Santiago here we come! The way of St. James

Well after a long silence, I have managed finally to write this blog I just got back this morning from the 11th of October when we left for the "camino of Santiago de Compostela" starting from Sarria approching Portomarin, Melide, Arzoa, finally reaching Santiago. Over 120 Km by feet, with all the wait of the rucksacks, it has been a fab experience, mixing with people from all over the world, English, Americans, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Spanish, and Italian of course. Crossing by feet this wonderful land, you could see, admire the wonderful nature across miles, trough valleys and hills, chatting to each other from all walks of path in life, and also having time to yourself to enjoy the scenario's of the countryside, either when it was sunny and when it was raining both ways where really productive for each one of us! We pilgrims have walked over a route of 1.200 years of history, to think of how many people have stepped into your path, and how many after you will it is just an amazing sensation of union, it gives you a combination of sacrifice and reward at the same time which transforms anyone that experiences it at least once in their life. It was lovely crossing people on the walk and everybody was wishing each other a good camino, no matter the nationalities, religion, sex, all it matter was that individually we were walking together to be able to reach our goal, Santiago the Compostela, capital of the region of the Galicia.Its stone has made Santiago a world of heritage site since 1985, it is core it is of course the Praza do Obradoiro where all the routes converge, right in front of the great Cathedral which emanates the strength and beauty of thousand years of tradition and history! It is really breath taken especially when all pilgrims are arriving to reach on time the spacial mass of 12 o'clock which is the mass for all the pilgrims as the conclusion of the camino, to consolidate our commitment with all the reasons why we have started this "camino" we could not ask a better ending where all together we bring our hopes, fatigues, joys to where they belong for each other. Yesterday on this special occasion because there were so many of us the priests have decided to gives the special spectacle of the botafumeira or incense holder and its chapels. Really words are not enough to express the feelings and sensation and the emotions that we have experienced, I would like to suggest to anybody to try such a wonderful experience at least once in the life you sure will not be disappointed!

Wishing everybody a "buon camino"!

 

HAPPY EASTER, BUONA PASQUA!

Well well well Easter has arrived and it is raining today!!! Never mind...just wanted to wish all my customers who are friends a Happy Easter day even though we are far away! I would dearly like to share some Easter egg together, at the moment I can only do it virtually so not good enough, but the thought is always there. For each one of us Easter is an important date, we all get a second chance, the most important one, weather be believe or not deep inside we know there is somenthing after this life, and today on Easter day it is shown to us. Buona pasqua to everybody!

8th of March Woman's Day

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March the 8th every year. It's a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. The 8th of March is the International Women’s Day and Italian men and women are going to celebrate it with the traditional gift of yellow mimosas to Italy’s lovely women.
This civil holiday was born as a political event, and over the course of years blended into the culture of many countries, to the point that in some celebrations, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them.
Women’s Day has its roots in two events that took place outside of Italy. On March 8, 1857 a strike by garment workers in New York, led to the formation of the first women's union in the United States. Sixty years later Russian women led a strike calling for "bread and peace" during the twin horrors of World War I and the Russian Revolution. In 1945 the Union of Italian Women declared that this special date, March 8, should be set aside to celebrate womanhood across the country. This is a very important date for all the difficulties that women had to go trough to try and reach the same rights of men in all aspect of a normal working class.

On the 8th of March Italian men are going to celebrate it with the traditional gift of yellow mimosas to Italy’s lovely women.
Women declared that this special date, March 8, should be set aside to celebrate womanhood across the country. Italians are fond of this celebration, It is also criticized for being more and more of a commercial and marketing initiative, with its civil and political meaning pushed every year further in the background. While it is true that men should show their love and care every day of the year, we Italians appreciate having a special day. While it is true that men should show their love and care every day of the year, we Italians appreciate having a special day for our women!

Women in Italy don’t need a special day to go out and celebrate in a women-only night, but they live this particular night with enthusiasm.

Buona festa della donna a tutti!!!

Sanremo: the evening of duets, triumph Brian and Patti

Well it has just finished the the 5 day marathon of the music Festival in Sanremo! It is a Kermess that every year we have, all new italian songs where the public from home and not only will be voting the winner!!! One of the nights they have decided to mix italian artist with international ones and what a great mixture and blend absolutely fabulous. This particular night of nearly five hours of good international music – opened in the name of Frank Sinatra and a tribute to Giancarlo Bigazzi Gianni Morandi – designed to celebrate the Italian songs that have been successful in the world. A long sequence of historical passages that saw the big festival with international artists performing with the results, of course, different. I hava thoroughly enjoyed the high qualiy of music between all the artist just to mention some: Beautiful duet between Nina Zilli and Skye of Morcheeba for Great Great Great,fun, the one between Samuele Bersani (who comes from the town of Cattolica in the Adriatic Riviera) and Goran Bregovich in Romagna Mia; interesting Dolcenera with Professor Green in reckless life; Lucio Dalla and Pierdavide Carone in Anima e core, Shaggy Chiara Civello in I can not live without you; naive Emma Gary Go in Paradise. Big Al Jarreau, with Matia Bazar, in Speak more slowly; good Noemi and Sarah Jane Morris in Loving a bit ‘; Francesco Renga with Sergio Dalma in the World; almost monastic Arisa with Jose Feliciano will be in May; Gigi D’Alessio with Loredana Berte that with the exciting Macy Gray At least you have sung in the universe, paying tribute to Mia Martini; Noa, with Finardi in Back to Surriento. Critically acclaimed Marlene Kuntz and Patti Smith (top quality) so beautiful in Impressions of September (The world became the world"in english; Irene Fornaciari with Brian May (greeted by standing ovation from the audience) and Kerry Ellis in one of many. They also hear other great songs like Because the Night, which has dragged the Ariston, Life is Beautiful, We in this world together, a duet Feliciano-Morandi.
It has been an honour to hear all that high good quality of music, where artists from all over the world join together and do what they do best sing. I have found that great artist such as Brian May, Kerry Ellis, Patti Smith superb, Sarah Jane Morris, Skye have showed to the world what music is with an extrodinary semplicity of a big star as they all are.

Here my two favorites song of the night Patty Smith in The world became the world, and her famoust hit because the night....enjoy it!!!!
http://www.cadoinpiedi.it/2012/02/17/marlene_kuntz_patty_smith_a_sanremo_il_video_dellesibizione.html

The Befana!!!

In Italy it is tradition to celebrate the so called "Befana" on the 6th of January, the Ephifany day which is considered the last day of the Christmas holiday where everyone takes the Christmas tree down on that day. We have a saying " L'Epifania che ogni festa si porta via" which it means “The Epiphany which takes away all festivity”.
La Befana is a nice old woman (not a very good looking one though) who flies on her broom stick every year on the night between the 5th and 6th of January, to bring presents to the children. That is why she carries a big bag on her back full of sweets, so that la Befana will be able to fill the stockings that the kids will leave by their chimney. The kids who have been good during the year, will have sweets and chocolates in their stocking. Those who have not behavied will also get a little surprise such as a few lumps of coal. Some people imagine La Befana with white hair, some with dark hair but, a part from that, everybody agrees on the fact that she has a long long crooked nose, broken shoes and a patched dress!!!!!

This is the befana song:

The Befana comes by night

With her shoes tattered & torn

With a very patched dress

Long live the Befana!

It is now time for children to go back to school and for the adults to go back to work.... so see you next year Befana!!!!!

Christmas time in Cattolica!!!

Hello everybody, it is nearly Christmas time and celebrations are round the corner...so they say! I would like to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. Even though we are having a time of difficulty for the all of Europe Italy included, we have tried to give the people who still comes and spends Christmas with us in Cattolica a spot of light and dream. During Festivities we all try to forget our small or big problems and smile to the New Year and Christmas Day. We often forget the importance of Christmas, and it is good to remeber the meaning of it: peace, love, friendship (the real one) and to care for each other, this is what every Christmas, on Christmas night each year we celebrate when Gesus borns. Christmas more than other times is a time for sharing what we are and who we are together we the ones we love!!! That is why we have made Cattolica with a special Christmases mood, so we hope!!! We have closed in a ball the fountins by Piazza Primo Maggio,just like a Christmas ball and you can watch inside and see like a different world a better one...and all the little Christmas trees around it... the streets are all light up with Christmas lights, the little houses in the main center viale bovio where you can sample our traditions and at the same time buy little gifts,there is a beautiful ice ring by Piazza Mercato where kids and adults (mostly) can skate, a beautiful wheel by the council where you can see the top of Cattolica, last but not least the council all light up and in front the massive Christmas tree all decorated where the night of Christmas after the mass we will all meet to celebrte and wish everybody a great Merry Christmas. Christmas Carols will be sung all over the main areas of Cattolica by the coir of the Regina....so there is somenthing for everybody!

DINNNER ALL TOGETHER CUSTOMER'S & STAFF

For the last day of the season in October we have decided customers and staff to have the last dinner all together downstair in the hall!!! it was a very nice evening, were italian were mixing with english people, chatting about everything and enjoying the pizza because that is what we had!!! with wine of course.... it is nice when customers who I consider friends become part of the family of the hotel because all my staff is more than staff they are part of the big hotel Senior family were culture, different nationalaties blend together in a very special way! That is one of the reason why i love my job, meeting people, seeing people over and over again, knowing and remembering waht they like knowing the family and friends. That is why when the time comes to say goodbye it becomes difficult! For this meal even my mother who now comes very little to the hotel due to health reasons, was there with us, and many of my staff who now don't work with us no more because they have retired they were all there, I have grown up with these people and it is a lovely feeling to share together what we have!
Here some picture of the nice evening we had all together!!!