Simple thoughts

Yesterday in Italy it was a very important day, we remembered the 61st anniversary of the country liberation by the Allied Army, from the germans' occupation. It's celebrated with a lot of flags, speeches, axhibitions and processions. And usually, the days before are full of events (on tv or live) in which old partisans, concentration camps survivors and war veterans, tell their memories. Beside the tears and the sad moments, on all their faces you can see their disappointment. They fought, they lost their beloved ones, their homes, for a cause, for the youngs, for give them a better future, and now they don't see a better world. There's someone who denies the holocaust, someone who still believes in ethnic war, someone who still thinks that there are people better than others. And thank God these old people are still among us to help us remember. What will happen when they will be all dead? Those tragic events will simply disappear from our minds and our history books? It will be like a bad nightmare? I don't have no more my grand-fathers to tell me theis war stories and my father-in-law telling me about his life as a war prisoner, but I treasure their sad tales in my heart like something very precious.

My hometown too, payed a tribute to the war, here are some old photos from those days.

So, today is one of those day. You know, when with no real reasons, you feel unsatisfied, tired, and a little sad. Easter it's over, now the next vacation is on summer (and I can't tell how I will survive till then). Yeah, there're some days off (25 april, 1 may, 2 june) but they are not a real vacation. I want time for myself, maybe away from home, just to stroll around a place I don't know yet, with my mind free to wander. Time to read in peace, without the feeling that I'm stealing time that should be dedicated to anything else (family, friends or just cleaning and washing - bleah!!). Time to dedicate to my hobbies without being trapped 8 hours (10/11 hours in about 2 weeks, till the end of july) in a small office. Sometimes I want to scream so loud, I could be heard in China! I want to change my job, I'm done with numbers and taxes all the time, but this is what I'm good at, what can I do for a living? How can I re-invent myself? I like to dream and sometimes I fear my dreams could hide reality, I fear I could lost contact with it. Isn't it childish? At 44? That's why I'm so into my daughter life, I'd like it could be different for her, not a family so soon, time for her to understand what she wanna do, without chains and duties too soon. I'm not really unsatisfied with my life, it's just that.....Oh, I don't know really!

Don't worry, tomorrow is another day, as someone said before. It could be better, but it could be worse as well.

So, it seems that something is gonna change in my country, finally we got rid of the right wing of the state, and we're gone to the left!! I really hope the situation here will change, and we have a lot that don't work, education, health system, justice, economy......a very hard task for the ones who're gonna to be our leadership for the next 5 years! Please, keep your fingers crossed for us, we really need all your best prayers. And thanks to all the italian people living abroad, who went to vote and saved our future....

Today here it was raining like hell, so I had to forget my bike and go to work by bus (btw, where the hell is spring???). In the bus there were some old people living in my neighbourhood, talking with our dialect. And then a lot of people coming from other countries, speaking different languages, afrikaans, east-europe, french. And this made me think on how much my city has changed in the last few years. When all the old generation will be gone, I hope someone still will keep alive our traditions, food, culture. I'm happy that we melt with other cultures, I think that the differences make us richier, but I'd like not to lost our roots as well. Globalization is a good thing in order to give to anyone the same opportunities, not so good when it makes us all alike. We have to stick to our past history to build the tomorrow's one. I like my hometown, it's small, but with a lot of history, see for yourselves....

   The Main Cathedral, build in 1100, not so pure romanic style, outside....

  and inside.

In the same Place, there's the Baptistery (1190-1216) an excellent example of the work of Benedetto Antelami, outside, and the Fountain inside, in pale rose marble

The old (1240-50) and dismissed Church of St. Francis (a prison in the 1800') now in the process of being restored

And the most loved spot in the city, the Pilota Place, built in 1547 by the Farnese family, their home and then Borbone's

that houses museums, libraries and the masterpiece, Farnese Theatre, all built with wood (1616)

And we have also a Fortress, called La Cittadella (1590-1600) with a majestic marble gate

   now a park for jogging fans of all ages.

We have a long and well established tradition for opera (Verdi was born right outside town, right? and it was home for the great Paganini, too), and our Regio Theatre is a nightmare for all opera singers coz the public here is very demanding.... The Theatre was built in 1821 by the Duchess Maria Luigia of Austria, wife of Napoleon (that's why Parma it's called "the little Paris" thanks to its bridges, too)

and the Duchess most loved Church of La Steccata (the fence), 1520-1530, with masterpieces by Parmigianino

During the summer, old people and children are the ones crowding our City Park, but I think it's amazing in the winter, don't you think?

Our main square is dedicated to Garibaldi, with his statue in the middle

and the Old Palace (1221) on the other side, that houses our City Council

The Old Hospital (1201) one of the oldest "free" hospital in Italy,

and an aereal view of the church of La Certosa (1225), just outside the city (do you remember Stendhal?).

And at the end, a view of our river, the same name of the city, that during the winter is a constant fear for all the people living on its banks, but it's loved so much nevertheless.......

Last saturday was one of the worst day my hometown has ever seen. In the morning, all the schools were closed (if not officially) coz every student in town was on a sad parade, (and then, at the following funeral), remembering a 17 years old girl murdered by a 22-boy, a not-so-close-friend with a lot of problems, in the night between tuesday and wednesday, with about 100 stabs. During his crazy night he took a cab, killing the taxidriver, too. Finally, in a clear moment, he gave himself up in a near police station. Her only fault? Not to be in love with him. The taxidriver's fault? To be on night shift at the wrong moment.

Then, later in the morning, about 40 people were arrested in the hope to be in time to save little Tommy, 18 months, kidnapped one month ago. Three of them confessed the kidnapping and, to anyone grief, his murder just a few hours after the kidnapping. One of the arrested was already inquired for the kidnapping, always protested on tv his innocence, claiming that children are angels, the ones hurting children beasts....his portrait! He was comdenned before to 6 years for rape, but he was on parole! Later in the night, according to his instructions, the police found the poor baby body, buried near a river.

All the town was in shock, this kind of news were the ones we used to read about happening in bigger cities, so far from our small reality. But the badness of men has no limits, no frontiers, no shame.

Now there are two more little angels in heaven, watching over us. And two more families suffering for something no one can explain.