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Bologna
So we’ve moved to Bologna.
It’s not that drastic of a move; in fact, it’s less than an hour from Faenza.
I look forward to exploring this city in depth, with its arcaded sidewalks, with floors that make you feel like you are in someone’s sitting room – adding, somehow, to the intellectual vibe of the city.
My hope is that I find the inspiration to write more often in this blog!
Posted in Bologna
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This picture was not taken in Tuscany
Been a while, huh.
Well, while I think of something to write, I’ll share a picture I took in the hills of the region where I live, Emilia-Romagna (in this case I’d like to underline Romagna). It looks just like a postcard of the absolutely gorgeous neighboring region, Tuscany, doesn’t it? I adore Tuscany with all my heart, but hey – we have our beautiful hills too, not to mention great wine and olive oil. Emilia-Romagna is also a cherry, peach and kiwifruit growing region.
Posted in Romagna Mia, Uncategorized
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Taken in Florence, 6 years ago
This was an interesting time in my life.
That particular visit set off a lot of processes for me.
Kind of funny how at the time, I thought I would die if I couldn’t move to Italy a.s.a.p. Once I stopped trying to control a situation that was going to develop at a pace of its own whether I liked it or not, and focused on making a life for myself wherever I was, I wound up in Italy! Not necessarily by magic (though it is possible), nor by insistence. By patiently accepting my situation and focusing on the urgencies of my every day life, and checking off goals as they were slowly achieved.
Do I regret having tried to rush through it prematurely 6 years ago? After all, it was like I was trying to force my life to be exactly like this dream I had. And we all know that you can’t force anything. That said, while I do think that if I had taken a chill pill, things would have run a lot more smoothly, I also know I would not have had a lot of the cool experiences I did, and maybe I would have never found myself living in Buenos Aires for that short time.
In the end, I am here and I have certainly learned a lot.
Posted in Italia
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La Primavera – Spring
Now that the sun is back and the snow is gone, I am in a good mood! Lots of good produce is in season, I can wear heels when I go out, I can walk around outside without a jacket or a scarf, sitting outside for an aperitivo is fun again, and Italy is just prettier in the sun. I even got out on my bike the other day. As you can see, Mako the cat is enjoying the season of spring as well, from his favorite spot on the windowsill.
Urgent Plea for Rescued Thai Wildife
I don’t blog as much as I used to, but I’m sure you can gather that I have recently been to Thailand. One of the most amazing experiences I had on that trip was a visit to the Elephant Nature Park, a rescue and rehabilitation center for elephants who have suffered injuries and abuse from working in logging or tourism. I am no activist, but let me tell you: getting so close to an elephant, feeding it, going into the river with it and splashing water onto its body, and later being “kissed” on the cheek by an elephant’s trunk, well…it is pretty amazing! When I think of what these elephants have been through in the past, my heart breaks.
The founder of the ENP, Lek Chailert, is one of the coolest people I have met. You sense right away that this woman has a heart of gold. She just beams. She has been through a lot to get the Park up and running and her story amazes me. (Read this book about her).
Recently the ENP and another animal sanctuary called the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand were raided by armed officials of the Department of National Parks (DNP) and police units, who claimed to have received anonymous phone calls which (falsely) reported undocumented animals, etc. It is thought that the calls leading to the raids happened because the founders of both organizations have spoken out against elephant poaching.
The elephants at the ENP are okay (thank goodness), but the officials continue to intimidate WFFT and have even seized some animals. Even if this doesn’t mean much to you, would you please consider signing this petition? Those animals should be returned to their sanctuary where they rightfully belong. These are non-profit organizations who do a lot of good, and they ought to be able to keep doing their important work with Thailand’s animals.
Click here to sign the petition.
Some elephant links:
Elephant Nature Park / Elephant Nature Foundation (same organization)
Tina Tangos 