July is hotter than June!?

Hello everybody.

I hope you're all well and missing me immensely. I'm sure you are. I'm missing you on varying scales, depending on who you are.

Life here is starting to feel fairly normal and I'm getting used to the lack of order that makes Italy such a rich experience. I'm still looking forward to coming back in August, if only for weather that rules out shorts and t-shirts. The thought of needing a jacket is strangely appealing! Sorry if I jinx your summer (although I gather it's not been up to much so far anyway), but I do hope it's cold and wet when I come back. The change would be appreciated, but probably only for a couple of days.

I've settled into a bit of a routine, so there's not a great deal of exciting news to report, but what I lack in quantity, hopefully I make up for in quality. Hopefully....

Last weekend there was a free concert in Piazza Matteoti, one of the squares here. There had been a poetry festival here, so there were lots of smug people walking about consumed by their own self-importance and cleverness (sorry, but I don't like poetry). The first 'performance' was by John Fox, who, as all fans of early-80's electronica will know, was once in Ultravox. But apparently before 'Vienna'. I'd really hoped he'd do a spine-tingling rendition of that, but sadly my fledgling hopes and dreams were shattered in the most tedious way. Instead he 'played' piano while the loooooooooooooongest and most boring poem ever was read. It was in English, so most of the audience were blissfully unaware of the utter tosh that was being spoken. I'd occasionally wake up to hear, amongst other things: "Yugoslavian running shoes", "bananas and cream", and my personal favourite: "he enjoyed sitting in Hyde Park reading copies of the Daily Mail from June/July 1958". Seriously. I'm not sure what's made me want to die more in Italy. John Fox or watching Italy play Spain in the Quarter Finals? I've had more fun at job interviews. But, just as every silver cloud has a silver lining, every poem has an end, and after John Fox there was a show by a Sicillian rapper called Capparezza (I think is how you spell his name). He was really good, although I didn't understand what he was saying. Apparently it was very clever, and not in a poet-beard-stroking way, but in a good way. It was an impressive show, and well worth the earlier tedium. I took some photos on my phone, but they're not great quality, but I'll stick them on next time.

In other news, my flatmate Roberto is apparently moving out in the next few days, so that's nice.

I told you there wasn't much to say, but I'll be incommunicado for the next few days as I'm working near Piacenza, which is about 200km away, so thought I should post something.

Before I go, I saw these and they made me laugh:

An advert for an Italian mobile phone company called 'Wind', that said:

"Passa a wind" (translating as 'change to wind') Adverts that encourage farting are my favourites, I think.

There's also a pastry and chocolate thing here which looks nice, but has the unnappealing name of 'Mother-in-laws tongue'. Mmmmm, tasty. "I'm just nipping out dear for some mother-in-laws tongue." Italians are a funny lot.

So long, farewell and auf wiedersen, pets