourhoods of S. Pasquale, Picone and Carrassi, in the Carrassi Quarter you can find the Russian Orthodox Church with its green domes, dedicated to S. Nicola, and the Park of Largo 2 Giugno. The modern quarter of Poggiofranco is just behind the park. A large ring road, that runs from south to north, links it to the two quarters of S. Paolo and Stanic. 

     Source: Flash Tour, printed in Italy on 2007. 

See Part 2                                              See Part 3

Carvings. Small octupus with kumquat (chinese mandarin)

Columbus Day. 1492: discovery or conquest?

     The so-called ‘discovery’ of the New World by Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492 opened the gates to European colonialism of other nations.

     Through the media and history books we are sometimes presented with the point of view of the ‘brave’ European adventurer who fearlessly sets off for new ‘virgin’ territories, the Americas.

On the other hand, the ‘natives’ are depicted, especially by many literary texts of the past, as savage and primitive, like Shakespeare’s Caliban or Defoe’s Friday.

     But if we reverse the point of view and take up the perspective of the not at all ‘primitive’ cultures who inhabited this continent, history turns out to be far less romantic. Uruguayan writer and historian Eduardo Galeano has used a very powerful image to describe the process of the conquest – which implied a genocide as well as the destruction of the existing cultural, political and economic systems: when Europeans arrived in the new Continent, the veins of the Americas were fatally opened.

     Source: Thomson – Maglioni, Literary Links. Literature in time and space, Cideb, an old Italian book 2000. 

Googleplex is waiting for this. New goal: digitizing the whole archival heritage

Googleplex is waiting for this

New goal: digitizing the whole archival heritage

  

     Google Books project started in 2010. When the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma took their first volumes destined to inaugurate the project of digitization of the library. 

     The volumes will become digital files, suitable to be stored and accessed in the near future thanks to the agreement signed between the MiBAC and Google Books in March 2010 for the digitization of a minimum of 500,000 texts up to a maximum of one million volumes.

     It is a project designed for the preservation of rare books and valuable, priceless heritage of libraries, large enhancement, use and disclosure of relevant materials. 

     For the first time, the works, now entrusted only to the transience of the paper, will be made accessible through the Internet in digital form.

     Prevention and recovery of stolen volumes, small restoration, virtual reconstruction of incomplete editions, consultation of the material without limits of space and time, are just some of the economic advantages which involves the project.

     For its part Google, at the express request the Ministry of Culture, has created a Scanning Center in Italy, where will the digitization and production of digital files of individual pages, text files generated by optical character recognition technology.

     But now we have to reach a new frontier: digitizing the whole archival heritage.

     It’s part of my research work and my ambitions. It’s also part of my desire to preserve the documentary heritage of my country.

     I digitized some important ancient documents now in a state of deterioration. I saved them from the ravages of time.

     Maybe Googleplex is waiting for this. 

     Look at my résumé. 

Along the paths of identity

     Content

     In the work retracing the milestones of life of every individual unconsciously searching for their own identity. Through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, people begins to relate with others debuting in society in certain peculiar areas: in parenting, school, friendships, work and marriage. 

     Relationships become more stable and personality become coherent and unified from the point of being able to practice self marketing. At the end of the trip, a prize, the antidote to face the hardships contemporaries.

     Strengths

     The topic addressed, because it is a constant reminder that we are subjected. During a walk we happen to think back to a past event that has affected; remind the education that our parents have taught us, we reflect on our life project. We could discuss about the syllogism of Christian doctrine which we are brothers, but in fact there are numerous elements that unite us in every part of the globe.

     The text allows you to take a metaphorical journey with route to self-knowledge.

     For what readership

     For all those who, having reached a ripe old age, they want to sit comfortably in an armchair and customize this reading transporting us on the memory lane. For those who need to be reconciled with themselves. For those parents who have forgotten that they are the first educators of their children because much of what we become as adults is decided during the childhood years.

     For those who have devoted chapter Marriage: the path of compromise.

     For those who will be surprised to discover how the factors of identity are closely linked and protected by the Civil and Penal Codes and by the Constitution of the Italian Republic.

     For those who need to "learn to believe in what we do still not see".

     The cover 

     The paths of identity may be winding or steep. Require caution. That motivated the cover: a warning indicates a slippery road and abrogate abrupt maneuvers. We would expect the image of the car, but there is a fingerprint, a distinctive feature of identity. Stands the signal vantage point, to remember the existence observing the stages of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, followed by the debut into society through school, friendship, work and marriage. The reader will be provided with the requirements for self marketing practice and the antidote to the contemporaries discomfort. 

Origami 3D. King Cobra

The Coca-Cola story

     This is the story of an unknown American chemist who was lucky enough to invent the most fabulous of all fizzy drinks.

     A new refreshing drink

     It all began in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1885. Dr John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist, wasn’t an ordinary chemist. He didn’t like selling drugs but he enjoyed making them. And he was very good at it! One day one of his friends asked him to create a new refreshing family drink, without alcohol. He started working hard on a secret mixture. The first drink he made was a delicious wine containing cola extracts, then he decided to cut out the wine but keep the cola nut fro energy.

     A secret formula

     He spent several years working on different potions. He mixed together cola nut extracts, cola leaves, caffeine, sugar, vegetable extracts and other ingredients to make his secret formula, and decided to make his recipe a secret so that nobody would ever known the ingredients! In May 1886, he created a new mixture, and by adding some carbonated water to it, made it taste fantastic! He was very excited – it had a great flavour and was very refreshing – just what he had been looking for!

     A good name

     John Pemberton sold that new drink at his friend Jacob’s pharmacy, where they sold it at 5 cents a glass. 

     Now they had to find a name for it, a name that would be as new and exciting as the drink John Pemberton’s partner and good friends, Frank Robinson, suggested calling the drink Coca-Cola. He thought that the two Cs would look good together in advertising. Robinson had beautiful handwriting and wrote the name as it still appears today on cans and bottles!

     Pemberton sells to Candler 

     In the first year they only sold nine glasses a day, then they started to advertise with local newspaper adverts and hand-painted Coca-Cola signs. Unfortunately, Coca-Cola wasn’t as successful as they expected and they nearly went bankrupt. Pemberton became ill and had to sell the business for $ 2,300 to Asa Candler, another Atlanta pharmacist and businessman.

     The image

     Candler was an entrepreneur and had lots of ideas on how to sell the drink – giving people Coca-Cola calendars and clocks and coupons. He gave in an image. Soon everybody in America wanted to buy Coca-Cola and loved its new taste. From that time on it has always been an incredible success and not only in America. Someone has even asked Coca-Cola for permission to open a bottling factory on the moon.

     The world’s most famous drink

     Every day, people in 195 nations buy 700 million soft drinks produced by the Coca-Cola Company and advertised in 80 different languages. That’s why, despite competition, Coca-Cola is the world’s most famous drink and one of the symbols of America. 

     Source: Excursion, an old Italian book.