Italiafile – for italophiles.
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That way madness lies
Its Day 8 in the Big Brother household. Or Day 9 – I cant quite remember when all this started, but it seems ages ago. The near total lockdown in Italy has yet to bear fruit, and here in my quiet corner of Sicily, where we have not one hospitalised case from my comune, it…
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Life in lockdown
It’s odd how many people seem to think that being in Sicily in the age of Covid19 means you just go to the beach. If only. Just day 3 of the lockdown and Im bored witless. I have a long list of DIY tasks to do, but cant go and buy the necessary stuff, …
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Going viral
Suddenly I seem to have time on my hands, and antibacterial gel. It’s day two of the national lockdown thanks to Covid19, although not alot seems to have changed here in the south of Sicily. There are fewer cars, and people keep their distance, but there isnt the tumbleweed blowing down the Corso as we…
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Berlusconi’s Pad
The story of Arcore It’s a story that reads like a film. As a plot of a film it would be dismissed as barely credible. A story that involves the aristocracy, politicians and a Prime Minister, as well as sex, murder and the Mafia, and yet is unknown outside Italy. Arcore is Silvio Berlusconi’s home. …
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A very Italian poisoning
Imane Fadil was one of Berlusconi’s bunga bunga girls. She died at the beginning of March after over a month of agony in a Milan hospital. When she arrived in hospital she told the doctors and her lawyer that she had been poisoned. The police were called only after she died. It’s a very Italian…
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Tic Toc
The EU bigwigs have decided that by 2021 all member countries can decide if they want to have permanent winter time or summer time. Apparently this is due to the fervent desire of its 500 million inhabitants. There was an online questionnaire about this last summer, completed by 7 million, of which over 4 million…
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I Millibandi
Italy has finally caught up with the UK. These two unlikely brothers (could they be related?) are the Zingarettis: One, Luca, is Inspector Montalbano and more well known than Nicola who is now the leader of the PD – the Italian labour party. Luca is the big brother, while Nicola is the president of the…
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Black and white bread
There’s a mystery in Italy to Italian bread, and Ive heard so many reasons behind it, it’s up there with Area 51 as a conspiracy. To any seasoned breadaholic from another country, trying to find a decent wholemeal loaf in Italy is like searching for the Templar treasure. Lots of bready products emblazon their labels…
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Reasons to be cheerful (part Diciotti)
You may remember a ship called the Diciotti which Salvini denied permission to dock in Catania, thronged as it was with migrants who had been saved at sea. He was putatively indicted for hostage taking and denial of human rights. Of course being an MP the rest of the club have to vote as to…
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Eating words
The Powers that Be have a rather annoying habit of announcing new laws before they have been written, discussed or even thought about for more than a fleeting moment. This week we have had three. Last year on the back of the elections, the M5S announced that they were going to end all Sunday opening,…