"B E N V E N U T O! WELCOME!" icunme's Profile

NEW POSTS: Como -
Lago di Como - Mondello - Bracciano - Lago Bracciano - Castel Gandolfo - Yvoire

*ANSA Italian news source in English: ANSA

Very briefly - I was born in PA - with work in politics Washington, DC, public relations New York, and writing in Beverly Hills - came to Italy for the first time 7 years ago - and stayed. I thoroughly enjoy the life here - miss my friends - do my best to entice them to visit me here in Rome.

Yes, I am on facebook: carol adami

Now - for the really good stuff..........

Angels - Vittorio Emanuelle monument - Pza Venezia

Italy will embrace you - her people enchant you

To me this photo captures Italy and Italian people - soaring through clouds and sun on the same day - at the same time.......
Life is not easy here for the average working family - you will never know that - when you ask for assistance, they will gladly help - yes, you might find the occasional grumpy bus or cab driver, but they are so few.

Green White Red trails

Italian Air Force planes in formation, streaming green, white, red over the Capitol at the close of Feste Republica.

A great tri-color planes photo by Air Force pilot and photographer, David Cenciotti, on my ROME page

Just ask me - I'll tell you about Italy!

This Italian celebrates Festa Republica his way! Just check out the details here. And he talks with everyone here in front of the "cake" monument in Piazza Venezia. And, a good time was had by all - espcially this guy!! No country throws a party - so huge - and so often. No matter how difficult their life is at the moment - Italians will go to the party!

That's our Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, at Feste Republica - giving new meaning to the word "new"!

Black cat lives inside the Vatican Museum

SCARAMANZIA - a word without an exact English translation, veiled in mystery - the really B I G Whooo, whooooooo - this is serious stuff here so I need all the help I can get.
There are no lines of demarkation - superstition and religious legend are entertwined - religion and revelry co-exist side by side.

SO - VT FRIENDS PLEASE - SEND ME YOUR SCARAMANZI - I NEED THIS INFO & I WILL POST IT HERE FOR ALL VT'RS COMING TO ITALY! Please indicate if your Scaramanzi is indigenous to a specific region.

Common Scaramanzi:

1. I threw my baseball cap toward the bed and my Italian friend made a flying leap to grab it in mid-air before it hit the bed! NO HAT ON THE BED - EVER!

2. He missed the catch - grabbed his balls, shook them.... (I can no longer tell a scaramanzia remedy from a guy who is simply a pervert!)

3. He began frantically looking all around for something - he was looking for something metal to touch against wood.

Above 2 and 3 rituals would negate the bad luck scaramanzia of number 1.

4. You DO NOT pass the salt from hand to hand - you put it down on the table in front of the person who asked for it.

5. NO 13 guests for dinner - never - ever - period. And, if you are the 13th guest - leave.

6. Black cat - even in the U.S. this was known - but here - very serious Wooo, wooooo. This friend would stop the car - turn around and go another way before crossing a black cat's path.

7. NO romantic candle in the bedroom - they put candles there when someone dies.

Now - I am here from the last 35 years in CA - I fear earthquakes, fires, mudslides, and Beverly Hills meter maids. But this SCARAMANZIA thing is getting to me - slowly but surely.............

My thought was - why don't we all just go for an exorcism once a year - get rid of all the accumulated scaramanzia - just like I have an annual pap test and mammogram?

And here is the black cat who cuddles up to people inside the Vatican Museum Carriage Pavilion - he loves everyone! This gentile tourist lady does not know about Italian SCARAMANZI!

travelgourmet - REMEDY - Just put your thumb (print side) behind your upper front teeth, push out and yell "Basta! Vai a vite te."
Grazie, Larry - much less of an energy drain than an exorcism!

xaver From Corra: Never open an umbrella inside - only out in the open space!
Thank you, Corra - no wonder why my friend looked in shock when I opened the umbrella inside the church entryway - hopefully, the blessings I had just rec'd helped me!

Castel Sant'Angelo - my best photo

Castel Sant'Angelo is in view at least once every day walking to or from home. In my mind, it is more a part of the Vatican than Rome - perhaps because of the passageway (escape route for the Pope) leading from St Peter's to the castle.

THE PRIZE!

Having my citizenship recognized by Italy was a dream come true and enabled me to envision living out my life here. It is a daunting procedure - but well worth all the work. Dual citizenship - U.S. & Italy is surely the best of two worlds.
I could never have completed the process without the people who assisted me along the way. The treasure of new friendships accompanies this passport.