Go Away for the Weekend and All Hell Breaks Loose

F and I went on a long weekend to Berlin. Absolutely fantastic.

But then we discovered what had happened in Italy while we were away: a bombing at a high school in Brindisi which killed one and injured many and a major earthquake nearby Padua! The day we got back a funeral was underway for Melissa Bassi, the bombing victim. Meanwhile in Northern Italy, over 4000 found themselves homeless. For some images and information on the BBC about the quake's effects, click here.

The epicenter of this earthquake was San Felice sul Panaro, about 100 km from Padua, and registered 5.9 on the Richter scale.

My area was shocked to feel such a strong tremor because it generally feels "safe" from this kind of natural disaster. Italy has over 40% of its population living in what scientists consider an emergency danger level for earthquakes.

Below is a picture of the danger levels with red and purple showing the highest risks

It got me thinking about the other earthquake I didn't feel but was deeply involved in: San Francisco in 1989. That one measured at 6.9 on the Richter sale and risked killing or injuring both my parents who were on vacation there. I was a young teenager home alone for the first time and briefly contemplated being an orphan after the news hit. Since I couldn't contact them because the phone lines were either too busy or down and cell phones hadn't existed for the public yet, I just had to wait and see if and when my parents would contact me to say they were OK or just plain come back home.

Maybe the strangest news coming out of Italy's most recent earthquake disaster is the fact that 250K rounds of Grana Padana and  Parmigiano Reggiano were "disformed" or destroyed. Could be funny if you don't think about the massive financial loss for the factory and producers because of those "cuts" in the cheese.

I deeply and sincerely feel sorry for the people in that area. It has lost castles, towers, cultural treasures of all kinds, thousands of homes and destroyed farmland. Some died. Even in modern factories as they worked the night shift.

Le mie condoglianze

Mount Ceva in the Euganean Hills

It's spring and that means waves of Paduans are hitting the hills. They are our Euganean Hills. Some go cycling. Some go by motocycle. Many have lunch on the green colline. We decided to go for a walk.

Yesterday F and I took a short trail up Monte Ceva, starting from the church of Turri (Montegrotto). It was great work for my healing tendon. It made the dog happy to spend time in the outdoors. We discovered new plants that grow in these parts. The view was better than expected from the top.  On a clear day, you can see to the Adriatic Sea and enjoy plenty of the Paduan plains.  The only problem was how amazingly humid and hazy it was considering that we are still in April!  

Monte Ceva 255 mt.

The poppies are out

Fichi nano dei colli euganei especially adaptive at growing on volcanic rock

No Co2 with Delivery

This great local solution to a global problem has arrived in Padua: Triclo. It's cute. It's energy efficient. It moves merchandise around the city center intelligently. It's an example of my city staying with the times.

PT Land

Life has been filled with physical therapy sessions since February, 6 months after surgery. As soon as walking wasn't painful anymore, I joined my gym again to build back my tendon and wimpy leg. It's quite a lot of work. I am doing 2/3 sessions of 1.5 hrs a week. In fact, I need to leave for one now.

You wouldn't believe how slow it is to build back muscle tone after not walking properly for 4-5 months. There is also the concern that the tendon itself is quite healed but weak, too, so I am dedicating a lot of time to re-energizing its every aspect and move...and neural brain-muscle connections. "If you don't lose it, you lose it." This applies even to a tendon's response to brain impulses, supposedly. And I lost those impulses for several months.

Then my dog started in his own round of physical therapy for an arthritic leg last month. That has been another 5 hrs a week hauling him to sessions 20 miles outside of town. That progress is slow, too.

I've been learning tons about PT, to say the very least: laser, ultrasound, exercises, balance issues, heat packs, massages, exercises with household objects as well as strange instruments, etc.

I'll let you know more soon . But for now, I've got to go and stimulate my tendon tonight at the gym. I just started to get my first signs of a solid calf muscle last week. It still has a long way to go, but I am so excited. It's a physical and tangible sign of progress.

If only I could blog from the gym bikes.....

Pedrocchi Cafè Carnival

Mardi Gras just hit Caffè Pedrocchi and the elegant lions have shed their gentlemanly faces today. After an afternoon of non-stop kids doing up carnival, the leoni are suffering from what looks like "cake face".

Entertainers have kept Padua's children occupied with festivities including balloons, music and dancing. They have assaulted the area with their enthusiasm. This comes in the form of a blanket of confetti, spray, dirty costumes and much much more.

Being early evening, I find it amusing to see all the kids dressed up, yet wearing coats that cover up almost all of their costumes. What's left is sprouting bright fabric in the form of skirts. Or face make up. The occasional tiara.

It's winter. It's Carnival. And unfortunately it's over tonight. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday.

Life Through the Walls

Living in a condo, you can hear many distinct portions of your neighbors's lives. You start to weave stories about them.

It starts in the morning when you faintly hear the alarm go off upstairs, followed by the roll of the drawers as you imagine clothes are being found and put on.

There's the pounding of kids' feet as they run down the stairs to go to school. Sometimes they yell a bit, too. At 7:45 a.m.

There are the old neighbors who don't talk but rather shout at each other since they are hard-of-hearing. "Mario".....

The soft sound of someone else's light music playing in the bathroom. Are they taking a bath?

Occasionally there are workers banging or owners who are pounding on the walls. Maybe they are renovating or just hanging a picture.

The toddler crying his way to sleep or squeeking with glee.

Children trample up the stairs and devour lunch. Plates are clanking on tables in someone else's house.

Two children roll marbles after lunch and a nap. It can go on for hours.

A father scolds his son.

"Nutella," says a young boy who is probably making his snack request.

Tonight there's a young woman's voice coming from the kitchen upstairs. Does Sig. F has a special visitor?

There's a bird chirping from a cage in the apartment across the way upon the arrival of his favorite owner.

The owners who are calling the cat to come upstairs, "Fulmine, Fulmine." (I know not to take my dog out for a walk just now.)

Everyone is private here but I am learning about their lives whether they like it or not.

Carnival's Here

Padua is showing the signs of carnival. First it was the fritelle in the pasticceria. Then crostoni at the supermarket. Now some of the windows are decorated in the theme of carnevale. I already have seen confetti being sold at the tabaccaio and decorating the city center's pavement. Do you have your costume ready?