long island for a year

You can still find me around the corner! I know, I know... it has been one year now. Actually a bit longer than that. And we'll be staying some more months. But I am not a fan of extended projects; this has to end. Now. Also, I am not a fan of goodbyes. But this is a secret. As mentioned here and there, I need to take care of another little writing project with a friend and as much as I like reading couple of books at the same time, I am not able to concentrate on writing more things at a time. Some other things that were happening (or not happening) made me take this decision. I got to go. I will go. I will miss writing about Long Island, but there are such wonderful people writing about this island and me, I am kind of a "part-time lover" to use the words of Stevie Wonder. Before I go, I really need to say: you should read the blogs I put in my blogroll. On the left-side; the other left! I am very selective, so just expect to find la "creme de la creme...

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...

I'm not so much a visual person as I am a word person, and especially when telling a story - best done in my own language - I'd concentrate on words very much.  Sometimes, though, looking at an image a story just pops out of my mind. This was the case looking at a picture I recently took. I was driving through Southold in a warm afternoon (after having unsuccessfully planned my morning) and I wanted to take a walk on the beach. Which beach? There are many in Southold, in fact. The one in the picture is on North Bayview. But don't try to get there! Unless you have a Southold parking permit, that is. The town of Southold put this sign e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e: on every possible street that might take you to whatever sight of the water. You are not on a boat?Not the lucky owner of a waterfront estate (read: filthy rich, because those are huge!) ? Well, you might as well forget you are on an island.  Many times I resisted the temptation of ringing the bel...

  View from our window Short post: I have been away from home (home-town and home= living place) for one year now. I miss my city life. I miss walking around and get things done without ever starting the engine of the car. I miss the culture, I miss the apartment, the bed and the kitchen. I miss my friends and my second family. But I am not sad.  Being away (from people and places) is a constant in my life. I will be back soon. And I will want to go away again. (Ralph meant I can always take the S-Bahn to Königs Wüsterhausen when I am fed off Berlin). I read about Berliners ...and I am ready to get angry again, to have a healthy amount of poison everyday to swallow and to talk back if necessary.

Last weekend my family and I were invited to  attend an "ice cream party" and for no reason in the world we would have missed that. In the first place because Gabriele - an Italian friend and colleague of Ralph - made this invitation and he and his family are such nice people we wouldn't have said no. Second, we love ice-cream. Third, we know that Gabriele's ice-cream is THE BEST. So, of course, I took a bunch of pictures, which are not doing justice to any of his creations (when technology will be able to convey taste and smell through the screens, then it will be fair). I might, though, tell you about some of the flavors that we had to choose from (well, I didn't go as far as to try them all because I'm a bit picky, but I tried many). The genius at work! And young and old enjoying...   Next to the classics like vanilla and chocolate - good but not extraordinary - there was a huge variety of fruit flavors among which pineapple, nectarine, bl...

From this point, the West Meadow beach is on the left (north-est) side. To know more about the little brown cottage, Stony Brook and the Three Villages, I recommend you read what Soundbounder has to say (he has nice winter photos and his blog is always an excellent source of information for all the Long Island Sound area!).   The mouth bars are supposed to be changing their shape continuously In the past months I have been hanging around the Stony Brook and Three Villages area a lot. Earlier this summer I spent some time with the kids walking and having picnics between the harbor and the Wetland Preserve in Stony Brook and visiting the Long Island Museum , where an interesting carriage exhibition took me back in the history of means of transportation on Long Island and the US altogether. I had the chance to walk in East Setauket, Old Field and Poquott (here we were looking for a house about a year ago, but I opposed any waterfront  option for fear of flooding and stro...

Dear Roger , it's me again. I know I said goodbye once, but I needed to tell you how impressed I was when I saw you on tv, winning the Lifetime Achievement Award. You in public, speaking to hundreds people... what an emotion that must have been! You looked pretty good, very elegant in your self designed turtle neck. Sorry I devoted myself to another little man - you know...that's how it is now (be aware, he's a singer and a dancer too!!!). No, I will not forget your back then in Paris. Sigh, more than ten years have gone... And yes, you more than deserve a spot in my heart - because with Ben and my cousin Monica, you'll always be my favorite Jehovah's Witness ! WARNING: Although the characters in this post are all real, I obviously  have never had anything to do with Prince. Too bad!

Montreal (but it could be wherever) - coming to a conclusion This is one of the pictures one just takes for fun and I wasn't going to put it up, but sometimes sleep brings good advice and so, there it is. It is a highly symbolic one, obviously. (Don't shake your head because it's AGAIN about food!) In fact we all have been there, in front of a choice in life. Haven't you? You are hungry and you are given two totally different choices: the one on top tells you no lie: it is clear and promises you what you see. Unless you are vegetarian or on a diet (or have high cholesterol), it sounds quite alright and satisfying. The one on the bottom is a vague suggestion. It reminds you about something familiar, but you don't exactly know who the hell Giorgio is: he may be the owner, he may be the cook - chef Giorgió - so you'll have to rely on your instinct...because it could be a stuffing, delicious lasagna plate or a nouvelle cuisine lot-of-aesthetic-b...

This one  is especially dedicated to Dede of "Varie ed Eventuali" . One more post isn't enough to talk about this beautiful city, but I should eventually be talking about the main attraction of these few days in Montreal: the Jazz Festival. I could start with a negative note, saying we missed the George Clinton & Parliament's concert and the Dave Brubeck's concert as well and  - given the fact that good Dave Brubeck is 90 - this is NOT one for the next time, probably. Anyway, in things music, I always tend to see the glass full. The amazing number of concerts (all of high quality) and the relaxed way Montrealers and visitors had during this festival struck me as an ideal of tolerance and good behavior I've seldom experienced at open air concerts. US Americans are a good example, but Canadians are perfection - this is something Europeans should learn. There was a huge crowd and I didn't see anyone pushing nor yelling (that would...

There are some spots of Montreal that I already declared as my most favorite. One of them is the Rue de Prince Arthur Ouest (photo above and below). It's a little walking area with nice restaurants, a little fountain, and such an enjoyable atmosphere I almost want to go back for one more ice-cream at the Pagliacci . This is the Carré St Louis, (between Rue Pince Arthur and the Rue St. Denis ) with its octagonal kiosk, which reminded me - although with a different purpose - of the Café Achteck am Rudesheimer Platz, in Berlin: one family favorite, being half a mile away from our home and offering a quiet  square with garden and fountain, plus a number of little cafes, excellent bakeries and the weekly market. Buildings are here a little shorter than in Berlin, though. These are Second French Empire homes, with the typical rectangular tower and steep roof (the style is also called mansardate and was originated in Paris, which makes sense because this part of town, caught ...