Weekend of Eating! (5/26-27/1979)

Saturday, May 26, 1979
Drove up to Settimo to pass the time since I was a bit early to arrive at Claudio's apartment in Torino. After working with Claudio, we ate a Milanese meal (with the deliciously creamy Risotto Milanese made with saffron) and then took photos.

Claudio

Claudio with his grandparents and aunt

I then drove into the city looking for the cathedral with the facecloth of Christ, but never found it.

In the evening went to visit the P family a bit, before going to Courgne again; "2 Rotonde" with Franco, Maresa, and Gianni. Stopped for ice cream in Cirie on the way home. This is the night we move the clocks ahead one hour.

Sunday, May 27, 1979
Attilio, the jolly guard, took me to his home in Varisella after his 6:00 to 14:00 shift. We started eating right away, apparently a Venetian meal. It lasted until 16:00. Afterwards went out for ice cream. While his wife, Anna, and I went for a walk, Attilio played bocce. But it started raining so we went back to the house to watch television. And started eating dinner at about 19:30, which lasted nearly two hours. On the way back to my house we stopped for coffee. I was really uncomfortable after all that eating, but it sure was good!

Monday, May 28, 1979
After going to the post office in Grosso, I walked to Mathi to see if I could see Patrizia. Her mother walked me to the laundry where she now works. I was invited to play volleyball with them in the evening, but when I arrived, they had already quit. So we drove to Lanzo for milkshakes.

School Field Trip (5/24/1979)

Thursday, May 24, 1979
Today I went with Elena on a school field trip. Signore B drove us into Cafasse where we loaded onto five "Pullmans" or motor coach buses. We took the Autostrada and I saw beautiful flat farmland, with what I guess are poppies in the fields; bright red flowers. We finally drove past Pavia with its unique bridge and to Certosa di Pavia/Cloistered Monastery of Pavia. We apparently arrived at a bad time, so continued on to the reserved restaurant in a tiny town of Casatico. Spent several hours there eating the generous contents of our leather lunch bags. Then returned to Certosa to be taken on a tour by one of the friars. It was the first monastery I have been into, and also the first that I have seen on flat land.

Elena (looking back) by the church portal

Church at Certosa di Pavia

Small cloister

Afterwards we loaded onto the buses to go past Piacenza via the Autostrada to Grazzano Visconti, an old, old town maintained as original, but with people still living and working there. (I later learned the town was rebuilt to look medieval.) Exceptionally beautiful!

Finally there was the three and a half hour drive home to arrive at 22:00!

I am using the postcards that my grandmother sends me as the focal point of English lessons with the kids. The English lessons turn out to be Italian lessons for me as we translate everything in both languages!

A Wedding (5/20/1979)

Friday, May 18, 1979
Walked to the post office and then to Patri's house via the back road to Mathi from Grosso. Patri had just left to collect pay from the B family, according to her father. Patrizia had been let go as the maid at the B's.

Saturday, May 19, 1979
Angelo told me I got the car back. Late in the afternoon I took it to Cirie to do my shoe shopping. Either I was being too careful, or the car has lost all its get up and go, my poor red 127! Found a pair of shoes; such soft leather! Sales lady spotted me as a tourist right away! When I returned, the guard Attilio invited me to lunch at his house in the mountains next Sunday!

Gianni picked me up at 17:30 and took me to Nole. I took some of my mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies and they loved them. Passed the time by looking at pictures of the mountains we would climb, the chamois we would see, etc. Then to Franco's house to have a listen on his CB and I was to give greetings from America. We had a great dinner of polenta and rabbit. Afterwards, Franco, Maresa, Gianni and I went to "2 Rotonde," which had ballroom dancing upstairs and a discotheque downstairs. Franco and Maresa stayed upstairs and Gianni and I went downstairs. Danced a lot even though Gianni has a broken rib! Afterwards went out to eat and drink. Hoo, boy!

Sunday, May 20, 1979
Gianni picked me up at 10:00 and we reconnoitered with Aldo and Pina in Nole, before heading for the house of the bride in Mathi. We were going to the wedding of Aldo's niece. Helped pass around the sweets, and drank champagne. After picture-taking, we went to the church, where folks follow the bride into the church. It was a quick Mass, with a brief exchange of rings. Outside there was the usual throwing of rice:

Anna & Pier Gianni

Then the parade drove to Benne to see the apartment of the new couple. Che bello! Then back to a restaurant in Balangero where we ate and ate and ate! They cut up the tie of the groom to "sell" pieces for money for the honeymoon.

Menu cover

Menu and piece of the groom's tie

Afterwards we drove to just outside Lanzo where I got to fish for trout in a controlled pond. How easy! Then we drove up into the mountains to see the views and take photographs near Corio:

Tamiko

Tamiko and Gianni

Aldo, Mario, Gemma, Tamiko, and Pina

Later Gianni and I drove around and around and talked. Stopped at his apartment to get gasoline and then we went to a discotheque near Leini, "Super Sonic." But there were only a few people. We decided not to go in. I was more tired than I thought, so I went home early.

Weekend with the P Family (5/12-13/1979)

Saturday, May 12, 1979
I was looking forward (not!) to a weekend with nothing to do, without a car, and without money...

But heaven sent me Aldo P, one of the two gardeners, who invited me to his house for dinner. After a little wine and Aldo's continuous joking, I went shopping with his wife Pina. I was given the choice of what to have for dinner, and I "unfortunately" chose spaghetti because we rarely had it at the B's. But spaghetti is apparently "Napoli" (and I will let it go at that; it gets no respect!). Pina and friends were going out dancing after dinner, but it was like waltzing. Then their son, Gianni, arrived and it was decided that I go out dancing with him, cousin Franco and the cousin's fiancee, Maresa. Aldo took me back to the villa to change clothes and on the way back we took a ride so I could see more of Nole. To go dancing, Gianni and I went in his 6-month old Fiat 126; it still smelled new! And the cousins in their X19. We drove and drove, seeing a beautiful orange full moon, the lights of the city of Torino below, and San Michele lighted up on the mountaintop. We drove along the edge of Lago Avigliana and stopped for drinks. Then we went to "A Charlie Brown" discotheque, very big and crowded. Gianni and I danced a lot, the cousins minimally. Then we went to Monaterolo for pizza. Smaller pizzas here, which come on wooden palettes. Finally and reluctantly went home. Gianni was very charming and looked dashing in his leather jacket. His usual mode of transportation is by motorcycle.

Sunday, May 13, 1979
Gianni picked me up at 9:20 and then we picked up "Papa" and "Mama" (Aldo and Pina) for a drive into the mountains to Chiaves. First we bought stuff for a picnic lunch, then drove up above the town. We walked around a bit and Gianni picked flowers for me. We ate and generally conversed, it was great. Then we went back into Chiaves for drinks before the motorcycle races.

Motorcycle Race ticket

We had a bit of a wait, but saw all the classes of cycles, including those with side cars. How spectacular! On our way home, pizzas were ordered and we waited for them at a friend's house. Afterwards Gianni and I went to the fair in Lanzo and tried out a few electronic games, then had ice cream.

I had been depressed because it was difficult to work for Signora B. Working with the other children was very rewarding. Their families were always present during therapy and I could "explain" what I was doing and give them suggestions on how to manage their children. 

However, Signora B accused me of only playing with Elena and not providing any therapy. She said she wanted me to do the exercises prescribed by the doctors in the U.S., for two straight hours! As it was, I spent more than two hours a day with Elena, and she had progressed way beyond the "prescribed" exercises. Besides, Signora B had specifically wanted a Bobath-trained NDT therapist who specialized in the treatment of cerebral palsy, and we NDT therapists are more about functional therapy than exercises where you do 30 repetitions 3 times a day.

It was kind of funny in that I had become accustomed to speaking only in Italian, so when Signora B asked me in English to go back to the "exercises," I responded in Italian, grabbing Elena and sitting her on the table to demonstrate that she had too much flexibility in her ankles (after heelcord lengthening surgery, you could flex her ankle so that her toes touched her shin) and that was partly why she stood with her knees bent. I demonstrated a couple of my "exercises" and promised to write out every activity I did with Elena and describe its purpose, and she could show them to the doctors the next time they went.

Unknowingly, doing this all in Italian, the maids eavesdropping from the other room soon understood what I was all about! They later confessed that Signora B asked them what I did with Elena, and it does look like play.

The other problem was that Elena knew how to manipulate her family for sympathy. She ambulated with a pair of metal Lofstrand/forearm crutches, but with me she had progressed to walking alone across a room. We showed off to everyone who was around during the day, so all the maids, drivers, guards, gardeners, etc. knew she could walk more than 10' without falling. But Signora B told me during the weekend a grandmother wanted Elena to try walking and Elena immediately fell down. I just threw up my hands, and told her to ask anyone else in the household how well Elena could walk.

I really felt like quitting the job, but didn't want to leave the other kids... and I didn't like the idea of "quitting."

Another Flat Tire (5/7/1979)

Monday, May 7, 1979
Even though I was without a spare tire, I drove the red 127 towards Torino to get my package from my mom. But in Borgaro I got another flat tire! I decided to go into Torino anyway and stuck out my thumb. What a strange feeling. A really nice young guy picked me up, and once getting to Torino he pointed out where to get the tram to my destination. But I decided to walk, without a map and not realizing how far it was. After a long while I asked an older woman how to get to Lo Stadio/the stadium. I was just about to head in the wrong direction! Finally arrived at this post office on the other side of the railroad station and was directed back in among the tracks and loading docks to a musty old building. Arrived after hours, but the kind man took care of me anyway. Had to write a note verifying the contents of the package, but didn't get the package - it would be mailed! Then I took the tram after buying a ticket in a bar. The ticket gets punched by a machine with the time in the streetcar, but no one was checking tickets at the time. At the city edge I again hitched a ride to the car and called Signora B who asked when I would be home, so I hitched home. Walking through Grosso I was picked up by Angelo who took me home. Later Angelo, who retrieved the car, said the brakes did not work either...?

The Riviera (5/5-6/1979)

Saturday, May 5, 1979
Previous adventures were an understatement! Left by 8:00 taking the scenic route south through pleasant flat farmland. Then started into the mountains toward France. Just after Limone, was stopped by customs officials who checked my passport, driving permit, the car papers, and asked how much money I had. I was then okayed to drive through a long tunnel to arrive in France. Drove down through a valley to a small town where I passed through French customs. Saw mountainous France and the valley was full of those trees where it seems they got the branches for Palm Sunday.

Olive groves

Headed towards Nice to avoid re-entering Italia. Seemed I couldn't get into Nice without paying, so I skirted it and saw a beautiful panorama, but could not stop. The Mediterranean Sea is beautiful. Aquamarine near the shore and a nice blue beyond.

West of Nice

Above the French Riviera

Made my way along the coast way up in the mountains and soon arrived in Monaco - a beautiful, beautiful principality. Fantastic landscaping and I think I saw the palace and Monte Carlo. Apparently you had to pay to get into Monte Carlo and I had no French currency.

Monaco

Monaco

Then to Mentone/Menton that was also beautiful and had a casino.

Italy as seen from Mentone

Was waved through the French-Italian border, probably thanks to the Italian license plates on the car.

Mentone from Italy

Drove along the Italian Riviera where it is difficult to stop because there are no parking areas and there is heavy traffic. Some of the roads were right on the edge of the cliff. San Remo also had a casino and ferries to Corsica. I think it was this city that had orange trees along the streets, full of oranges. All along the Riviera were exotic plants, and along the section known as the Riviera di Ponente, were greenhouses in the hills. Stopped in Diano Marina, apparently a beach resort but also supposedly known for sending palms to the Vatican. Palm trees all along the Riviera.

View towards Cervo from Diano Marina

Palm trees

Gallinara Island in the Mediterranean

Continued up to the Savona area, mostly ports. Then drove into Genova/Genoa through an area reminiscent of New York City ports.

Entering Genova/Genoa

Passed through Genova to drive down the Riviera di Levante to Portofino which it seems you cannot drive through. They have a large parking lot at the "entrance" of the town. But first I passed through Santa Margherita which was beautifully lighted at night. Stopped along the road to sleep in the car for the night. But happened to be near a nightspot, so there was a lot of traffic. Slept well enough and had to use the great outdoors as my lavatory.

Sunday, May 6, 1979
Woke up at 6:00 but the sun was already high and the fishermen were out. Drove back to Portofino to photograph.

Paraggi

Portofino

Santa Margherita with statue of Cristoforo Colombo

Santa Margherita

View towards Genova from Camogli

Then drove to Genova looking for the "train up the mountain" I had heard about for a good view of the city. Did drive along some of the streets mentioned by Debora's mother. Genova is a beautiful old city once you get away from the port area.

Piazza della Vittoria

Did not find the train, but did drive up a mountain to get glimpses of the panorama.

Drove back down to Savona looking for a beach to spend a few hours. But couldn't figure out how to get on the seemingly private beaches. Ended up in a park along the shore in Savona. Because of a shortage of gas, decided to head directly back to Torino. Went through hilly farmland and made a long stop for lunch on a hilltop.

Entrance to Cherasco

Continued north and after winding down the hill from Cherasco, I hit a bumpy area in the road and suddenly noticed I had a flat tire! Which I changed, but the jack was faulty and tended  to want to twist away. Finished the job okay, but with black hands. Drove into Torino to find a castle which was a mess under repair. Took the Tangenziale/bypass around the city and took a different route out to Lanzo. Around Lanzo, people park along the road to go into the surrounding fields and woods to picnic. Wound my way up into the mountains above Grosso to come home the back way, via Corio.

Local Errands (5/1,4/1979)

Tuesday, May 1, 1979
A holiday: Labor Day. Drove Signora B's 127 with Elena to accompany the boys on their motocross bikes in the country outside of Cirie and Nole. There is a large area now laced with motocross paths, and it was being used by conventional motocross bikes, motor scooters, Vespa scooters, and bicycles.

Friday, May 4, 1979
After treating Debora, I went to the main post office in Torino to ask about lost packages. I was sent to another office next to the railroad station. Drove into what I thought was a parking space, but it was in front of a driveway. Couldn't put the car in reverse, so a man got in the car and finally got it for me!