Okay, this is the beach I was at for three hours today. Not alot to say about today other than that. We ran some errands like food shopping, going to the pharmacy and village hall. Then we cooked a bit of dinner and spent a while on said beach, trying to slowly change colour. Not something I do very frequently.

Now we are waiting for Italia v. Ghana. Oooooooooooooooooooh. Ooh.

Buongiorno. It's just Monica and I in the house at the moment. As t's Monday, everybody's doing something except us, so while she performs various grooming tasks, I blog.

After the aforementioned, we had a look around Offagna's castle/fort/tower thing, which is good for taking pictures like this from:



It is like a little castle, it's got guardrooms, munitions rooms, battlements, a tirture chamber - the works. Monica used to give the tours so she could tell me everything the guidebook could directly. In one of the weapons rooms there was an excerpt, apropos of nothing, from the Bayeux tapestry. The tower was built 3/400 years afterwards, so it was something I might have smugly mentioned in the visitor's book if there was one. There wasn't, for the benefit of all parties. It also has a bell. This is what it looks like when an inglese in a floppy capello gives it a ring (you can do these kinds of things in an Italian villlage apparently), realises it's un po forte and runs away in embarassment:


And this is me looking about as tough as it is humanly possible for me to do at the behest of la mia ragazza. I look like a complete spoon:


Finally, from the picture point of view, this is central Offagna, looking up. We're quite close to Monica's house, which is up the hill:

Hmmm. It's not working. Maybe there's a three picture limit or something. Never mind. Then we had a little walk in the sun. And then it was finally time for mass.

It was nice, realxed, and what with a very comprehensive service sheet, I could follow it and do most of the responses, but they really whizz through the creed in Italia. "Dio di dio, luce da luce, generato non creato" is one of the easier bits.

Had pizza for dinner, which was good. Though Monica pulls a rather disgusted face when she sees ham and pineapple on an English pizza, they seem to have stooped to chip pizza in Italia, which seems absurd to me. Not that any of the Zagaglie really seemed to like it.

Happy Trinity Sunday everybody! Anche, sono in vacanza in Italia!

Well, I intend to try and keep an up to date blog in light of this, but I feel it would be unwise to promise anyhthing. I guess I might see if I can get Blogger to let me have some photos in as well. Well, let's see - what to tell:

Because our train was for 1 o'clock, I had plenty of time to go to Saturday morning mass, which is a good way to start a holiday I feel. I haven't fulfilled today's obligation as yet, but there's mass at 1900 hours, which means I've had a much needed lie-in. Italian windows have shutters which actually restrict the level of light in a room, making lie-ins that little bit easier. This is why I needed one:

Firstly, the train from Exeter was delayed. No big deal really, we'd allowed plenty of time, though it was in hindsight something of a portent. We then had to take the tube, which again, was fine. We did actually get on the wrong line to start with, but it so happens that it was heading in the right direction anyway.

Now the Stansted Express was incredibly annoying - it was really busy, and there were so many inconsiderate bastardi around using spare seats for their bags that it was untrue. I very nearly murmered quietly to myself, but I restrained myself. Though all the windows were open, it was really close, London being rather hot at the time, and every stop was delayed I think. And it was really, really loud; had we been going into space, I could understand the incredibly irritating, malevolent whine permeating the carriage whilst in motion, but as I understand it, the Stansted Express terminates before space. Anyway, we were delayed further.

Then Stansted itself. It was pretty busy - no harm in that per se but there was a biiiiiig hold-up at security, which meant that everybody was substantially late - we were about 40 minutes late. I'm sorry to report that there was queue-jumping by some people whose nationality it would be insensitive to name. Anyway, as it was 40 mins after the stated boarding time, we had a little bit of a jog to the gate. Just as we got there, the tannoy quoth 1 minute to go, which we felt was harsh, but made the best of it while we could.

The flight was pretty uneventful. It was quite good, according to Monica, who usually flies rather badly.

When we landed we did the usual thing, except that the part where you greet someone at the exit who whisks you away to somewhere more domestic went a little awry. We were at Bologna Forli airport (like "London Stansted"), they at Bologna. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune let up a bit at this point, but we still had to wait about another half an hour. None of us were feeling so very social when we rolled into Offagna at around 0130 Italian time.

I am given to understand that worse things happen at sea. I guess we'll find out if we visit Ireland.

-

Today has been quiet, as befits a Sunday after a long journey. Slept 'til about half 11, whereupon I discovered that Monica was waiting outside the church along with half the village noseying at a bride, along with her wedding dress, going in to get matrimonified. So I joined her for abit until she came, pointing out which outfits seemed "interesting" to me; the joys of being a foreigner.

Paid a quick visit to Vanessa, Monica's sister, and Lorenzo, Vanessa's farfallino (leetle butterfly) on what is, coincidentally, their wedding anniversary. I received a belated birthday present of Il Piccolo Principe which I have in the mother-tongue from the inestimable Zosh.

Then had a lovely dinner of tagliatelle, and some form of delicious meat, followed up with a cup of tea and a bit of cake which seemed like seedcake, but is apparently flavoured with blueberry yoghurt. Yum.

Monica is currently visiting an old lady re. a recent death (this may not be the exact situation, but it's certainly remeniscent of it) whcih to my mind makes her seem a little like a character from a 19th century novel, perhaps one of Austen's.

Anyway, because if you've made a bad joke once, you may as well make it again - that's ciao, for now.

Just what I was thinking

"Am I missing the point, or are the grown men who staked out a medical facility for the best part of 18 hours just to frantically shout a fat Scouser's surname at him for four seconds completely psychotic?"
- Darren Ford in a letter to the Guardian (football bit) regarding Rooney's long awaited injury report.

Squash

I played squash last night, and it nearly killed me. I suppose this has made me stronger according to Nietzsche. I'll find out at hockey tonight. In other news, I think I've landed a temping job - as a slightly responsible office monkey. Pay's good, and I need the cash.

That is all.

Awesome

Phrases annoying me at present: "hang fire" and "hence why".

“This is My Friend”

Let me tell you how I made his acquaintance.
I had heard much of Him, but took no heed.
He sent daily gifts and presents, but I never thanked Him.
He often seemed to want my friendship, but I remained cold.
I was homeless, and wretched, and starving and in peril every hour; and He offered me shelter and comfort and food and safety; but I was ungrateful still.
At last He crossed my path and with tears in His eyes He besought me saying, Come and abide with me.

Let me tell you how he treats me now.
He supplies all my wants.
He gives me more than I dare ask.
He anticipates my every need.
He begs me to ask for more.
He never reminds me of my past ingratitude.
He never rebukes me for my past follies.

Let me tell you further what I think of Him.
He is as good as He is great.
His love is ardent as it is true.
He is as lavish of His promises as He is faithful in keeping them.
He is as jealous of my love as He is deserving of it.
I am in all things His debtor, but He bids me call Him Friend.

Robert Hugh Benson

John Allan's web-site for the Philippians series at Belmont.

Posted in the hope that Ben will blog it, and thus CathSoc people will see it re. a potential CathSoc trip to Belmont.

I had Sunday lunch at Pizza Express with Mark, Monica and Monica’s parents, my fluency with Italian matched my fluency in Italian, Monica did an awful lot of translating. It’s always amusing when a foreign-themed restaurant gets customers from the country of origin, Monica’s Dad wasn’t impressed by the speed of service, but he became very quiet when the food arrived.

On Monday we all went to Living Coasts in Torquay by train, I had the idea to visit Paignton Zoo on Tuesday, so I bought a joint ticket for the linked attractions, saving money and giving me a nice long "weekend". I really like watching penguins, especially the free-roaming penguins, one of who took an interest in my shoes; they’re so cute. The fur seals were a little disappointing, they were just basking unlike the last time I visited when they were squabbling over the highest part of their basking rock, but still they are lovely creatures. We had lunch at the nearby Brewer’s Faire, but ended up sitting around a bar table because there were no free 5-seater tables. I was a bit tired and headachy from spending so much time being in "Asperger social-mode", so I walked at my normal walking speed back to the station, and read my book for 20 minutes or so while the slower moving group caught up.

Today I went to Paignton Zoo, walked from the station to the zoo, and arrived in time for the lion talk and managed to stump the keeper by asking about the differences between African and Asiatic lions. She remembered that Asiatic lions are slightly smaller, but we were both sure there was something else. I looked this up later; Asiatic lions have scantier manes, but tend to be generally have more fur and a fold of skin on the belly. Moving on there were several groups of free-ranging ducklings, and male peacocks displaying all over the site, which was causing the tapirs to huddle in a tight mass, and the meerkats to move through their tunnels into the porcupine enclosure, highly amusing.
I did get one surprise though, one of the keepers from Living Coasts was also at the zoo and she recognised me from yesterday, while stroking a Barbary sheep she had looked after for a while, apparently this sheep has a bad habit of butting his keepers, other than her. I also went to the parrot show, some of the birds seemed less than professional, the cockatoo seemed to have forgotten much of its act, and there were a few other little problems but it was an enjoyable show. Especially when one lady volunteered to assist with one trick involving the macaw retrieving a coin from her hand, not realising just what she was getting into. The shock of the macaw, not a small bird, landing on her arm caused her to drop the coin. I helped out by putting the coin back on her hand, so the act continued without further incident.

This may sound odd, but I often enjoy talking to Jehovah's Witnesses, which was the case this morning, while waiting for someone to open the clock shop I work in.
The conversation meandered a bit, including the importance of the Bible as the "repair manual" for humanity, the importance of understanding the context of the Bible to understand pieces like the significance of Jesus saying "I am" (Mark 14:62) (John 18:8-9), the exact phrase being one only God could use.
The fun part came when he gave me a pamphlet, which claimed that the "new earth" and "new heavens" refer to "a righteous society of people living on earth" and "a perfect heavenly kingdom, or government". I took a different stance following from Revelations (21:1) "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away". I stated my belief this earth would cease to be, like a building with failing foundations it would be torn down to make way for a new perfect earth.
The next fun part that got him thinking was my belief that God actively works through mechanisms understandable by science as well as supernatural means, as the Genesis Chapter 1 version of the creation story, parallels the current scientific belief about the creation of the universe. And that God used evolution as His tool to create all life.
The reason I enjoy these discussions is that I enjoy turning the tables on the evangelists of the less theologically sound religions.
The day continued to be interesting when a chap turned up at the shop carrying a white bunny outfit, apparently he's taking part in the upcoming fun-run to raise money for charity. And somehow the shop was involved in a photo shoot from a local paper, I decided to turn down the opportunity to be photographed next to a giant rabbit.
I then had a few fun jobs to do, fitting a replacement movement into a case, requiring a lot of parts transferred from the old movement. I have the most interesting Saturdays.

Climbing

Went to the Manchester Climbing Centre in Gorton yesterday with Goran, who kindly showed us (myself and Emma) how to climb. We've been a couple of times before (once to Froggatt Edge in the Peak District with some university friends) but have forgotten nearly everything due to the ravages of time. Emma was feeling better, having been off school all week with laryngitis, but still has not got much of a voice, and was a little suprised to run into some of her school kids there (not as suprised as them, I suppose).
Stayed climbing most of the afternoon, with Emma doing most of the belaying (that's the guy at the bottom holding the rope so that you don't hit the floor when you fall off the wall) and me doing the hard work climbing. Apparently I could do with losing some weight.

Saw V for Vendetta - mindless entertainment - in the evening with Hadi & Goran, and then went for pizza, kebab & chicken. Pleasant day. Oh, and Wednesday are 6 points clear of relegation with 5 games to go, so I'm gradually calming down about the football.