Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Terremoti - Scary Stuff

Yesterday we felt 6 earth tremors. We have had a couple before now, but not six in a few hours. Although “small”, the epicentre is only a few kilometres from us. It really is quite unnerving. Nothing of course like the awful one in Haiti yesterday nor of course in Aquila last year.

They were between 2 and 4.1. Big enough to make the National TV and radio news and also big enough to make you feel very disorientated and unbalanced for several seconds. We are clearly hoping that they do not presage anything worse. Enough now, thanks very much.

Good old Bertie does give us some warning, albeit only a few seconds. His ears prick up and he starts barking and running around looking to see what he should be barking at! Daft dog.

Here is a link you can click on to see recorded tremors. Although it only shows a map of Italy, the right hand list of quakes are world-wide, it shows the 7 that hit Haiti yesterday.

http://cnt.rm.ingv.it/earthquakes_map.php?lang=eng

Here’s a great blooper!

La D and I were watching the TV news last night to see if we could learn anymore about the earth tremors. One of the first topics was on immigration and the problems it seems to cause in Italy. It is a subject which is continually in the news on the TV and the press.
Whilst watching, La D turned to me and said, “L’uomo chi fa, are all Italians homophobic?”
At the time I was eating a small piece of cheese and a large piece of a Ryvita- type biscuit. which were just going down my throat. I wish it hadn’t been. My throat gave an involuntary spasm as it constricted against a laugh that was suddenly coming. A shard of Ryvita shot out of my mouth and hit the TV presenter right on his nose. Not in person of course, but on the screen.
La D looked aghast and then suddenly realised what she had said and nearly collapsed on top of me. We were both helpless with laughter.
“I should have said Xenophobic, shouldn’t I?’ la D said to me.
“Yes my darling, you should have done, but it wouldn’t have been half as funny,” I replied, my cheese and biscuit having finally been digested. I got up and cleaned the TV screen.

Ohh, that La D. She is a one.

Ciao, mantenere la fede

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