What Fills My Plate

Another time in Venice Greetings from northern Italy, 40 minutes by train from Venice.  I want to write  a short update and include information that some of my readers have sent.  Old castle ruins in Croatia No entrance fee, just sitting on a hillside This is the start of our 5th week in lock down.  Lock down means different things throughout  the world, here it means you cannot drive out of your town.  You cannot go out and walk in your neighborhood.  Only dog walkers can venture out.   If you need medicine or food you must download a form, fill it out to describe your reason for leaving your home, etc.  Italy is being very strict on this, giving fines to people who think they do not need to abide by the law.  Italians are behaving and observing this rule in a good way. Colorful houses on Burano Island Two days ago we got lucky and found an open spot on a program to deliver groceries.  This online program had been full up to the end of April, so we are counting our lucky

Italian Sized Greetings from not so sunny Italy.  We are experiencing wind and light rain for the second day.  The blossoms white and purple have been blown away and now are replaced with green sprouts of leaves.  Next week we will have more rain.  I think the Brits have sent this to us,  maybe they have our sun. This morning within two hours I have heard two cars go by our home.  Perhaps they are out for food or meds.  There can be no other reason.  My wife went out two days ago.  The butcher was allowing only one customer at a time in, and he wore a mask.  This shop is always clean and tidy and so I have confidence that he has made an effort to keep his customers healthy.  The food shop did not make an effort to keep only a few people at a time entering and the aisles are now wide.  You can imagine what this is like.  Not good.  Our municipality rules say that we cannot go to a larger market in the next town over, so we are told to shop there.  I am not happy about this rule, a

Today is the first day of our 4th week of lockdown.   We self imposed it a week before the government ruled it.   So quickly overnight they would clamp down more and more on movement.   Now we hear that all factories are now closed down unless they make essentials for survival. I stand at the door of my terrace and it is deathly quiet outside.   There is not even a dog barking.  Nothing moves except the birds that come to my feeder.  I have not heard those bells so famous as a symbol of Italy.  Everyone  is staying inside and waiting.  It will be a long wait.  Longer than we hoped two weeks ago, much longer than we hoped last week.  Months will go by, I believe.   My village is not large but usually on a Sunday morning at 9:00 we would hear cars moving about.   Italians wake on a  Sunday and go for a ride into the hills.  There are so many quaint restaurants there, and on a Sunday they usually are very busy.   But today, nothing.   The roads and autostrada are like a ghost tow

There Is Light Today we realize we are all in a big boat and hoping to stay afloat.  We do not receive all the news about what is happening all over the world, instead we see what entertainer ate or got a divorce, etc. We have a friend living in Pakistan, in the area more near Afghanistan and I want to relate to you what is happening there.  The authorities set up a building to be the quarantine site for victims of the virus.  They were preparing as quickly as possible.  The citizens, living near this building are mostly uneducated and were in fear of this proximity.  They ended up burning down the building.   The  behavior  of those young people on spring break in Florida, now possibly taking the virus home to others if they have been in contact.  Me comes first!??   Social distance, NOT! When the virus first came to Italy the officials did their best to track contacts and close areas.  The village near mine called Vo, was barricaded.   Everywhere they are trying to track the

Bergamo, Italy This is the saddest day I have experienced in my ten years of living in Italy.  I won't write long on this posting because the fotos will say more than I could write.  What you are seeing is from Bergamo, Italy, a large city near Milano.  The army trucks came last night to take the caskets of the virus victims away to be cremated.  I believe they did this at night so not to panic people.  Not just one truck, but many many of them.  If you who read this are not prepared, maybe after looking at this you will make a plan. Seemingly Endless Line of Trucks Buona fortuna..good luck. Ciao.

 We are having a very quiet day here in my Italian village.  The entire country is on lockdown.    Only a few cars have gone by a usual busy street.   Everyone stays home now except for the police, firemen, some factory workers, plumbers, repairmen, transportation workers, and food store employees.   Everyone else going out must have a document with the reason for movement.   One can download the document to fill out and carry with you when you move from the house.   Only one person can go out at a time.   We are allowed to travel to the pharmacy, doctor, or food shops.   Every other type of shop is closed.  More sad news is that over a thousand people have died in Italy with the virus. I look out my window and see one of my neighbors is making a barbecue and another is doing some repair work in the bathroom.   I have seen others working in their yards preparing their gardens.   Life goes on even when in quarantine.   We sit and look out at the beautiful blossomed trees, w

They Work Today Today my province in the Red Zone is locked down.   What does that mean?   It means that pretty much all of the Veneto has closed the exits and entrance to itself.   No one can enter or exit unless their employment is important.   As of yesterday there have been more than 5,800 cases of the corona virus with 1200 new cases reported in one day.   Sadly 230 people have died.   You can see why Italy has gotten serious with this problem.   So the Italian Prime Minister signed a decree ordering the closing of the zones in an attempt to slow down the virus.   Over 16 million people are affected by this quarantine. I am in the upper right, in Padova There   are other large zones that are locked down in Italy, most of them near Milano.   In total all these Red Zone areas involve more than a quarter of the population of Italy.   I have seen fotos posted by the news media on the situation, but I must admit to you that they have been sensationalized a bit.   By

Evidence of Spring Today I see the postman arriving on his motor scooter, he stops to unload a few pieces of his bag, then with the sound of a bee motors on.   He is bundled up because the blustery winds have brought winters last gasp to northern Italy.   We have had rainy weather for two days now, but there is hope as tomorrow will be our first sunny day.    Last week the forecase was for temperatures in the 70’s, but the weatherperson changed the more positive forecast to a bleak look at clouds and some rain throughout the week here.  I would like to be in Venice   today, there are few tourists and I could set up my easel and paint without being disturbed.   They have disappeared, the virus ran them off, and the government has produced warnings and closed meetings and gatherings and festivals.   This is a big hit against the economy in Venice, all those restaurants with few diners, all the shops without clients.   It would be quite interesting to be there and see the differe

Greetings to all who have taken time to read my blog.   I am near the barricaded village in North Italy called Vo.   It is closed to any persons going in or out by the local police.   It has been closed for over a week now and I think it will remain blocked for a lot more.   There are other villages more near Milano that have the same problem.   The authorities are making an attempt to contain the virus.   No matter where you live, you will eventually be facing the virus and I want to relate to you what is happening here so that you may be more prepared later. Vo About ten days ago an older man felt ill and went to the local hospital near where I live.   They knew that the virus had been detected in a few people near Rome, but did not think that this old man had the virus.   The result was that within a short time, this hospital was blocked from entrance or exit because he could have contaminated many people who were not prepared to treat him with the virus.   The photos that