Communication - and a French Quiz

If this was 1932, or even 1962 the following blog wouldn´t even be an issue but it isn´t it is 2008 - a time of internet and email and blogs. If AJ and I had taken this trip in a bygone time we would have sent written missives across the ocean and folks would have expected to receive them once or twice the whole time we were away. As it is we have set up expectations for ourselves to keep in touch often and with aclarity. And there in lies the rub.
We brought along a little ASUS computer, no bigger than two passports. Lightweight, loaded with programmes like SKYPE, a built in mic and camera and the ability to use European voltage without a convertor. Awesome. Yup, for the first month. Then, things went down hill and Eddie as we came to call it, just wouldn´t perform. Then we began our discussions with the ASUS folks back home. Well they said there are no dealers to fix it in Europe and if you take it somewhere else to get it fixed it will void the warranty. Ok we said, how about if we send it home and you fix it there? Sure they said, just send it in the original packing but we won´t send it back to you unless you pay of course. Sooooo, of course we don´t have the original packing and anyway what good would it do to fix it if we can´t get it back. We will be dealing with ASUS (rhymes with Jesus) when we get home. In the meantime....
We have been forced to ferret out internet cafes like a couple of little hound dogs sniffing out a little action. It has often proved to be unsuccessful. All these cafes are built around the same plan - you would think that there was some kind of corporate design but of course there isn´t - just a general willingness to use the smallest amount of space stuffed with the greatest amount of computers. The computers are usually satisfactory if not always packed with programs. Most often there is no SKYPE so that always makes us sad.
Internet cafes don´t just attract travelers. In many of them very overweight young boys play noisy, scary killing games. Others seem to draw dark skinned men with hoods sitting very close to computers with pictures of girls doing a variety of interesting things. The sound track for all this humanity ranges widely. This morning there was some kind of Arabic music, a bit like a dentist drill - on and on it went. Often it is hip hop, but sometimes it is just the local pop radio station playing the same three songs over and over. Just like home except in a language you can´t sing along with. And then, like a cloud wreathing the entire little room is smoke and lots of it. Smoking, the real religion of the people. It is ubiquitious and absolutley unavoidable. So you end up with this magic mixtures of smoke, heat, noise and strangers bodies just way too close for comfort. It all combines to make being eruidte a huge challenge. Anyway, that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

I didn´t really intend to winge about internet access I intended to dispel some French myths. And now that I have my rant off my chest maybe I will. Take the following true or false test. Four or more correct and you are a real Frenchophile. No looking ahead for answers!


1) French people are rude. T or F
2) French food is the most fantastic in the world. T or F
3) All French people have great clothing sense. T or F
4) The really interesting parts of France are its cities. T or F


Answers: (well our answers)

1) Surprise, they weren´t. They sometimes sighed the long suffering sigh of those who can´t believe everyone hasn´t mastered their lovely language but they always tried to help us. They smiled indulgently at our pathetic attempts at francaise and muddled along with us. They were kind as could be when helping sort out the menus (which often were bilingual thank God). They gave directions with wild waving of hands and big smiles. They encouraged us to try and clarifiy when we were confused and filled in blanks when we just couldn´t find a word or action. In fact their generosity of spirit was one of the lovely surprises of our time in France.

2) Well, food in the grocery stores is inexpensive and fresh. We often cooked at home and AJ continued his tradition of fine cuisine even far away from home. Eating out in restaurants was not the soul enhancing experience we had hoped for however. It was certainly more than edible - especially compared to Ireland - but then we could write pages about the food in Ireland but that is for another time. But we aren´t coming home with a meal that we will always remember except the one of lamb chops that Arne cooked in our little house in Aix.

3) True. Even the old men and ladies have some kind of special way of wearing their clothes that looks effortless and yet elegant. They wear scarves in a thousand different ways and always look just chi chi. They always seem dressed for the occassion whether its shopping in the early morning market or dining out. I am so jealous because although we can dress well in Canada we just don´t. Go to the ballet anytime or wedding or a funeral for that matter. Canadians never seem to be wearing what the occasion calls for even though we could. It seems as if we have taken casual to mean crappy. It makes me sad when I think how much we have on offer and how little energy we seem to put in to it.

4) The beautiful cities take your breath away but for sheer amazing, ¨we will never forget that¨memories¨you just gotta ¨get out of Dodge.¨ The colours of the French country side are so soothing. Pale mauve, soft pink, and every shade of green imaginable. Sunsets that make you weep, vistas small and spreading to make your soul leap. These are things we will always hold close.

Of course if our &/(=(/(%$ computer had worked we would be sending you all those great photos but you know......

Pescina, to August 16th

This is the town of Confetti, Sulmona.  Only thing is the confetti is candy wrapped up to look like different things, flowers, lady bugs, corn etc

 
Getting ready for the big August 15 Festa and a partial family BBQ

 
Aqua duct in Sulmona

The  boys around the campfire Aug 15

The girls around the campfire

Draining the Pasta, you need a big fork in Italy

The moon rising over the BBQ

Italian  Bush Road rash

Introduced three-legged races to Italy, Pescina anyways

Enjoying the fun of the moment

IS the pasta ready yet?

Nothing goes to waste especially when there are no plates left

Getting the fire ready

There were hundreds of these Rosteccni's (?) served at the picnic

This was a small bottle of wine going around

Getting set for our heat of 3 legged racing, bit of a height difference but what the hey

We rounded the clubhouse turn and centrifugal force through us off stride, although I still say there was a push from behind,  Road rash was after this

A beauty of the night, note the shawl 

we got caught in the middle of the procession on the day of the Festa in Pescina

Anita after the procession at the apartment they were staying at

The Night Before the Festa 

Quite a show for fro such a small town

 
We were at a town function and these are the ROTECCINIS being prepared for sale, wine was 3 euro and that was for a bottle, beer was 2 euro for a .5 L bottle

Ok is there enough smoke, the fires in the back provide the coals for the Roastticcinis

The dinner was pasta with wild boar sauce, Roasticcini and WINE
 A nice doorway on our pedal bike trip

Finally got Arnesto to smile, this was the dance with the town dinner

A marching band going past Lui & Anita's apartment

Another good lunch with family

A church roof and some of the detail in a small church, Pescina
look out here we come, 4 pedal spots but only 2 working up hill and when we went down no work at all.  That stick shift is the brake and you really really need to reef on it to stop in some cases.  Great fun and we never laughed so much on the entire trip.  wait unitl you see the movie Lui took.

The ride was a bit bumpy but beautiful

this was pizza night in Pesciana, you could have plain or with jewels of the sea, Anchovies.

we had had the pizza and watched the show

Lui, Antia & Venccezo

A few of Liu's relatives in town for the Festa

Pave' & Angelina., the pasta maker for the town and it was fantastic, had to slap the money down and run with her chasing because she did not want to be paid.

Cavtat & Dubrovnic, Croatia (some not all) No. 2

PLEASE REMEMBER THE PHOTOS ARE NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AS THE POSTINGS OF THE PHOTOS MOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT  

Thx  AJ

Napoleon's fort above Dubrovnic

Just a street photo

Pave' & John on their way down to the water but to get there you have to go through a restaurant.

 
At the bottom of the stairs

Some war damage from ~1992, we were told they are just starting to repair this damage

Our balcony through the trees, maybe this was already posted

John & Pave' at our entrance, see our balcony

Luka helping pack but a little uncertain how to dress for the next day

  
A balcony shot after a great dinner

A museum in Dubrovnic

A view from the sidewalk along the water

 
Pave' trudging up yet another set of stairs, to think she had the hip replacement just over a year ago

Start of Pescina time

Luka having Ice Cream Spaghetti 

One of our fabulous lunches, Pave', John, Deb, Lui, Anita

 
ONE of Lui's aunts & Uncles they lived next door of the apartment Anita & Lui had for their use

OK, We were headed tot he train or bus station after being picked up at the hotel in Pescara to goto Pescina, Lui's home town.  Just as we got tothe station our driver, Ronaldo, asked were we were headed, Pascina we answer,  I will take you for 100 Euros.  Sold on the air conditioning and off we go.

Can't say why but Ronaldo loved having a conversation with me, Do I look Italian?

Some more rellies, Aunty and Cousin Arnesto who visited  Canada a couple of years ago