Figured I'd tack an account of camping with the family onto the front of this, took off work Friday morning, in end Nick called into work that he couldn't do whatever he was supposed to do so he went too. Arrived, set up tent, wandered out, first to some garden, then along beach, Dad spooked by the beach tags required sign wouldn't go on it, we waked along briefly and came back. Beach tags were a joke for rest of trip, Dad came up with a good story about the only real people living at Cape May being serfs kept underground and fed on barnacles. Shows dads idea of real people includes only New Yorkers and the oppressed.  Went back to camp, ate, there was a swing set bit down the road Nick, Dennis and I swung for a bit.  If I ever buy a house the first thing I need to do is get a swing set for it. We went down to an exercise trail that had various things, monkey bars, wall etc and ran along that for a bit doing the different things, bit of macho running and jumping, pretending to be running from the police, more useful skill than shooting at least. Went to bed around 9 didn't actually sleep at all as far as I can tell, spent the entire night staring at the tent roof and listening to the rain and dad snore.(my Tennyson book got the dust jacket soaked, first time in four years I've taken something out of the Teaneck library and I've traifed it up, I'll wind up black listed.) Got up at 6 and went for a walk, down by track again walked beyond to the end of power line cut. Returning, found a dead butterfly on the ground, rather faded and decayed, the wings still mostly intact, being the case of arrested development that I am, stopped and stared at it for a good bit, picked it up and stared bit more, dug a little grave and made a little cross, put it there, with suitable sentimentalism, went back, in morning went to some nature walk, then the beach (one with the concrete emplacement sitting on top of its pilings), walked down for a hour, tons of jellyfish on the shore bigger than most I've seen, some still alive, poor bastards, was in a pretty foul mood, got back, and dad announced he'd had enough beach, "we've been here for an hour and twelve minutes" and took off for the car, waited for a bit longer and we all took off, thence to Wildwood which might have been fun with a cheerier lot or if I hadn't been in a bad mood myself, in any case a band, three guys with long hair murdering Creed and Korn songs, got a smile from me, dancing about and gesturing and clearly thinking they had reached the height of meaningful angst. Got a predictable get a haircut from dad. Headed back ate at a diner, back to camp where we failed to find the astronomy meeting supposedly happening. I slept in the car, escaping the snoring and leaving everyone a bit more room, much better than the night before despite attempting to curl up on a rather thin seat. Morning to brigantine, and then the art museum nearby where they had an interesting exibit on glass flowers done with torch work, amazing level of craftspersonship.

Start of another fascinating adventure, likely this is going to be less of an emotional rollercoaster than my last trip. Italy is at least always relaxing. Mom drove us to Kennedy, still stating how in future we should try not to all fly on one plane. The logic of spacing our departures out when were all going to the same place strikes me as a bit difficult however. There is admittedly something slightly unnerving about traveling the day after a horrific plane accident. Passed through security with less effort than I expected, out of all my electronics, they just did a test on the laptop, ran a tab over it and put it through some kind of sniffer, checking for explosives. I guess I have the answer to whether Ill have more trouble about the metal detector (which makes my bag barely able to close) In NY or in Rome, Rome it will be then. Passing the legos station as walking to the gate got a bit of a flashback to a month and a half ago, departing for Egypt. Im kind of glad to get away, I'm listening to the kid behind me speaking in Italian and realize how much I miss Italy, the sound of Italian, speaking it, to the best of my feeble abilities, the unquestioning acceptance by family there that are at the same time unfamiliar enough that they count as 'real' people in a way that nuclear family doesn't quite. (I shouldnt let myself get started on the evil of the American idea of nuclear family) Kind of feel bad though that after having spent a month feeling desperate and sorry for myself, I'm finally making my escape once things are getting better. Pete's heading back into the city in a week, there's the comic strip dude and his plotting, (plotting always gives one a pathetic sense of purpose) And though it's certainly not good, Lisa's departure from HELP has certainly created some excitement in that department and started me thinking a little about what I want my career, if you can call it that, to look like. Got an email yesterday pointing to photo's from the summer mission institute and it was a funny experience, memories of a month ago that feel so old.  Well onward.

On the plane, amazingly hot, overheard crew telling a guy AC would work when we were up, don't quite follow the logic. Filing through boarding they were stopping people with oversized bags. Passed by the unfortunate trapped few, and all the Italians that had been nervous they were going to get pinched (suppose I should put myself in that category) were commenting enthusiastically (having escaped) at how outrageously oversized the unfortunates bags were. Incomprehensibly, watching it briefly made me happier than I've been in the last month, people really are funny. Read most of Maria's book, was quite interesting, definitely in some ways inspiring, people with that much sincerity and passion. The theological stuff has just never seemed that real to me, never could get that worked up about it, why tax your brain over points you'll never really understand, when there are so many things to just wonder at. But the sight of someone doing consciously doing what you tend to do without thought is always usefull, I think I can say that to whatever degree I can call myself a Christian that it is something I've come to conciously, but as for being a Catholic I have no illusions about that being anything but an accident of birth. Slept through the movies including one that from Nick's description (he watched but didn't listen to it) sounded cool, Italian comedy, Spaghetti Slow about a Italian student in Dublin in love with a punk raver chick, they run away together and their fathers Italian and Irish have to get together to hunt for them involving confrontations with drug dealers and a their children finally finding them playing soccer with hippies in a shanty town. Clearly the movie for me. Had to laugh at passport control as usual, guy vaguely touched the pile of passports, confirming that they did indeed appear to be passports and onward. Changed $200 the rate actually quite good these days L 2000 odd to the dollar getting tickets relatively painless (completely so as Nick did it) train to train to bus to foot, all but first train incredibly hot. Got hit up sucessfully at Termini by little old lady claiming to be trying to get back to Sicily. Bum got on train to Formia, seemed like he was speaking arabic maybe, couldn't really tell, was saying something to Nick, who was as always trying to be obliging without understanding a single world, conductor threw him off a couple stops down the line. Made it there, ate a bit, slept sitting outside, saw how they'd cut everything down in the lot out back in preperation for the mozarella factory. Said hello to Lena, sort of nice to see people apparently glad to see you, dinner, tried out the metal detector, without sucess but never the less created a source of great interest to the kid next door. Bit of lovely Italian TV, of the random game/variety show type. Just had a contest involving two women with greased hands, one in a low cut 'milkmaid' dress milking cows, the mind boggles. Walks the fine line between the bizzare and the perverse at times doesn't it, but then doesn't everything.  Amusing also, having two people with trays of paint attempt to color in a picture, while riding a rollercoaster, more paint on themselves than the paper, again involving a woman wearing little clothes, thats entertainment I suppose.

So up went off with grandpa to see Ernesto and drop our pictures off with him. Stopped by the butchers, saw Simona's baby, got a wacky picture of Nick holding him, the confused expressions on both of their faces was something. Can't believe they named him Erasmus. Ernesto was in, he seemed happy with the photos, gave his speech about how important it was to focus on doing, how passion drives you to create and you need to follow it, He is a great guy, even if he was a facist. He also gave the parting advice to stay away from women, and not be like these guys who go out dancing till four in the morning. Questioned nick if he went out and nick looked suitably nervous. He's 89 sill strong, active was stating again that it was too bad we weren't nearby so he could help us, would be cool to have a guy like that around. He still had his half a Mussolini face, and his little poem abut him on the wall, can see a reflection I think of a little of the appeal fascism must have had, that image of strength and competency, all a illusion in the end of course, aren't most things, both bad and good. We're just weak and broken things, anyone telling you otherwise is trying to use you.  None of us are strong.  Stopped by briefly and said hello to Zia Lecia. She offered us a shot of booze as per usual which was refused as per usual. Was complaining about how little money she had, that when Giovanni was alive he got such and such an amount, because he was in the navy and got sunk by the Germans and survived clinging to a mast or something so got a wounded veterans pension. But now she hardly got anything, and that after he died, she found 6 million lira in his mattress, but the way she told it seemed the kids divided it up between them, doesn't seem quite like them. Walked through the market, got ice cream and headed back met Daniele on the way. Sketched, read, vegetated, was nice. Corrinne showed up around 3 having overshot the house, and called for directions. Walked down to Zia Cicinas dropped off maple syrup, saw Rita, Julia + Elia, Pena was in Sicily. Had trips first taste of joy of having people debate your fate for you, rita and grandma discussing the potential for a trip to Sicily and various stuff. Three of us took a walk with Corrine up to Castle, they did a good bit of work but it's hard to see what's new. Back and ate, then one of the, marching orders to 'walk to the piazza and have fun' walks to the piazza and back, didnt even buy ice cream.

We wound up sleeping three side by side across the short way of the bed, something either about being crowded or having ones feet hanging off the end of the bed disturbing. Woke up, got back to sleep eventually, and apparently dreamed I was awake trying to go to sleep because somewhere along I remember saying to myself, Im not really awake, I'm asleep, and waking myself up, kind of bizarre, either that or I dreamed it all which just adds an extra level of recursion and makes it all the stranger. Stranger yet, Dennis reported he had a dream about Katie. As he told it to me: She was driving in a car with this guy in a business suit she'd known for a long time, but he'd done something very bad and so she was going to kill him, had this big switch blade and tried to slit his throat, made a scratch and he was saying you have to try harder to kill me. So she stabbed him and was dragging the knife around in him and he was screaming. Then something with her on top of a bus, throwing bricks down on him, apparently the stabbing wasn't enough to finish him off, I take no responsibility for this, it was Dennis' dream. Made, it up at 6, headed for Pompeii. Took about two hours to get there, went briefly into a church where they were saying mass usual painful uncertainty till Gigino showed up sent us around a bit, trying to find the museum, which was closed, so headed to excavation, paid the exorbitant foreign devil price to enter, Gigino got in free being over 70 and Italian. Wandered, I was grumpy, quite grumpy, usual touristing with Nick and Dennis grumpy plus, alone and unloved grumpy, got better as the day progressed though, saw the stiffs in the garden, somewhat gruesome, the casts of the kids bodies, bones showing in places through the plaster of Paris they filled the holes with. Imagine becoming a giant waste mold. Most of it a blur, alot of walls, and ruins and the like. Saw the infamous fleeing bath attendants, amazing how much detail on some of them, every fold in the clothing, was a bizarre, almost frightening contrast, the warm brown exposed flesh of the Italian women, in their shorts, tank or bikini tops and the cold grey plaster of the dead that they were staring at so intently. Poe perhaps would have appreciated it, my day would have been more peaceful lacking one or the other, prefferably both. But there truly was nothing there, an impression left in stone, nothing to excite pity or care, except the artificial memory of one long gone moment of terror. Almost as little to the living flesh, at least for an outsider. Corrine had excessive enthusiasm for seeing both the House of Mysteries and the Brothel. A whorehouse of the dead is such a lovely contradiction in terms but simply knowing it was there would have been enough for me. Actually it was somewhat amusing, dont recall it at all from last time,, you have to wait in line to get in it's such a popular attraction, and you file through two digny rooms with faded scratched out fresco's. You spot an arm here, an ass there, faded, crudely painted pictures of something, you can't quite make out what, except that, at some point it was (or was supposed to be) erotic. Terribly well suited decoration for a whore house, even more so for one of the dead. Big upswing in my mood on finding we could take the direct route out after seeing the mystery house, and didnt have to walk around the whole of the outside of the compound. Called Ginino, he picked us up, went to Casserta, got tickets for garden and palace, went through the palace pretty quickly, was a hell of a lot of gold, not unusually impressed, would like to say because I'm beyond such worldly things but more likely just not my style, all roccoco and whatnot, go for a tad more rustic than that. Took bus up to top of garden, a quick tour of the the gardens with this guide in Italian, pretty fake ruins, and pool with the marble statue of Diana bathing, quite atmospheric, bus back to palace, rode home, fell asleep in car, ate, walked into town for groceries, back, did a bit more prospecting and found some random pieces of metal junk, one sort of looks like nose cone of a shell, who knows. heard from mom + dad. At the stone place they went to buy supplies for the patio you can get good sandstone $40 per cubic foot, If I had something good to do in it would be cool. Up till 12 talking, Corrine talking about being a strange child, and ghost stories about her house. Peoples ghost stories usually irritate me, basic distrust of other peoples judgment I suppose.

Hung about, did some painting and sketching killed time, around 1 Rita came to bring Corrine to the station, Train was late and they were late getting back. Ate, sketched went to seven oclock mass. that that. 3:00 went to see Angela, Antonio was saying that during the war Germans hid some treasures rather than taking them away and after the war came back for them, they went into the forest with a tent and a map and who pays attention, how he's supposed to know that I'm not sure, though I can believe if anyone would know it would be him. They asked about Nicholas' girlfriend, for some reason the first question was "se ha la maggioranza" took a bit of explaining for me to get that, though I still don't understand why they'd ask if his girlfriend is overage, if she was under 18 I'd rather worry. Headed back to Zia Cicina's, headed out and tried to check my email but not luck because the computer places connection was down, mailed Dennis's letter to Adeline. Another day.

Strange half remembered dream, was in an electronics store, big fancy shiny modernistic place, was looking at something with someone, Katie walked through, at least I think it was her but wearing a long black dress and sunglasses, striding through like some scene from the Matrix. And I hid.

Did some sketching during the morning and tried some painting without much luck, keep plugging I suppose. In afternoon went to the beach with Rita, same place we've went in past, walked along, see why people get the impression they do of Italy, all these brown thin people that don't seem to do anything but sit around talk and show off their behinds, though mind you if I had a behind like many there, Id want to show it off as well. Rita as usual wants to engage in philisophical debates for which my Italian is woefully inadequate, she wanted to know why does there seem to be more respect for the law in the US, should send her a copy of Making Democracy Work. Sat on the grass a bit, swam, sat on the beach, talked of this and that, she admitted she wasn't too happy though didn't say why. Headed back and Rita did shopping on the way, Julia had a tape of Jagged Little Pill looping in the car and by the fifth or so time through You Oughta Know, couldnt but help but make a bit of an association, funny what they listen to without understanding the words. Rita was saying she doesn't like it, same complaint as dad, it's repetitive and mono-tonic, I suggested it helped if you understood the words, but it doesn't help dad. Grandma and grandpa were at zia Cichina's first grandma didnt want us to eat with Rita, Grandpa said to let us and one way or another we did. It' a bit irritating when they do that, especially since you know Grandpa sides against Grandma purely because of his line about how were going to die soon so you should encourage them to stay friendly with the younger family. Rita'd bought hamburgers and we were supposed to try and cook them on the barbecue Rita hadn't used for 10 years since the Americans downstairs, who I ever so vaguely remember from the very first time I was here so many years ago, moved out. As Dennis enjoyed splashing lighter fluid on the fire, Nick and I put together a kind of chintzy swing chair for her. Valeria (I can never quite remember who's kid she is, Maria Virginias?) (in fact I'm no longer sure she was valaria, Id thought rita called her valaria but grandma says valaria is the older adopted one, and they're both a cousin of maria Virginias kids) was over for dinner also. We ate, Dennis burned the hamburgers, proscuitta e melone, whoever made that the Italian national appetizer has a hell of a lot to answer for, I don't think I've ever been to a dinner here where they didnt serve it, who the hell thought to ruin perfectly good melon by eating it wrapped in smoked raw pig? Penne, then salsecca and the hamburgers, which were too thin and made with too good a cut of meat so they didn't have enough fat to hold together (disadvantages to your sister being the butcher) was a fire burning near the old church on the mountain, pretty big, burning for a while close to the antenna station there but they must have put it out. Rita showed us her classes project, some proprietary hypertext system for doing presentations, was cute work, and something of Penas, rather elaborate powerpoint presentation, Dennis read email, I did, Katie saying hello, Pete announcing his new address, Corrine saying she couldn't understand how anyone could fail to return one of our affections, HA, Deirdre saying a quick hello, and wonder of wonders Alanna having got back from a long trip senz computer to find three emails and a letter from me actually wrote me back. Rita was really up either on family togetherness or a half liter of beer (which isn't much really) and a couple shots of limonchello or both, she said she had to forget, but again not what. Limoncello and this other strong liquor with wild strawberries at the bottom, nope not poisonous. Nick actually had trouble downing his, says after every time he drinks too much at an SCA event it gets harder to face any hard liquor. Dennis was doing dumb lighter tricks which are usually guaranteed to go over big with 12 and 13 year olds so Julia and Valeria(if indeed she was Valeria) enjoyed it. They all walked us home, that is why I love Italy so, so wonderful to actually have an extended family, we're tribal animals that's how were meant to live, other things, friends, clubs, can take that place, but so many people don't have anything to serve that purpose, I don't anymore. Grandma and Grandpa stayed up for us since we didnt think to get the key, one point, people in their 80s aren't a whole lot of fun around midnight. Wisely didn't mention Ritas desire to do it all over thursday. Ive about reached the point in the trip where I give up wearing socks and a shirt entirely, half from loosening standards of dress, half from a desire to create less laundry for grandma, really I should become a nudist. Not much of note did a bit of sketching and the like. Rita called and grandma told her we couldn't go, because we were going to see zio Amaleda at the monestary, maybe friday. Nick however is departing friday to go see Corrinne.

Did a couple watercolor sketches in the morning. Did a bit of digging for treasure during the afternoon found a rusted gear and a couple bits of aluminum foil. around 4:00 Gigino came by and we headed up to Madonna della Civita. When we got there met Zia Lilliana her daughter and grandkids who I dont think Id ever met, went in and found zio amaleda. Got a bit of a tour, saw the votive paintings again, rather neat. Im usually not into folk art, but its sort of cool seeing how these people at different times, tried to depict their experiences of miracles, waggons rolling over people, car accidents, heads hitting rocks, flying objects, random spurts of blood. It's stylistically much more like Spanish or Mexican folk art as well, which Ive always liked better, more stylized rather than just crude like American folk art which I loathe. Interesting to see him describing some as miracles but noting that some were probably just chance things people invoked the Madonna for and so said were miracles, pointed to one of the guy being rolled over by a waggon and recalled that his father also had had that happen to him as a child and survived. Walked through his apartment saw his plants, wonder if the potted plant genes come from that side of the family. He was talking about a book he's reading about magic and superstitions. Grandma wondered if people still worried about such things, he was saying certainly and giving some examples. A woman from a nearby town told him in confession she was worried because someone had given her a curse (fatura was the word he used) on a package and she didnt know what to do with it, he said to bring to him. It was a package that had written on it 'questa e una fatura' he opened it and threw the wrapper out the window. Inside there were stones and a bunch of dust on which was written each grain brings the curse, and he emptied that out the window also. Inside there was "questa bella paio di forbiche, e ho detto questa lo prendo io" he pointed to a pair of scissors on his desk, it seemed so like him to have this woman worried about the curse and him glad to get a free pair of scissors out of the deal, I definitely got some genes from that side of the family. Then there was a box of cookies that said on them whether you eat these or not the curse is shure, he said again "queste gli mangio io", and he did. Couple weeks later she came back and he asked her if anything happened to her, "no, neanche a me" he replied, no not to me either, and laughed. He took such evident pleasure in the telling of the story not at all contemptuious of the woman but just thinking the whole thing was hysterical and pleased with his receiving a pair of scissors and a box of cookies out of it. Discussion of superstition in general, which he is clearly not very big on, blaming part of it on people's ignorance part of it on ignorant priests. "Ignoranti" is such a beautifull rounded world in Italian. He was saying how much of it there was in Brazil when he was there years ago. They went to see a person who was supposed to be able to among other things keep guns from firing, this being my uncle he went with his own gun, 'una bella Beretta venti" It was a old guy and the place was so full of fleas things were black with them. He handed him the gun and the guy did his stuff over it, made the sign of the cross with it and all kinds of things. Gave it back to him, he put the shells in it, the guy had so much faith he opened his shirt and told him to try and shoot him, instead he shot it off in the air, and it fired, unsuprisingly. Wonder if this was the shotgun of my great grandfathers that got left there when they shipped him out with Malaria. Then there was another guy, that claimed to be able to give him leprosy, It was a young guy twenty something and he said to take his arm, 'e stato come gela', it was like ice and he addmitted that taking the arm he had 'un certo sensazione', a certain sensation the guy noticed and asked him if he was afraid, he said no and the guy did a bit of running his hands over his arm to give him leprosy. I dont recall if it was because of this or something else he did that my uncle objected to, but he said to the guy 'Dio ti castigo' (God will reproach you)or something of that sort. and the guy shouted about him putting a curse on him. In fact the next day the guy did die, though he had had 'unna malattia pulmonaria'. Liliana asked what people thought of that, and he responded that 'mi danno tanto rispetto' that they gave him alot of respect for being able to put a curse on this guy. Repeated another comment of his at one point that "si credo nel diavalo, mo non il tuo diavalo", yes I believe in the devil, but not your devil, directed at a self appointed deamon exorciser. Also recounted story of a person who told him a priest told them they had something living in their head, (I cant recall if he put this priest among i ignoranti or i stupidi) Were later talking about religion, Lilliana had apparently been confounded in a conversation with a Jehova's witness and talk about what Jehova's witnesses believe went on, had heard most of what he said already. What he ultimately suggested is to ask 'se credi Jesu e dio, e se no, vai fuori'. if you believe Jesus is God, if not get out. Was talking about a shrine someplace in italy where someone was supposed to have sen a vision of the child jesus, he had a funny expression he used, something like 'il piu pazzi che vanno il piu bambini che vedano'(the more crazies that go the more babies they see) he was saying at least recently they put a church nearby so at least people hear mass when they go. He was saying Italians will walk 100 kilometers on their knees to see something to do with Padre Pio but wont go down the street to go to church. It was interesting discussion, though grandma has since been depicting it as a trial, due to its being some kind of bible study. He also retold the story of the Madonna della Civita, made alot more sense the way he told it. The two monks were supposed to be trying to escape the ionoclasticsm in the East with the imagem and were caught and put in the chest with the picture and thrown into the sea. They were picked up off the Sicilian coast, which actually makes sense, I'd looked at the map and always wondered how they were supposed to have floated around the whole of Italy to land in Gaeta, which is what even the pamphlet they give out at the shrine says. The monks and the picture dissapeared from Sicily wound up someplace else, from there to Gaeta and from there they dissapeared, presumably taking it to the small Basilian monestary on the mountain already, I dont quite get how it wound up in a tree from his story but it flying there under its own power clearly didnt figure in his version. So it was said the mute herder saw it in the tree, while looking for his cow and regained his voice, and that was the start of the growth of the chruch there. He also stressed that the 'ignoranti' say it was brazilain monks because the words Basiliani and Brasiliani were too similar to keep track of. Liliana and Grandam supplied their own details from greatgrandmas version which he pointed out were apocraphoral, about the Gaetans coming back for the picture and it escaping a second time and about the herder putting olive oil in two snail shells with a wick made from his shirt, which burned for seven days and seven nights. He also had a funny expression though I dont recall in what context he used it that because a cat has its children in an oven that doesnt make them bread. We ate our icecream in the dining room, (their kitchen stove has a winch on it to lift the pot, that's class)Said our goodbyes, headed back, realize you never notice Gigino switching gears, he must, it's a stick, most cars are here but you never notice it, maybe its because the only stick Ive regularly ridden in is Jim's jeep and it kind of jerks as he switches gears and he does it with such a vigorous gesture its unmissable or maybe its just the smoothness of a profesional driver, been doing it continually for close to 50 years. Stopped by Zia Cicinas, back, ate. Saw ongi novi secondi, every nine seconds,(a reference to how often a woman is beaten) globally or in the US I dont belive it stated, some kind of american tv movie, and a documentary on life in Bosnia, enough depression for one evening thank you very much.

So Nick took off to see Corrine, answering the call of the rageing hormones as Mom would say, and got there ok he called tonight. Were supposed to go to the beach with Rita but she called to cancel, did a bit of sketching a bit of painting, have still failed to create any unusually striking pieces. Internet joint still not working, guy just shook his head as I was reaching for the door, didnt even get inside, a computer store without internet access, only in Italy. Stopped by Zia Cichina's. Conversation drifted to Zio's 'spiegazione della Biblia' yesterday, Zia insisting that one of the gospels says not to make fatture not that they dont exist so if Zio says they dont exist he's saying the gospel lies which is hardly appropriate for a priest. Have to love the little old ladies and their logic. have the new website mostly edited now trying to get the bloody script to work.

Did a bit of painting, Cinzia and Silvia showed up in the morning to say hello, Cinzia is driving now, God help all pedestrians, Franco's old silver Fiat, stalled literally half a dozen times when she was trying to leave, doesn't like reverse it seems. Asked if we wanted to go to the beach which became digging for treasure and going to the beach when Cinzia discovered we'd brought a metal detector. So that's on the agenda for tomorrow. Cinzia was suggesting the old abandoned cemetary on a hill near Cascabar as a location, knowing Cinzia to be completely shameless I can believe she'd do it, me I'm hoping to avoid any grave robbing during this vacation. She's working in a toy store now, I can just see her working in a toy store. I wonder if its a youngest child thing, Silvia reminds me of Dennis in some ways, she's usually very quiet in a slightly surly manner, didn't take her sunglasses off the whole time. She asked us to give her a translation of a word from an American song by Eminem, didn't recognize the name of the group and Dennis was suitably contemptious, I recognized the 'word' though, Slim Shady, after extensive debate with Dennis,just said it was a name of sorts and gave a literal transcription, Dennis was irritated that I didn't attempt to explain to her the many subtle nuances of meaning in it, gotta love that ivy league education. Rained a bit, went to zia Lecia, Dennis went looking for olive wood but were mostly little pieces. Became something of an alcohol themed event, zia gave us all a shot of vermouth, I and dennis took pictures of everybody with the bottle of vermouth (not a big fan of vermouth myself) talk turned to the good old days in NYC, with great grandfather keeping the wiskey under the stairs. Grandma keept correcting Zia in english for our benefit, saying she'd forgotten what she was talking about. That the wiskey was hidden in the sink under the water so they could dump it if there was a raid, though the rest was hidden under the stairs like zia said, and that of course they didnt worry about the police too much because they got paid, and came in for drinks themselves. Zia also said that great grandpa always drank whiskey out of the bottle never in a glass. Grandma keept correcting her under her breath that he never once drank wiskey out of the bottle, it was rum, always rum. Zia also repeated her favorite story about Franco turning people in where he worked and thugs coming to the door at night looking for him, though this time round they had suitcases of his share of the payoff money they were trying to get him to take, in the past it always sounded like they were planning to take him for a ride, wonder how much of the story is precisely true, some of it clearly, grandma keept saying again half under her breath that she should keep these things to herself and not spread them around. Went to church in the evening, apparently Sun mass on Sat evening is not just an american thing.

Cinzia and Silvia came by Mary was driving and it was their new car so we were pretty safe. In typical fashion as we went there was an ongoing fight between Cinzia, Silvia and Mary over what beach we were going to, that would be both interesting and importantly 'libero' , was finally decided but Mary didn't know where it was. People in front put on their seatbelts while in motion at one point, and it was explained that there were police ahead, being the smart ass that I am I joked that accidents happen only where there are police, got a smile from Mary and the statement that someone at works life had recently been saved by a seatbelt but nobody else seemed to appreciate my humour. Stopped by turnoff she thought it was, where there was beach parking, asked Cinzia to get out and ask the parking guy, Chinzia asked Silvia, she didn't want to either, for once I had an excuse, I was just the dumb forgein relation, nobody asked me, finally Mary parked the car got out and asked, Im glad its not just me that hates to do these things. It was the right place, we got out with our cartload of stuff and headed down, Dennis got to carry the big pink beach unbrella, hard to look macho while carrying a big pink umbrella. Set ourselves up, wasn't too crowded though it got rather more so later. All the way on the other end there was a big fort on an outcrop of rock with a bridge going to it, dont know if the town is actully Sperlonga. Went for a bit of a walk along it first with Cinzia, Silvia stayed, Down by the end you can see in through the fence into the ruins of the palace of Tiberius that according to Cinzia they take you on a tour of in a boat (our turnoff had been just before the entrance to the museum). By the end is strangely a little area that is marked as a WWF sanctuary where you cant swim or fish. Looking at the various wildlife, rocks covered with limpets, had little mussels, little sliver fish, the little spiny camoflouged ones that sit on the rocks, snails, also a bunch of sea urchins which I haven't seen before in Italy. Walked back, went for a swim, a bit more exciting that Rita's beach. Were pretty big waves jumping around in them a bit, Cinzia and Silvia got bored with that before we did. Headed back in and sat for a bit, I got bored pretty quickly, We then set ourselves to building a sand castle, again without Silvia, soemwhat irregular in its final form would be easier with equipment, then set to building a wall to protect it from the rising water, which was working as long as we were there. I took a walk along the beach by myself, got a much better look at the fort, big starcase leading up to the tower, wouldnt like to have to attack it. Quite a lot of topless bathers further down on the pay beach. The thing I wish I'd managed to pick up after all the time I've spent in Italy, even more than I wish Id picked up a better than feeble grasp of Italian, is some of their partial disassociation of nudity and sex, not that I think it can ever be completely dissasociated, think its rather hard wired but there are certainly cultural differences. Headed back, When I'd got there Mary and Franco were there as well, having arrived and taken a brief swim while I was gone, sat around a bit more and then headed out. Headed back to Cascabar, noted that there is now a sign on their turnoff that notes it being 'parte di Casa Capiprai' which is how I suspect I should have been spelling it all along. A good bit of change, they've taken down the old building to make a road that gives access to them from above so they have all the animals in rather small cages and were starting to move them into a new coop further away from the house that they'd just gotten mostly finished, had the arc welder still sitting about, cool. Further evidence of the families craftiness to be seen sitting in front of the house, a new lawn ornament, the front half of their even older lime green Fiat. I couldnt resist asking why it was there, Cinzia said and I quote they'd taken it apart 'per verdere come e fatto'(to see how it was made) I didnt have the nerve to ask what had happened to the other half, mentioned it to grandma later and she seemed to think it the most natural thing in the world, said she figured they'd used the back half for something, didnt know what. We can speculate that also the do it yourself and the moderate insanity genes come from this side of the family. Picked up a little peacock feather, strange that they have to worry so much about the chickens but the peacocks walk around free without getting attacked by the dogs or lost. We illustrated the use of the metal detector. Then ate, penne, meat of some sort, tomatoes, olives, bread, grazie a Dio no prosciutto e melone. Discussing our living and eating habits, mom and dads jobs, our schools, that they've hardly ever seen Mom and Dad, they mention that every year, I've never thought to respond that relatives an hour away never see us either, not big ones for seeing the relativs mom and dad, nothing short of an act of God would ever get them back to Itri after their one visit(Actually two, they came through briefly on their honeymoon). Talked about Egypt a bit Franco wants to go but Mary isnt convinced being afraid of both water and heat. I'd have offered to give them a copy of my notes but I think the effort of translating them into Italian even with mechanical assistance would kill me. They were saying how much Silvia wants to see the US, I can just imagine, Cinzia and Silvia loose in NY, would be cool to have them over. Demonstrated the metal detector to Mary she tried it out, seemed to enjoy it though she couldnt seem to find anything to sound nearby. So with rather alot of misgivings headed out for 'il cimetero' with Cinzia, Silvia pleaded tiredness, Neither Cinzia nor Franco really knew where the road was so we just headed out, shovel, zappa, rete and metal detector in the back, Dennis riding shotgun and me sharing the back with medium sized black dog named with the surrealism one expects of Cinzia, grigllio (cricket). I counted and the Fiat of death stalled 9 times getting there. Did it on steep gradients, this was inconvenient in that the emergency break didnt appear to work (we were driving with it enganged for quite a while with no noticable results till Cinzia noticed) so while trying to restart the car we were rolling backwards. Cinzia's complaint was it didnt change gears properly, and she certainly spent alot of time trying to giggle the stick around, it also jerked back in a disturbing manner from time to time. Fun all around, since we dint know where we were going turned around several times and asked directions from one person, finaly thought we were close when, there emerged almost supernaturally in front of us a herd of water buffalo, I really hadnt been expecting that, neither had Cinzia who freaked pulled over to the side and rolled up her window, (roughly in that order). They passed by pretty tamely though, which you'd expect, they're I think pretty well behaved animals as a rule if rather large and fierce looking. and Cinzia asked the guy herding them where was il chimitero. I was relieved when he replied that 'il posto che si chiamano il chimitero' was over there, not actually a cemetary then, I was really having visions of Cinzia wanting to bring home a skull, she reads Lovecraft too. So we parked and got out. That moment was actually really amazing and somewhat surreal. The mountains all around, the ruins in the distance, the burnt, blasted looking landscape surrounding us, the smell of ash on the strong wind that wistled by, arming ourselves with equipment from the car trunk (which unsuprisingly doesnt lock closed, just bangs about while driving) the three adventurers and the dog heading out, it was so completely like an adventure novel, exciting sense of the unknown. So we reached the ruins, were rather picturesque, first things we found were probably the most interesting of the days haul, one area with a bunch of 9mm shell casings were marked CCI N R 9mm LUGER, also appeared to be made out of aluminum which Ive never seen, poked around in the burnt out area of grass around the first ruins, then headed over to the second, passing under the gate, the area being fenced in for grazing the water buffalo, alot of tremendous water buffalo turds about, interesting set of ruins the second a pretty tall building, must have been two stories around it a wall, the door to the house faced into the wall, but a hole had been put through the outter wall opposite. Could see how it might resemble a walled graveyard and chapel, so earning its name, though it clearly wasn't, some kind of farm house maybe? Grandma remember it ruined when she was a kid, didnt know what kind of house it was, (at my question grandpa helpfully chimed in with 'a shithouse') Total haul the 9mm casings a lump of lead, probably a bullet, shotgun shell brass, a rifle shell casing, a unimpressive broken off handle of some sort, likely pewter or lead, and an odd brass object. Was just very atmospheric though, at one point I was running back to get Dennis, who we'd misplaced, over the burnt stubble and it was just completely surreal. Its a well established fact that I judge my life by how much it resembles a book. Headed back without much incident since it was mostly downhill stalled only once. Franco and Mary had gone to church and Cinzia and silvia needed to head back to Rome, they dropped us off, and we afterward realized we'd forgotten the metal detector there, get it back one way or another. Ate, took a quick walk down to the arti e mestieri thing, usual stuff though guy was doing some blacksmithing making a couple curls bought a coffee cup with the symbol of Itri on it not bad for 8 bucks, though what Id do with it I dont know, support your local ceramics type, or your not so local one in this case, . feet hurt

Had a bad dream that I was an undergrad still and realized Id somehow forgotten to go to one of my classes for half the semester, but I said to myself that I couldn't possibly have and I woke up in a panic. then dreamed I was staying in some kind of fancy old building that seemed to be a kind of run down hotel now, I was really depressed and someone I knew came into my room wearing a liquor cabinet, I opened it up took out a bottle of something and took a swig out of it, then left him trying to talk to me and headed for the bathroom, which was through this elaborate arch, but lead to a typical looking bathroom with showers and everything, out the other side of it was a glass door leading it seemed to a train station, In the middle of the station there was some woman in a bathtub, strange.

Did a good bit of painting, drizzled a bit. The friend of the families that they helped out when he jumped ship and was hiding from the INS called from Sicily, grandma away and grandpa not much of a talker so after commisserating about his enlarged prostate a bit, said grandma would call back. Nick made it back alive from Urbino, with the extensive comments that it was pretty and there are alot of brick walls. Grandpa's response to nick sleeping on Corrine's floor and I quote, 'what a sad sack of shit'.

Italian commercials are even more shameless than US if such a thing is possible. Frankfruter commercial starts with woman in bathing suit rubbing herself down with oil, cut to frankfurters, cut to woman in bathingsuit, cut to woman using finger to rub mustard on frankfruter. Cut to licking finger. I dont think its just me that sees something dodgy here.

Did some painting lazed about generally, went downtown to pick up the chickens and passed disk with some of the pictures of erasmus off to Simona, met Daniele on the way back. Went out did the shopping,stopped by zia Cicina's she said Ricardo was stopping by in a half hour. tried to stop by and catch ernesto but he wasn't in. Headed back, then out again to get the cereal, when back they were showing Zia Cichina pictures on the laptop, Playing with Arturo a bit, he is way too overenthusiastic. A dog that weighs maybe 70 % of what you do should not be allowed to jump on your chest. He always looks so pathetic with his hair cut back but left hanging over his eyes, and he always seems so glad to see you, Im completely a sucker for that, wonder if he actually remembers us from year to year. Left covered with white hair and dog prints. Rita called down from the terrace if we wanted to go see a play, she said she'd come down, she hit Ricardo's wife coming in so actually didnt arrive downstairs for a half hour. In fact it was just her and the two kids that came, Ricardo was taking a train down later. General hello's all around, Rita looked at the pictures. She didnt seem particularly upset though grandma says it was the first time she was down in two days. Francesca, Jean Carlo's kid stopped by, almost see a tiny bit of him in her face... So was determined we'd to to the play in Fondi, took off eventually, back and ate, Rita came by around 8:30 Julia didnt want to come in the end, we headed over, picked up a friend of hers, older woman, another teacher from her school, found the spot, usual predictable jokes about being accompanied by 'tre cavaliere', I wonder if its that there are three of us or the long hair that makes that spring to people's mind. Her friend bought everyone ice cream,got coconut and pineapple, why dont they sell coconut ice cream back home? We'd spent so much time sitting eating our ice cream the stands had filled up, sat on the stairs, thats one of the things that can be said for Italy they dont hassle you over things like that. So had a good view of the play after everyone had gotten setteled, before that had a good view of everyone's behinds as they passed by. So Rita had wanted to go because someone from she knew from her school was playing the accordian in it, no idea what it actually was a about. But of course, what else could it be, a romance. Though a romantic comedy. Two contadini that want to marry but cant get together the cash to have a wedding in the proper manner(some amusing scenes of them consulting on the prices of things and trying to extort money from their family members), so their families decide to pretend to fight with eachother to give everyone the impression they are against the marriage so they can elope. It wasn't bad, was set locally so it was funny to see them doing things like praying Madonna della chivita, give me a bit of cash so I can get married. Noted that it treated as completely natural the woman being pressured into finally having sex with the guy by the threat of being left disgraced if he wouldn't marry her after they'd ran away. Clearly contemporary sexual politics have not yet reached Fondi. Headed back, for once I had the front seat, was kind of cool but creepy driving back on the twisty road with the stars overhead the dark mountains surrounding you, almost nobody else on the road though it was only 11:30, Rita was saying she really doesnt like to make the drive by herself at night. Rita wanted to cruise through the piazza just to see if anyone was out, a couple kids outside the arcade and the one popular bar on via farnese but not much else to see, goodness knows if there's one thing Im familiar with after a year at Rutgers with Jim its random cruising at night. Rita dropped us off were discussing bars in both the Italian and US sense, Rita was saying people tell her she should go out and meet people but she was saying she always perferred if she was going out to see a show rather than sit at a bar all night, and that her life has always been more focussed around her family. Tell me about it. I was trying to explain the concept of doing shots (one bad habit the Italians so far seem not to have picked up from us) but without too much success, perhaps because Ive never had the faintest idea of what the point was myself. Parted ways Rita saying she was gratefull for the company. Also saying she'd call if she went to the beach the next day and maybe we could have dinner on the terazza again.

Futzed about in the morning was going to try and find Ernesto but Angela stopped by so we were sitting around. She and grandma were mostly talking somehow or other I wound up showing her some of the pictures Id taken during the vacation, then those of Egypt. She mentioned Antonio had lost a key in the country and maybe the metal detector would help to find it. Usual battle about if someone was going to accompany her home. Grandpa insisting there were all those dogs around, Angela joking what are they going to do, eat me? would be worse for them Im poisonous. (It is true that starting last week there have been alot of dogs wandering about in groups, guess maybe as feri d'Agosto approaches there are more and more that people abandon on the road as they go on vacation, like to give the fuckers a vacation alright) Nick headed up with her in the end, paitence gave out waiting for him and we ate, he came back with Antonio and a plan to go later with the metal detector to try and find Antonio's key and look for some big olive wood for Dennis. So of course things were bound to get messy, around 2:30 Rita showed up, not having called wondering if anyone wanted to go to the beach, initally not intending to even stop the car, general muddling ensued and while Rita was driking the proffered cup of coffe Antonio showed up which to grandma's mind immediately settled the issue. Further muddling, grandma as usual expects you to jump up and leap into a persons car the second they pull in the driveway. first I was going to go to keep Rita company at the beach while Dennis and Nick went with Antonio, then the wanted me to translate, so after more excited gesturing and arguing it just wound up we all went with Antonio and Rita was stuck by herself. So went out to the property where they lost the key found it relatively easily with the metal detector, sort of tucked in near the wall Dennis surveyed the wood and picked out a couple pieces, going to be fun trying to get those through customs. Headed back, all didnt actually take too long, Rita was still there, having apparently given up on the beach, so sat and talked for a good bit was decided we'd eat at her place. We left debating about but then not bringing the computer, Stopped by Cicina's set off from there Nick and I accompanying Rita while she went to get a prescription filled, Dennis with grandpa to go play a number from Maria Virgina who called from the butchers shop to ask it he could play the number for her since she was too busy. While waiting outside the doctors office (she hadnt actually gotten the prescription yet, the italian way) I thought better of this and ran off to try and catch Ernesto, which I did talking to another guy, asked if he'd be in tomorrow morning he said likely (he wasnt). Walking back I randomly ran into Mary going into Zia Lecia's house. Stopped and said goodbye she repeated that we have to come back so we can stay with them in Rome. I said that they had to visit us, and she was agreeing that Silvia at least really wanted to see the US but it would require a good bit of planning for her to go on her own. Headed back keept Arturo company a bit till everyone else returned to Zia's Some went out to do more shopping I stayed with grandpa and zia. She started talking about them having broken down the tower at Casacapiri which I was sad to see when I was there, it was a neat old thing but didnt note unusually, and how terrible it was and that if it hadnt been touched it would have lasted for millenia.(accordintg to Zia this actually has to do with the feud with Segno that they dont want to maintain the road that gives access to his property so they cut the new one where the tower ws to get in from the top of the property) From there moved to the subject of the war, you do tend to forget that the older people when they were my age lived through occupation by the Germans, the Americans, and having the town bombed almost to the ground around them. They lived in that tower at Casacapari for quite a while. Zia was talking about it. That they cleaned out a chimmeny and filled it with grain to hide it, grinding the grain with the two stones that zia lecia still has. Said they actually had it really easy compared to people who didnt have land of their own in the country to escape to during the bombardment. Was talking a bit about a person that was from elsewhere that stayed with them, not sure if he'd been in the army with someone Alberto or Giovanni and deserted with them or what. I think this story was about him that someone was planting peas while they were there and he asked why they were planting them, are you crazy that this is going to be that long. And while eating them months later someone kidded him about it and he replied who'd have thougth we'd be here this long. Zia was laughing as she said it, repating we ate the peas, the beans and more. How they hid their stuff in a hole under an altar as far as I could tell and didnt loose it versus other people who hid their stuff in their houses and their relatives stole it when they were bombed out and claimed it was the Germans that took it. Remembering who was shot by the Germans. Saying how when the everything ended after liberation and the guy staying with them left, he kissed everyone, crying and said that they would only hear from him again if he could every repay everything they did for him, and so they knew 'che non aveva fortuna' because they never heard from him again and she often wonders if he's still alive, if he'd married. Strange thought, war, so foregin a thing, something that happens to people on the news. Everyone else turned up, went up futzed around trying to help out. The same girl (Frederika as it turns out, Valeria is her sister and she's Maria Virginia's sister in laws daughter) and a friend of Pena's where there as well. I still dont understand why all our cousins are beautiful and all the ugly genes wound up on our side of the family. Nick and Dennis started the fire, when we finally got ourselves outside and ready to et, it immediately started to rain so a quick change of venu to downstairs. Ate, the hamburgers stuck again the frankfruters wer truly bizzare, tasted like breakfast sausages. Hung about, spent close to two hours I think trying to show Rita how to use Frontpage 2000 complicated a little by the fact I'd only used 98 and it was in Italian. Showed us Giaginto's webpage he apparently payed quite a bit for it but it looked pretty good. Hung about a bit more Dennis was pissed he didnt get to check for messages from Adeline. Had music video channel on a kind of weird mix of Italian and American stuff. Were talking about music a bit, werent familiar with any of the groups Nick mentioned, clearly not into hard rock. Julia a big Savage Garden fan. Discussing the effect groups can have on fans, brought up example of Marilyn Manson on whom Rita commented 'quello e il diavolo' though I was saying I didnt quite believe it had all the effect people said it did. Had my eyes burned by the frothing drivel of Madonna's latest video, which God help us all made the news here simply by its coming out, take Marilyn Manson over that any day, I'll stick to music that tells me to kill people rather than that that slowly turns my brain to boiled squash thank you very much. Hung about a good bit was talking with Pena about school, she's studying law like Cinzia though this is I think her first year. Interesting how focussed on passing big exams the system is both oral and written, wouldnt like to face it myself. Finally got back in around 1:40 recieving a 'about time' out of the dark from Grandma.

Up around 8:30 despite that. bit of painting, Headed out to try and find ernesto and failed went for a walk, to look at the Fabrizi house. Restoration going slowly and being done with a typical lack of taste or subtlety which is a bit of a shame since is such a funky cool bit of architecture. Tried back failed again and headed.

Grandpa watching TV and was the most psychotic thing I have ever seen, a long advertisment for a machine that you attach to various parts of your body and gives you electric shocks that exercise your muscles for you, looking at it you really dont know whether to laugh or loose your mind. Besides the general perversity of the idea there are endless shots of this built guy sitting there and smiling while his chest twitches of its own accord in a very painfull looking manner, and similar, endless, quite close to pornographic, shots of this woman in a thongs rythmically clenching behind. Interspersed testimonials from varying athletic and model types. Quite insane, I wonder how many people attach the electrodes wrong and experience blackouts or random personality changes.

Around 5 started out the rounds of saluting everyone before we left. Found zia lecia outside waiting for mozzarella to arrive at the store downstairs, said goodbye to her, Ernesto still not in, then by the butcher shop. Offered simona any other of the pictures she would want she called the photo place and the pictures themselves were done, actually came out pretty well, somehow they made 35mm polaroid negatives from the jpg's and did photo prints from those. So spent quite a bit transferring the photos then took couple of the shop for Reno, finally ran into Ernesto outside while taking outside shot and at least said hello, goodbye. Transferred the files, said bye to Reno briefly looked at his pictures from St Petersburg, clearly he's a smart operator, not only did he have the sense to go to St Petersburg during the summer when its continually light rather than continually dark like I did, he had a beautifull shot of a tower agains red tinged clouds he said was taken at 3 AM, but he also brought back two russian women with him. Got the shops business card that has their email address on it, said goodbye to everyone in turn, Antonio was saying we should come back around Christmas that while its snowing where we are the flowers are still blooming here. Maria Virgina also was asking if they'd see us before next year. So back to Zia's Walked up and said goodbye to Julia, Pena and Rita who stressed agian to call her if we ever needed to be picked up at the station. And that next year she was hoping not to be in crisis if we came. Bye to zia and headed back, packed up and pretty much set now, Another visit close to done, who knows when I'll be back, though Ive said that for ages, and always managed to make it back, at least I can fairly say Im at least in touch with family there directly, there's always at least some tie active there. It's strange how completely alien my time here is from life at home, better in so many ways, but I think Id go insane if I actually lived like this without something to really focuss on, its very mucha vacation not a life, though it could be, chuck it all up and move to Italy. So once again in front of the idiot box, truly bizzare again, now they've got this guy sitting down and they ask him questions, when he doesnt answer correctly they wax part of his leg and pull it off, it really does clean it off amazingly, boy must that hurt, hope we dont have collective responsibility for what society pushes women into doing or am I in for some Karmic punishment.

Dragged self up at 5:30 from a dream about starting a new semester at a Rutgers which bore no resemblance to Rutgers, I was taking Organic Chemistry again and Schuster was teaching it. Was trying to get to my room but there was a tremendous leak pouring outm greenish water in the hallway.

Ate Gigino showed up at 6:30 said goodbye to grandma headed out, dozed in the car Gigi was talking about the car alot, how much faster it was, this time around I actually saw him switch gears, there's no noticable change in how the car feels when he does maybe it is just Jims jeep, still makes me nervous how he passes half a dozen cars at once driving on the wrong side of the road with a tractor trailor oncoming, leave it to the professionals I suppose. He hasnt been a driver for almost half a century and bought three houses off the profits without being agressive. Got there, found the desk and checked in after one wrong try. Parted ways with grandpa before security, he actually looked like he was almost going to cry and left quickly. Actually had less hassle about electronics didnt even want to look at the laptop here. Dennis however got stopped for his big swiss army knife, and had to go back and check the bag, smart, dad told him not to bring his normal knife so he brings a bigger one. And here we are waiting in an airport again. Woman calling out to someone behind me in a particulary harsh NY accent if she wanted to go see something, Im going to miss Italy.

Pane e tulipani pretty cute Italian movie, coming back Hosewife that is accidentally left at a rest stop by her family , Hitchikes to venice and doesnt come back, husband hires a plumber that reads mysteries to track her down. Silvio Soldini director Finds true love with a depressive norwegian who she always happens to interrupt just as he's tryig to commit suicide.