Tuesday, 17 March, 2020
It was a beautiful day to celebrate . . .
. . . St. Patrick's Day and . . .
. . . Italian Unification Day!
The country that we know as Italy, officially came into existence on 17 March, 1861, making today the 159th anniversary of its unification.
Before this date, the peninsula was fragmented and split into states and regions which had frequently changed hands, allegiances and boundaries over the many centuries. These states included the Grand Duchy of Tuscany the Duchy of Modena, the Papal States, the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Kingdom of Lombardia-Venetia and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilys.
The Unification really is not a single date as the Unification or Risorgimento movement started in 1815 and included decades of rebellions, reforms and wars.
Regardless . . .
Happy Unification Day, Italy!
Heeding the advice given to me by Mike Wood yesterday, I made the bold move of leaving the friendly confines of The Bunker to take a stroll down to our local bakery in search of a much needed brioche.
I had to walk by a closed
Pasticceria Marabelli
So sad.
About two minutes later, I was
at the Panificio Ducale
When I arrived, there was one other person in line outdoors waiting too enter. Only two customers at a time are allowed inside.
I bought a loaf of bread.
Now about that brioche, keep reading . . .
On the walk back to the Bunker, I saw
signs of encouragement on the streets
Same sentiment,
"Everything is Going to be All Right"
Now as for that brioche . . .
. . . the Panificio Ducale had a delicious
creme filled brioche with my name on it!
I ate it at home with a café, my life in The Bunker was now complete!
Now that I was back in The Bunker, I participated, via computer, in the . . .
. . . First Annual
Bulldog Drumond Film Festival
I viewed four of these action packed, 1930s mysteries on the edge of my sofa, GREAT FUN!
In the mid-afternoon, I got a text message from Federica inviting me to join her, Santa Barbara and Raffa in the back yard.
A second outing in one day?
What the heck, I put my shoes back on and headed up the steps.
It was a beautiful day on
the Back Forty!
Raffa chilling in the Sun
Reading AND Chilling in the Sole!
We spent the last 30 minutes all together talking about all the things going on both here in Italy and back home in Camarillo.
It was fun to have prolonged human contact and, yes, we stayed a minimum of two meters apart at all times.
A friend of Federica's shared this
video of a drive through downtown
Varese last Saturday afternoon
Normally, these streets would be jam packed with shoppers on a Saturday.
These are definitely not normal times, but I am proud of the way the Italian citizenry is taking the National Lockdown seriously.
In the evening, I made myself
a good pizza that I devoured
with GUSTO!
Stay tuned . . .
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