Italian Republic Day

Yesterday I went to Rome for job, once again on a sunny morning. During a coffee break I enjoyed a beautiful corner of the town. 

I don't know what exactly means the English word "impolite". Maybe it is a synonym of "uncivilized" ... I was sorry to see some impolite people leaving scooters on the sidewalk.

A woman with her baby stroller and a couple of tourists from Scotland could't walk through these scooters. So I had no choice but to collect the scooters and take them on the right side of the street.

 

I didn't take the picture below in North Africa or Central America. I took it yesterday, after I had finished work. I was walking in a neighborhood close to one of Rome's railway station (Roma Ostiense, that's ist name). This photo shows a market that is completely illegal. People who come from North Africa run that market. 

A question comes to mind: why Italian governments continue to tolerate illegal immigration in my country?  This is senseless, as  those people need our help on their country, directly. 

Most illegal immigrants are working (illegally) in the countryside. They are hired to harvest tomatoes and watermelons. But the main problem is that we, Europeans, haven't the right to steal human resources from Nigeria, Cameroun, Senegal, etc. ... we have to help them by creating jobs in their countries.

 

We get a day off on June 2nd, as Italian Republic Day is public holiday in Italy. This day commemorates 1946 referendum, when Italians decided the form of their government after World War II.

Omnivorous predators

While Ukrainians and Russians people continue to fight a never ending war, an increasingly shrinking pool of mega-corporations are already planning how to continue to make a lot of money in East Europe. As soon as the war goes to an end, those omnivorous predators will continue to exploit poor Ukrainian people. In this perspective, Ukraine President, Zelenskyy, has already held a video conference meeting with Larry Fink, CEO of  BlackRock, one of the world's leading investment managers ... they will be structuring the reconstruction projects in Ukraine.

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-obgovoriv-z-generalnim-direktorom-blackrock-koordi-80105

Sorry to see that the world is already in the hands of such mega-corporations, which will continue to manage, control, and exploit poorest countries. Poor Ukrainian people fell in this trap.

Peace mission

Maybe it's so simple, but I don't understand. On Monday, 15 May, Ukrainian president went to Britain, as London government promised to give Ukraine hundreds more missiles and attack drones. The Ukrainian president says such weapons are needed to protect Ukraine from Russian air strikes.

This may change the course of the war. Maybe don't. We don't know. But this certainly means that, firstly, the UK and other countries are the staunch allies of Kyiv, and,  secondly, we don't know how long such Western powers could fund the war. 

At the same time, there is a great concern among UK and other Western allies, as they are reluctant to provide Kyiv with weapons that can reach Russian territory. Not to mention of armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. 

In the meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian governments have agreed to meet an "African leaders peace mission", which includes South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Senegal and Republic of Congo. Consequently, I think it's easy to see which countries and governments aren't interested in peace deal and cease fire agreement between the two belligerents.

We wait and see!

Exceptional rains

Weather conditions are worsening in Italy, that's why I'm still in Naples (my mother lives here). At the moment it isn't easy to come back home by train, as catastrophic floods have devastated the country and have left 8 dead and thousands homeless. The main problem is that rivers' levels continue to rise. The floods have also affected Croatia and Bosnia.

Many foreign tourists can't continue their planned tour across the Italian peninsula.

Early this week I was glad to see many tourists, from North Europe, France, East Asia and Australia, who were visiting old Naples' monuments and landmarks, such as the Palace of the Spaniard ("palazzo dello spagnolo" in Italian language). It was built starting in 1738 by the architect Sanfelice, who created large arches that followed the progress of the stairs on both sides. At the end of the 1700s the building was bought by a Spanish landlord. That's why that historical building is still called Palace of the Spaniard . 

Today, May 18, is holiday in some European countries, such as Switzerland, Norway, Finland and Sweden. It is Ascension Day. This Christian holiday commemorates Jesus Christ's Ascention into heaven 40 days after Easter.

I will probably be back home at the end of this week.

Happy Ascension Day!

Rainy week

Another rainy week in Central and South Italy. There are blue flags in Naples streets as Naples' soccer team has just won its third title. 

The picture below shows, Allumiere, a small village located in the hill (85 km North from Rome). It is known for its cathedral, ancient ruins and geologic formation.

I hope you had a nice Mother's Day yesterday ... I know that this year  Mother's Day was celebrated on Sunday, May 14, in many countries, including the US. 

My sister made a cake covered with cream and strawberries for our mother. Strawberries on top were small but very sweet and delicious.

I will be back from Naples later this week. 

Have a nice week ☁️⛅☁️

Cloudy Monday

Dry and cloudy Monday to start the week. The cloudy sky I see today reminds me the clouds that I saw last week while I was flying over Ireland.  

I much prefer seats located directly next to the window. 

Window seats are better on airplanes, as they give me the opportunity to enjoy both landscape and clouds ☁️☁️✈⛅☁️

Do you prefer window or aisle seat? 

Have a nice week!

Malahide castle, village and gargen

 

I'm back! Hello everyone! So here I am, returning to blogging. As requested by Veronica  I show some pictures which I made in Ireland last week. The first two images were taken in Malahide, a coastal settlement situated 14 Kilometres North of Dublin, with a population of over 17,000. Its name in Irish language is Mullach Ide.

There are a lot of public transport options avalilable to get you to Malahide castle, which lies close to the village of Malahide.  

The touristic port situated in Malahide has more than 300 fully serviced berths and can also accomodate vessels up to 30 metres with space for manoevring.

Back to Dublin we went to St. James Gate, which was the Western entrance to the Irish capital during the middle ages. It is located off the South quays of Dublin.

While I was visiting the Guiness storehouse in Dublin I reached the seventh floor of such tourist attraction, where I enjoyed a view of the Irish capital. 

At St. James Gate there are seven floors of sights and sensations in a building that has been brewing beer since 1700s.

Dubliners are friendly and they use "you're welcome" and "thank you" often. That's why the Iish capital has repeatedly been named one of the friendliest town in Europe. I enjoyed both Dublin's cultural heritage and Ireland's typical food.

With regards to food, last week I had twice the traditional Irish lamb stew. That delicious supper is made with both dark Irish beer and sweet potatoes.

And last but not least, we had awesome fish and chips with daily catch fish. I think the fish was North Atlantic codling. 

I've learnt that Ireland has never sought to join as a full NATO member because of its policy of neutrality. But if the United Nations where to issue a mandate to Ireland, the Irish military would deploy on peacekeping and humanitarian missions.

Today is the 1st of May.  In Italy this month begins with a public holiday which is known as International workers' day. Happy 1st of May to all the blogging friends!