Trick or what?!

I have already written about Halloween... I have nothing against this day, but I can't stand children wandering asking trick or treat...
I spent few lines to explain what importing a tradition from another culture means to me, and I don't want to repeat it again...

This evening I was going shopping and I saw some of this children dressed as witches or monsters. The first thing that came into my mind was :"Why here?! There are no Houses here around!" The second was: "If they dare even think about coming to my door I'll throw them rotten eggs!"

I don't hate children, mind you! And I can perfectly see that it is not their fault, but that's not a celebration of our culture and I cannot see any serious reason to celebrate it...
Thank God tomorrow there will be no more Halloween!

Back to my passions...

This year at University I don't have regular courses, but just few exams left, and that's why is so difficult to work hard! Also, I want to start playing my guitar a bit more this year. I have a project, well, I have this project since the day I get my degree in guitar, but I found several obstacles so far...

This time I want to try seriously this way, and who knows where it could lead... I miss it so much! Playing my guitar some hours each day...
Sometime I wonder how I managed to study at the University, and in a Conservatory for so many years, but it was not tough, never! In Italy classical guitar in a conservatory is a ten-years course, and when you start it you think it is such a long path that you probably never see the end, but when you reach the end of this path you realize that you're never ready, or at least that's what I experienced, I could never thought of me ending my studies...

Teaching music is a way to keep me in contact with my studies even when I don't have time enough to study, but now I want something more, I want to try to do something more!
wish me luck, or better "in bocca al lupo" (musicians are always superstitious!!)!

foto from Flickr


I'm back to my last courses at University, and because I know I will have no time for choosing books to read, I read a final book for my pleasure before starting!

Of course, when you start reading a book you hope it will be pleasant, but when I started to read "girl with the pearl earring" I was totally and completely fascinated by the story of this young maid. I entered her world in her house and then starting to feel what she felt. It is so well written, that even though I read it in English ( I'd rather read in the original language when I can do it!), I was really involved in the story! I watched the clouds with her trying to figure out the different colours, I felt ashamed for the attention of a butcher's son, and confused for the secret errands she had to do for her master...
The story deals with the life of a girl who is the maid in Vermeer's house, and besides her duty as a maid she starts helping her master preparing the color for his paintings. There is nothing morbid about their relation and the way they work together, but there is a kind of unsaid attraction between the two. Things become a little bit complicated when Vermeer's Patron notices the girl and wants to be painted with her...
I won't tell you anything more, but be sure that is worth reading!

Some hours in Rome...

...not even a day! I had time just for a walk, starting with San Peter.






Passing by, because I had no time to stand in a queue...












Then I passed by Castel Sant'Angelo, and I stopped few minutes in the park, just to read my map and decide the next target...

















Which could not but be Trinità dei Monti, and to reach it I went along a street, where I could see Bulgari, Cartier, Buccellati... and I was wondering what kind of place it was... The to decided the next stop of my trip I realize that I was passing by via Condotti!!


















It's almost impossible to take a picture without people in it, when you're in Rome...


I went up the stairs, and up there I decided the next stop...













...can you guess where I am?!
I thought I could sit for a moment, bu when I reached Fontana di Trevi I realized that it was too crowded!

So, I stopped just a minute to watch the tourists taking picture of the wife/son/daughter/boy-girl-friend throwing a coin...







Then through unknown ways I arrived in Via Venezia from where I could see Altare della Patria, but I didn't dare go up the stairs here! (once in a lifetime, and I had already done it!)













When you're there you cannot avoid to see Colonna traiana and Foro di Traiano, of course!


















And if you go up to reach Piazza del Campidoglio you can see the whole city (almost)...













And then you can easily recognize Marco Aurelio when you arrive...

So far I was almost tired (it is a really long way...) but I thought I could take a bus to come back, so I decided to go on (Colosseo is so near...)

















...but I just managed to reach Tempio di Vesta which is just opposite La Bocca della verità! Then I had to come back, no more time, and no more energy for my quick trip in Rome!