long island for a year

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.   Albert Einstein      Einstein must have been really besorgt when he said that.   Certainly, back in 1939, he was preoccupied with the situation in Europe, where - he knew - Germans were working on a new lethal device, the atomic bomb. In Cutchogue he wrote letters to the President Roosevelt who, taking Einstein's words seriously, decided to launch what is known as the Manhattan Project *. What was Einstein doing in Cutchogue though? He was on vacation, sailing on the Tinef; but he was a sailor who couldn't swim. You might read more in this article about Einstein in Cutchogue.       *I don't need to explain more about the Manhattan Project, but  today  (August 9th) I want to give a personal contribution: I have been to many places related to WWII: Hiroshima, some concentration camps in Europe, the lab (and now Muse...

The Old House in the Village Green After the little disappointment for not being able to see with my eyes  what's left of Fort Corchaug - now property of the Peconic Land Trust - I moved to the other historic spot of Cutchogue, where the English house stands. This house was built in Southold in 1640 - and is therefore the oldest English style house in the State of New York - to be moved to Cutchogue in 1660. I have written in a previous post about my fascination for the history of some of the villages in the North Fork.  Not only am I a big lover of things east, here in the little village of Cutchogue I found an incredible concentration of what is the history of Long Island, of the US but also a  little piece of world history: starting with the American Indians, to proceed with the English settlers, other immigrants from Eastern European countries, Italians...and one well known scientist who had - it seems we are never able to learn from our past! - to leave the Ol...

After writing a post about the beaches , I knew there was a part of me that wasn't completely satisfied. Truth is that I am a very curious person and my first time in Cutchogue was NOT driven by the search for a nice beach. That just happened. In fact, what I was looking for were the rests of an old ruin, namely that of Fort Corchaug: the gathering place for the Corchaug, one of the Algonquian tribes, which lived on Long Island before the English settlers set foot in the East End (in the mid 17th Century) and which was decimated either by weapons or disease. Even though I am not an expert, I find Native American history very fascinating. Sure it has been a succession of genocide and killings in the past. And in the present it is characterized by a difficult struggle in order to keep alive minorities with their traditions and laws, without creating a group of individuals isolated from a society that - in turn - doesn't recognize nor respect these traditions and ...

View of the Bay from the New Suffolk Park Houses in Cutchogue are very pretty, I am totally envious... Sweet memories of my childhood are almost all related to summers spent at the beach (back in Italy). My nose memory recalls the smell of sunscreen, granita alla menta (crushed ice with mint syrup), watermelon, seaweed... Growing up, the thing became a little wilder, with a "gang" of cousins my age, poetry, bonfires, the guy with the guitar and the dark eyes, a good amount of fun and very little sleep. Now, sleep has become more important and I can do without the guitar guy, but one thing didn't change: I still like sitting on the sand and staring at the horizon. Don't need anything special (although crosswords would be a fantastic companion), just to let the thoughts float. This kind of pastime, which is close relative with inner peace and absentmindedness, is something I am always looking forward to. ...

Admittedly, I love design and home design magazines. But this one is more than just about design; in fact the cover is by a friend of mine, Elena, who - hopefully - will be visiting New York in October. I haven't seen her in ages, but I definitely connect her with a positive moment of my life, having a good time during (and after) school. And also with a special sketch (she was always good in drawing) of me and my beloved one (better looking than in real life of course!) engaged in a kiss,  subtitled " I need to do some experiment ", as the philosopher Hume would say. That was hanging on the classroom's wall for a while, triggering some interesting question from teachers! Do you remember that, Elena? btw HAPPY  BIRTHDAY!!!

Talking to my friend Ilka, a German girl I consider part of the family, I always have to complain about how pissed and mad I am at people in Berlin. She always agrees with me. By now I know a bunch of nice and friendly people and I like them very much, BUT there is always the "public place experience" which leaves me - almost everyday - visibly upset. People complain a lot. Doors do not get opened for you (me, usually pushing a stroller and carrying more than one bag), nobody gives you his or her seat in the train, queues are not respected and if you ask for information, most probably you will receive a bad look. Let's don't talk about being a mother, or let's talk about it: someone would always tell you how are loud your kids are or will give some unrequested advice - and if when it comes from a man (mansplaining)  I can tell you: I lose it! So, with all the pretty things to see and do that there are, the one I never miss while abroad is this annoy...