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Blogs from Turin, Piedmont, Italy, Europe
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October 2nd 2012
Buongiorno from Turin, Brendon and I loved being back in France. We managed the language well, the food suited us both and the culture is one which we appreciate a great deal. We loved poking around the old buildings – I am sure you have seen the evidence in our photos – we even love the pace of their life. It was tough to leave France. The French stop for lunch and make an occasion out of it. There is a ritual that includes going to a restaurant or home and a proper meal is consumed. Wine is included and there is always more than one course. I guess, it is a little like a siesta in Italy, only it does not include sleep, it includes food. Very French!!!. About the only thing that annoyed us ... read more
September 6th 2012
Ah! Les voyages Chic chic les voyages en première mais la diligence s'est révélée moins confortable que prévue,(matelas un peu dur et contorsion).Enfin c'est pareil on est en "Etalie".Wow!,,En ce moment nous sommes à Torino,demain au Lago Maggiore après who cares....! A bientôt les petits copains nous allons à la découverte de Italia, bellissimo!... read more
September 6th 2012
L'Italie na pas toujours bon goût... Marcel a goûté au pic-pocket sur l'autobus aujourd'hui! Mon beau Marcel toutes ses cartes de credis, de débit, permis de conduire, assurance etc. Dans le même portefeuille, quel précieux guide lui a dit de garder tout dans le même endroît, probablement celui écrit pas " jevafaire tépoches". No money no candy hi hi .... Quelle aventure nous attends demain, j'entends déjà Marcel; " segnor carrabinieri, je me suis fait voler mon portefeuille, c'est pour ça que je n'ai pas de permis de conduire pauvre petit moi" Est- ce que quelq'un sait comment sont les prisons en Italie? Don't tell me because I don't want to know........ read more
September 1st 2012
You all probably already knew this but I have come to realize that I am a procrastinator. My last entry was a looooong time ago and I ended by saying I would be getting back to everyone soon. I lied, but I am pretty sure you might forgive me for this delay:) Debra and I have been up to quite a bit since last we chatted. She is still working, hard, trying to make sure that the Italian's get their F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter) delivery on time and on budget. The Eurozone economic situation has been conspiring to derail that effort but somehow the program remains viable even though the number of total jets has decreased (everywhere including the USA). So, that has kept her busy while I try to write a bit (I have an ... read more
July 14th - Food, post, food, architecture, food, park, food
Published: August 1st 2012Europe » Italy » Piedmont » Turin
August 1st 2012
July 14: Not all better yet, but possibly an improvement... The pasta I ate last night is still mostly inside me. Hoping to get to the post office and lighten my load a bit by taking some of the things that I've bought and mailing them to myself back home. Things like CDs I've bought and some of the books I've finished reading (currently reading "brave new world" by Aldous Huxley as recommended to me by Eva) and after that we will head out and see Torino! ~Later~ Everything you might have about the Italian postal service is true... despite this, we got the stuff sent away successfully and set off on a wander around the city. Again, it is good to know somebody who knows the place and speaks the language... I mean I speak ... read more
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July 13th - Pasta will cure all that ails you
Published: July 28th 2012Europe » Italy » Piedmont » Turin
July 26th 2012
July 13th: Nope, still sick. I texted my friend Diana in Torino and asked her about getting an appointment with a doctor there, she said she'll take me to the ER... works for me, 4 or so days of stomach cramps and no food seems enough of an emergency to me! Stayed in the hotel room till checkout then went and got some fruit (hopefully that is being kind to my stomach) and headed to the park... so frustrating to be surrounded by all these delicious foods and not be able to partake! The train ride was hot and unventillated, as Diana suggested it would be. Yet again it was just so nice to have someone come and meet me at the station ad tell me where to go so that I could just switch my ... read more
Ciao Ragazzi! Hello Again - Jan-April 2012
Published: April 11th 2012Europe » Italy » Piedmont » Turin
April 11th 2012
Well it's been a while. I'll try to catch you all up. Sorry about that but we got tied up in visiting the good old USA over the Christmas holiday and I just let it all slip through the cracks. BTW we had a wonderful time back home visiting my Mom and brothers on Long Island as well as Debra's Mom and Dad in Orlando along with seeing all the family members we love in both places. We were with our two great sons, Jason and Joseph, most of the time so that was spectacular. And they were with us in NYC as well so that was just icing on the proverbial cake. We got back to Torino on the 9th of January. Deb started right back into work and doing a fair amount of travelling ... read more
January 29th 2012
This week started off with a BANG. The bang being food poisoning (Samantha insists that it was the bug that's been going around, but I'm convinced otherwise). I won't go into too much detail about how awful it was, but it left me pretty much out of commission for 2 days (one day of being sick and a second recovering), and has made me fear eating. How can I fear eating in Italy of all places? I curse my delicate stomach that freaks out at anything out of the ordinary. Hopefully I can train it to MAN UP in the next few months... Just a small bump in the road, I got over it pretty quickly and the rest of the week flew by. The days are starting to go by faster which must mean that ... read more
November 28th 2011
Trying to explain Thanksgiving to someone who has never celebrated it is a difficult task. For most Americans, the mere mention, smell, sight, or thought of anything that has anything to do with Thanksgiving will give immediate and satisfactory thoughts and memories about a holiday celebrated with family, food, and football (commonly referred to as life’s three greatest F’s). It is something that cannot be explained with words. It means too much. I have spent 21 Thanksgivings with my family. I have spent 3 Thanksgivings without my family. It may be harder than Christmas or any other holiday to spend away from family. But having spent the last three away from my family during Thanksgiving I have realized Thanksgiving not only can be celebrated without the most important F(amily) but it can be a huge success ... read more
November 22nd 2011
When I arrived in Korea I was put through an intense week of training (to be magically transformed into a teacher, while having no prior experience). Then I was put in a van, then a bus and sent to Cheongju, The City of Lights, my home for the following year and a half. I was put up in a love motel for a night and then Bethany and I were thrown into a closet that was supposed to be our apartment for a year. It was Renee’s apartment before us. Did you just read that? Renee’s… then ours. Emphasizing the fact that one person lived in the closet for a year and then my employer expected that two people would be happy there when one person barely was. They left us there. Before being dropped off ... read more
