#job Puglia

[loveandthings11]

Ken’s job… is just Beach 💙

[nicoscheer]

[gabritrix]

La sensazione di felicità quando dopo una giornata di lavoro finisci in albergo tutto compreso!!!

[hrrtshape]

insane, dream-like things that were normal in my better cr . . . in other words, what it was like being part of the 1%

i never carried cash : i didn’t need to. if i ever found myself in a situation where cash was required, idk, a farmer’s market or bribing someone, i’d just apple pay!?

i never waited for anything : reservations were booked months in advance. lines were always skipped. at clubs we just walked right in. theme parks? VIP passes only. i have never stood in a queue longer than 90 seconds in my life...or...in my better cr.

my closet was bigger than a new york apartment : and everything was colour-coded. yep. yep !!!

i never read price tags : not because i was being reckless, because i simply did not need to know. it was always fine.

if i wanted something, i got it : saw a dress in a magazine? had it by the next morning. craved a specific croissant from a bakery in paris? it was flown in. life had no delays.

luxury was so normal i had to actively remind myself it wasn’t : by the 13th day, i would have moments, small ones, where i’d be like, " wait, not everyone has their own perfume custom-blended by a french artisan? " and then i’d move on.

the ‘poor kid’ still had a trust fund. . . they just had less in it.

errands? what errands? dry cleaning, post office, buying toothpaste. these were not my problems.

skincare was medical : not just a ‘good moisturiser’ situation, i mean dermatologist-designed, prescription-only, lab-created serums. my facials involved lasers. my face was someone’s full-time job.

my mom had a florist on retainer : fresh-cut flowers appeared in my room like magic. i never asked for them. they just were.

celebrity run-ins were painfully normal : “oh yeah, we had dinner next to tilda swinton last night.” “who?” WHO?

we never parked our own cars : valet, always. i had a friend who didn’t even know how to use a parking metre.

there was no such thing as ‘saving up’. in those two weeks i never thought, “hmm, should i buy this now or wait till christmas when i get 50 euros from my grandma?” PFTTTTT.

everyone had a ‘family office’ : financial advisers, lawyers, accountants. my money was managed. someone in my school had three.

coffee orders were wildly specific : not ‘latte with oat milk’ specific. i mean custom-roasted beans, flown in from a single farm in costa rica, brewed at a precise temperature, delivered in a monogrammed cup.

doctors made house calls : i have not seen the inside of a waiting room. ever. feeling sick? someone arrived.

vacation homes weren’t a flex, they were a given : there’s the paris apartment (1st arrondissement, obviously), the villa in lake como, the chalet in gstaad. the only real estate question was, “are we summering in capri or st. barths?

your signature scent is impossible to buy : it’s either a discontinued hermès perfume from the ’70s that you miraculously still source, or a custom blend from a perfumer who only takes five clients a year.

flying commercial is a horror story, not an option : tsa? baggage claim? delays? these are foreign concepts. you had a netjets membership at the very least, but most likely, you have a family jet with an interior designed by someone who also did a yacht.

your tastebuds have standards : your daily coffee comes from a faema e61, your eggs are from a private farm, and your idea of a snack is burrata flown in from puglia that morning. did i mention my private school had michelin chefs?? yea.

you own art. like, real art : not prints. not posters. actual, museum-worthy pieces that are either inherited or sourced through galleries that don’t even have websites.

most people don’t know what anything costs : a gallon of milk? no idea. a metro ticket? couldn’t tell you. you swipe, tap, sign, and never check.

you don’t shop in stores like normal people : you go to private showrooms, have pieces sent to your home, or shop off-runway. waiting in line… horrendous.

i’ve had a ‘house account’ somewhere : a boutique, a jeweller, a tailor. places where you don’t pay on the spot, just ‘put it on the account’ and settle later.

i was taught how to eat properly : which fork for what course, how to use a butter knife, the correct way to hold a wine glass. it’s not something i learned. it’s something i absorbed from watching adults at endless dinners, benefits, and polo events.

i don’t remember learning how to ski or ride horses : because i was doing it before i was fully conscious. i have childhood photos in full equestrian gear, little skis strapped to my feet in gstaad or zermatt. it’s just something i always did.

an art education by osmosis : grew up hearing adults talk about rothko, basquiat, and duchamp in casual conversation. dragged to the louvre and the tate before i could even read. instinctively know the difference between an original and a print.

i have a family lawyer on retainer : and not because i ever committed a crime. they exist to handle things. NDAs, reputation management, keeping your name out of the papers. they know where the bodies are buried, metaphorically (or not).

most families’ wealth is so old and so layered in offshore accounts that even they don’t fully understand it : trust funds? sure, but also shell companies in the caymans, art holdings in geneva, real estate portfolios under LLCs. money isn’t in banks. it’s spread across continents.

most parents’ have had affairs with each other for decades, and it’s not even a scandal anymore : it’s just part of the ecosystem. marriages aren’t about love, they’re alliances. the wives turn a blind eye, the husbands keep it discreet, and the real betrayal is talking about it.

i’ve been name-dropped in a deposition : it was a divorce case. i was never involved, but my name was adjacent to power, so it got dragged in. the case was settled out of court, of course.

most families has multiple passports : not for fun, not for aesthetics. because sometimes you need an exit strategy. a villa in capri, a château in france, a penthouse in dubai. doors are always open, should you ever need to disappear.

i’ve seen actual generational feuds play out in real time : my parents have enemies. their parents had enemies. the grudges go back decades, and nobody even remembers what started it.

i grew up around people who have gotten away with actual crimes : white-collar, mostly. insider trading, fraud, tax evasion. but sometimes things darker. people go to rehab, people “retire early,” people take extended trips to monaco until things cool down.

i’ve seen billionaires (and their kids) break down over the pettiest things : a bad seat at a gala, a misplaced monogram on their jet, a slight from someone whose family has less money than theirs. the richer they are, the more fragile they get.

my family has a pr strategy : this is largely because my mom is a ceo of a billion dollar company. and everything is managed. what photos are released, what stories are planted, which journalists are “friendly.” nothing is random.

i know that philanthropy is often just money laundering with better optics : charities set up for tax reasons, “foundations” that quietly funnel wealth back into the family, billionaire donations that conveniently coincide with favourable legislation.

i’ve seen people lose their fortunes overnight : one wrong deal, one lawsuit, one scandal that sticks, and suddenly, the private jets are getting repossessed. the real old money…they watch from a distance. they never risk everything.

i know that some billionaires don’t actually have liquid cash : they’re over-leveraged, playing financial gymnastics with their own net worth. yachts, art, mansions. but the second they need actual money? suddenly, things get complicated. this is why everyone in my school donated possessions instead of actual money.

met people who don’t own their clothes : couture is loaned, jewellery is borrowed, yachts are rented to themselves through shell companies. it’s all about optics. they don’t need to own when they can access.

heard rich kids joke about things that would make normal people physically ill : laughing about tax evasion, casually mentioning private rehabs like summer camp, making bets on stocks that could ruin lives.

met billionaires who are bored of being rich : the thrill is gone. the yachts, the jets, the parties. it’s routine. they start chasing danger. high-stakes gambling, extreme sports, secret societies. anything to feel something.

[mightyflamethrower]

President Joe Biden, 81, is under fire for what many are calling his “worst ever” performance at the G7 summit in Puglia, Italy. During a photo op with world leaders, Biden appeared disoriented and had to be guided back by Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after wandering off. Video footage shows Biden turning away from the group during a parachute display, prompting puzzled reactions.

Leader of the Free World

Good Job Democrats!!

[mygainyear2024]

Days 89-90 And that’s a wrap on the gap quarter…

as we head from Tangier to Madrid via Ryanair, spend a short night at a hotel (with the most comfy bed in a while) and start the long haul home via Hong Kong.

This was the longest holiday I’ve had, previously a couple of 8 week stints. And the longest solo travel at 9 weeks, previous one 8 weeks.

I was particularly pleased when Rose joined me, not only for the shared memories and experience but also I’m not sure I would have been as confident, or the experience as enjoyable, in Morocco on my own.

In the future I definitely want more of staying in the one place for longer and feeling less rushed, and less time wasted and less stress of packing and repacking. I’m up for more car hire to provide flexibility and keep those neurons firing.

In the future I definitely want less baggage 🥴

I’m not much of a blogger or writer and I started doing Tumblr blogs on my first solo trip to Europe. It helps me stay present; and maybe one day my future grandkids might read it and be inspired to travel too.

I do appreciate those who patiently listened to my pre-planning that went on for months, maybe over a year, as I kept changing my mind 🥴 and for all of you who checked in on me and read my ramblings, and for your encouraging comments along the way. Not everyday was emotionally easy, but I didn’t want to bore you with my inner demons!

For those wondering, I did finish the book, "Mrs Winterbottom takes a Gap Year", way back. It was a very easy read and there was nothing too profound to be honest. Bec Wilson (Prime Time podcaster) recommended I read it before I travelled, I'm not sure why. Spoiler alert, Mrs Winterbottom and her husband retired from their general practice and struggled to find their new norm. She wanted an overseas adventure, he wanted to build a huge veggie garden and stay at home, having travelled in his youth. She went without him, on the advice of a friend who sadly passed. She took the ashes of her friend and headed to Greece. She had an emotional connection with a Greek sailor. Her husband and adult children surprised her by showing up. She reconciled things with her husband, they travelled around in the boat they bought off said Greek sailor and her insight from the Greek experience was that volunteering / mentoring younger doctors could be fulfilling in retirement.

Now I met no Greek sailor, but someone better, Rosie from Halifax. We certainly have a connection and many shared experiences, including bursts of laughter over our incontinence and much more 😂 Thank you Rosie for making my gap quarter that much more exciting and pleasurable.

What's next for me...while I was away my job changed (I'm going back to Social Security & Welfare, this time a stint in contact centres). I'm not unhappy about this, although I will miss "my" peeps in Health. I will be living out of suitcases until late August as I rented out my room! I have a long weekend in Townsville for Keely's birthday, a long weekend in Cairns to catch up with my former EA, a plan to go to Vietnam after Christmas and hopefully meet up with Rosie and a plan to go to India with another friend in March. Pending finances and anything else that might pop up, I'd like to spend my next European vacation in the south of Italy, seeing Sicily, Palermo, Portofino, Puglia and surrounds. Any tips greatly appreciated XXX

[cinquecolonnemagazine]

Dopo il voto, al via la corsa ai vertici delle istituzioni europee

Inizia la corsa a Bruxelles per i principali incarichi delle Istituzioni europee dopo il voto degli elettori. Una corsa che si avvia con tensioni - non nuove - tra il presidente del Consiglio europeo, Charles Michel, e la presidente della Commissione, Ursula von der Leyen, candidata del PPE per un secondo mandato. Secondo fonti di Bruxelles, Michel non la vorrebbe alla cena informale di lunedì prossimo (17 giugno) a Bruxelles per discutere del dossier altamente politico. Dopo il voto, la corsa ai vertici delle istituzioni europee Essendo lei in carica, Michel, il cui mandato scade a fine novembre e anche il suo ruolo è in discussione, preferirebbe che i capi di Stato e di Governo ne discutano in sua assenza per avere un clima più aperto. Von der Leyen non è d'accordo. La sua portavoce, dalla sala stampa del Berlaymont, ha dichiarato che "essendo lei membro del Consiglio europeo ci si aspetta che partecipi". Insomma, vuole un posto al tavolo. Anche chi voleva anticipare i negoziati a margine del Summit del G7 in Puglia è stato frenato. Al Summit saranno presenti i big dei Ventisette: Italia, Francia e Germania, oltre a Michel e von der Leyen. Alla ricerca di una maggioranza "Gli accordi presi in passato nei G7 o G20 hanno creato più tensioni che soluzioni perché la rappresentanza è limitata. Il momento per discutere dei top jobs è la cena di lunedì dove saranno presenti tutti i leader", ha precisato un alto funzionario dell'Unione europea che lavora alla preparazione della cena dei leader. Intanto i partiti continuano a fare i conti. Negli ultimi dati pubblicati dal Parlamento europeo sulla nuova composizione dell'emiciclo, la maggioranza Ursula si ferma a 400 seggi (su 720 membri): 186 PPE; 135 S&D e 79 Renew. Nella legislatura uscente era 417 (su 705 membri): 176 PPE; 139 S&D e 102 Renew. Per quanto riguarda gli altri gruppi: ECR diventa quarto gruppo con 73 seggi (da 69); ID 58 da 49; Verdi 53 da 71; La Sinistra 36 (da 37); i non-iscritti sono 45 e dai nuovi partiti 55. Dai nuovi partiti e dai non iscritti sono attesi altri seggi a favore della maggioranza, ma per dormire sonni tranquilli Ursula von der Leyen ha bisogno comunque di allargare la maggioranza ai Verdi oppure all'ECR (la maggioranza assoluta è 361 seggi). Dal PPE, il segretario generale del partito, Thanasis Bakolas, ha già chiarito che "non ci saranno accordi formali o istituzionalizzati con Giorgia Meloni". Per i Verdi, invece, la porta sembra aprirsi. Ma questo si vedrà nei prossimi giorni. La corsa per i commissari Dalla convocazione della prima plenaria all'elezione del presidente della commissione, ci sono vari passaggi che i nuovi eurodeputati dovranno affrontare per riprendere l'attività legislativa. In parallelo parte la corsa per i commissari. Il primo Paese a farsi avanti è la Lettonia, che ha riconfermato per un terzo mandato Valdis Dombrovskis, attuale vice presidente esecutivo con delega all'Economia. I liberali vorrebbero ottenere il ruolo di Alto rappresentante per la Politica estera, con il primo tra i papabili il premier belga dimissionario, Alexander De Croo. I socialisti, invece, rivendicherebbero la presidenza del Consiglio europeo per l'ex premier portoghese, Antonio Costa. Foto di NoName_13 da Pixabay Read the full article

[gacmediadaily]

Since we've become a part of the Great American Media family, you may have noticed a few new faces in our movies and shows. We wanted to take some time to introduce you to these new faces - who they are and what they do both on and off screen.

In support of "One Perfect Match" streaming exclusively on Great American Pure Flix today, we're going to introduce you to the star of the film, Merritt Patterson.

Merritt is no stranger to Great American Christmas, as she's starred in several of Great American Family's Christmas movies over the years - including a new one coming later this year. But before we get into that, let's get to know Merritt's backgroud a little more.

Here are a few things you may not know about Merritt Patterson:

She's Canadian: Merritt grew up in the Whistler area. Another fun fact: many of Great American Family's movies are filmed in Canada! Merritt started acting at the age of 15: Her acting credits date back to 2006, including popular TV shows such as "The Royals" and the "Pretty Little Liars" spinoff, "Ravenswood."

She recently got married: Merritt and her husband, talent agent JR Ringer, tied the knot in 2022 in Puglia, Italy. They just celebrated their first weddding anniversary.

She loves to travel: Her social media feed is filled with stunning photos of her most recent adventures, including Kenya, New York and Vancouver.

Coming Soon: Trevor Donavan & Merritt Patterson Reunite for a New Great American Christmas Film

This Great American Family pair has been seen on-camera together before (keep reading for those details!) and they're coming together again for Great American Christmas 2023. The pair will star in "'Twas the Text Before Christmas."

In "'Twas the Text Before Christmas," Addie, played by Merritt, is a New York City chiropractor who mistakenly receives a text from “Nana.” The accidental text turns into a loving friendship between the matronly Nana and Addie who now communicate regularly. Nana invites Addie to spend the holiday in Vermont. It is picture-postcard perfect and exactly as Nana described except for one surprise. Nana’s single son, James (Donovan), a traveling doctor is also home for the holidays. Over three consecutive years, James and Addie are together during the holidays, though it isn’t until they are both single that they begin to see each other in a different light.

What to Watch: Merritt Patterson Movie List

Here's some notable films where you may recognize Merritt Patterson. Catch "One Perfect Match" now streaming on Great American Pure Flix!

One Perfect Match - A Great American Family Original

A professional matchmaker, played by Merritt, must choose between her job and her heart when she falls for a client.

"One of my favorite parts of this movie is that [the main] characters are both successful, very put-together, confident characters. And when they interact they become a bit frazzled and charmed with each other. I think that's so endearing and I think the audience will really lean into that aspect of it and appreciate that," Merritt said of the film.

Fun Fact: This movie was written by Ansely Gordon, who played Abigail in the Great American Original movie, "The Abigail Mysteries."

"One Perfect Match" is currently streaming on Great American Pure Flix.

Catering Christmas - A Great American Christmas Film

A fledgling caterer, Molly Frost, is hired by Jean Harrison, the perfectionistic director of the renowned Harrison Foundation, to cater this year’s annual Christmas Gala dinner. Things get complicated when Molly falls for Jean’s nephew, Carson, 30s, a travel photographer with no desire to take over the family’s foundation… until his aunt assigns him to the task of making sure the catered dinner goes perfectly.

Merritt plays Molly in her most recent Great American Christmas film.

Jingle Bell Princess - A Great American Christmas Film

Through a series of mishaps, sophisticated Princess Amelia, played by Merritt, is stranded in the small town of Tucker, Maine. There, she becomes an “ordinary” guest of the unsuspecting Cutler family. Adapted from the book by Barbara Dunlap.

"Jingle Bell Princess" was originally released on Great American Family December 4, 2021.

Unbroken: Path to Redemption

The Louis Zamperini movie “Unbroken: Path to Redemption” picks up where the hit movie “Unbroken” left off: a returning World War II war hero fighting the demons of post-traumatic stress disorder. He had survived the atrocities of a Japanese prisoner of war camp and U.S. victory had been declared, but the war was still raging in his soul.

Merritt plays Cynthia Applewhite, Louis' husband, in this movie based on a true story.

Watch Merritt Patterson in "One Perfect Match" on Great American Pure Flix today, and keep your eyes open for her upcoming Great American Christmas movie, "'Twas the Text Before Christmas," later this year!

[hardynwa]

Deadly Mediterranean wildfires kill more than 40

More than 40 people have died in Algeria, Italy and Greece as Mediterranean wildfires threaten villages and holiday resorts, and thousands have been evacuated. Greece is preparing for more evacuation flights from Rhodes, as fires also rage on the islands of Corfu and Evia. The current long heatwave shows no let-up - temperatures are expected to rise above 44C (111F) in parts of Greece. Fires in Sicily and Puglia have forced thousands of people to flee. High winds and tinder-dry vegetation mean firefighters are struggling in many areas to douse the flames and create firebreaks. The heaviest death toll so far is in Algeria, where the 34 victims included 10 soldiers surrounded by flames during an evacuation in the coastal province of Bejaia, east of Algiers. Bejaia is the worst-hit area, accounting for 23 of the deaths, local media report. Algerian authorities said 80% of the blazes had been put out since Sunday, but a massive firefighting effort continues, involving about 8,000 personnel, hundreds of fire engines and some aircraft. Fires have also raged in neighbouring Tunisia, where 300 people had to be evacuated from the coastal village of Melloula. In Greece, the Civil Protection Ministry warned of an "extreme danger" of fire in six of the country's 13 regions on Wednesday. A team of climate scientists - the World Weather Attribution group - said this month's intense heatwave in Southern Europe, North America and China would have been virtually impossible without human-induced climate change. Two pilots died on the island of Evia, just north of Athens, when their Canadair firefighting plane crashed into a ravine. Elsewhere on the island a man's charred body was found in a remote rural shack. On the island of Rhodes more than 20,000 people have been evacuated from homes and resorts in the south in recent days. An airport official told AFP news agency that more than 5,000 had flown home on more than 40 emergency flights between Sunday and Tuesday. Holiday firms Jet2 and Tui have cancelled departures for Rhodes for the coming days. Tourism accounts for one in five jobs in Greece, and the industry is vital for Rhodes and many other islands. The UK Foreign Office has not advised against travel to the affected parts of Greece, but has urged tourists to check with tour operators for updates. Thousands of people have also been evacuated on Evia and Corfu, while Crete - another major holiday destination - is on high alert. Italy has been hit by contrasting extreme weather events - with deadly storms in the north and wildfires in Sicily as well as several more southern regions. A couple in their 70s were found dead in a fire-gutted holiday home near Palermo, after fire came close to the boundary of the city's airport. An 88-year-old woman also died near the city. Parts of the city of Catania went without water and power after cables burned in temperatures that climbed to 47.6C on Monday. On the mainland, in Calabria, just east of Sicily, a man aged 98 was trapped by flames in his home and his daughter and son-in-law suffered burns while trying to save him. A wildfire in the Foggia region, on Italy's Adriatic coast, forced the evacuation of 2,000 people from hotels and campsites. The blaze approached Vieste from a nearby national park. The storms in the north, meanwhile, claimed two lives on Tuesday - victims of falling trees. Tornadoes, hailstorms and gale-force winds of up to 110km/h (70mph) struck Lombardy and other northern regions. Chiara Rossetti, 16, was on a scouts' summer camp trip when her tent was hit by a tree in the province of Brescia. "We are experiencing in Italy one of the most complicated days in recent decades - rainstorms, tornadoes and giant hail in the north, and scorching heat and devastating fires in the centre and south," said Civil Protection minister Nello Musumeci. He said he intended to appeal to the EU to boost its fleet of Canadair firefighting planes. Fires also broke out on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica in the early hours of Wednesday. Gales of up to 130km/h (80mph) whipped up the flames and for several hours three villages came under threat. Read the full article

[joshuawithers]

My day job is to stand in between people on their wedding day and make them smile then kiss. It’s not a bad gig tbh.

Yesterday in Puglia, Italy, with Casey and Rob.

Planned by The Elopement Collective and photographed by Pearce Brennan at Masseria Grieco in Ostuni.

[misskattylashes]

I think he was spending quality time with someone until they went overseas to do their job, so he then took himself off to Puglia for some fun

miles is such a mysterious gay sometimes. he disappears and suddenly he’s in Italy

[leggeradatutto]

26.07.2020

Sono scesa di peso anche più del dovuto ma almeno mi godrò la vacanza molto meglio sicuramente.

[sayitaliano]

Regioni, Province, Comuni

Italy is a Republic made of 5 constitutive elements: Regioni, Comuni, Stato, Province and Città Metropolitane.

The Stato Italiano (Italian Nation/Country) is divided into 20 Regioni, basically 20 big districts (see pic below): Valle d'Aosta, Lombardia, Piemonte, Liguria, Veneto, Trentino-Alto-Adige, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Emilia-Romagna, Toscana, Marche, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, and the two big islands Sicilia and Sardegna.

Each of these Regioni has a Capoluogo di Regione (Chief place of the region/district), which generally is the most important city of that district (the most populated as well) in which there are the all the offices that control the whole area and connect it directly with the Stato's ones.

Here the Capoluoghi di Regione for each region:

Valle d'Aosta (Aosta), Lombardia (Milano), Piemonte (Torino), Liguria (Genova), Veneto (Venezia), Trentino-Alto-Adige (Trento), Friuli-Venezia-Giulia (Trieste), Emilia-Romagna (Bologna), Toscana (Firenze), Marche (Ancona), Umbria (Perugia), Lazio (Roma), Abruzzo (L'Aquila), Campania (Napoli), Molise (Campobasso), Puglia (Bari), Basilicata (Potenza), Calabria (Catanzaro), Sicilia (Palermo) and Sardegna (Cagliari).

There are 5 Regioni a Statuto Speciale (meaning that they can control themselves also in order to provide to the minorities on their soil. They basically can keep a bigger amount of taxes and can use it for school, health and other needs, while the other Regioni have to ask the State). These Regioni are Sicilia, Sardegna, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Trentino-Alto-Adige (also to protect the German speaking minority; btw it has the two Province autonome Trento and Bolzano as well, meaning those two are quite indipendent from the Region too), and Valle d'Aosta (also to protect the francophone minority - there's also a german minority as well here btw, on the part halfway with Piedmont: the Walsers).

Inside of each Regione, there are smaller areas/district called Province. Each Provincia has a Capoluogo di Provincia, which is basically, as the Capoluogo di Regione, the most important city of that small area (all this is made to control more easily and accurately each area). Check this:

The number of the Capoluoghi di Provincia, as you can see, can vary according on how big each Regione is.

In Piedmont, for example, we have 8: Torino (which has, as the other Capoluoghi di Regione, a "double job" let's say), Asti, Alessandria, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Verbania: the noun VCO is bc it's the whole area's name, the capoluogo is Verbania, which is made of two smaller city on the Lake Maggiore... yeah not easy to grasp but it's basically an exception and you don't have to remember it) and Vercelli.

Inside of each Provincia there are the Comuni: Comuni are even smaller areas, and are basically... infinite? I mean, there could be a hundred even in the smallest Provincia. Take this last pic and imagine to divide it all into even smaller parts. Some Comuni are so small, they're made of a few inhabitants, but if a place it's too far from another, it is better controlled by making a different Comune out of it (connecting the two could let you have a bigger amount of people together but that's not what we aim to do). We rather keep it small, let's say. Also to not mess up with the different identities on the territory (there could also be a different "dialect" spoken between two very close villages/Comuni).

Città Metropolitane: are some of the Capoluoghi di Provincia (but also di Regione) that have very important powers. They are all kinda big cities that are basically made of more different Comuni (districts) and work on them all as if they were one single thing.

The Città Metropolitane are Roma Capitale (Roma has often the noun "Capitale" in its name because it's Italy's capital city), Torino, Milano, Venezia, Genova, Bologna, Firenze, Bari, Napoli and Reggio Calabria, with the recent adds of Cagliari, Sassari, Palermo, Catania and Messina. (read here for more)

[calabria-mediterranea]

How The Pursuit Of The American Dream Led This Woman Back To Her Southern Italian Roots

"America is technically home but my heart and soul is in Calabria," says Rosetta Costantino, author of My Calabria, Southern Italian Desserts and culinary instructor of traditional southern Italian recipes and tour guide in Calabria, Sicily, and Puglia.

Costantino was born and raised in Verbicaro, Calabria a small wine-producing hill town at the tip of the Italian boot. It was there that her parents, Vincenzo and Maria, began to shape her love for food and the land. "My father was a master cheesemaker and winemaker, tending our family's olive groves, vineyards, and farm where we also kept goats and sheep. Almost all of our food came from our property or the nearby Mediterranean."

When the family left Calabria for more opportunities in California's Bay area in 1974 they didn't have any of the ingredients they were used to. The bread was bad, the tomatoes lacked the bright familiar flavor they had known, the beloved Calabrese sausages, hot chile peppers, and sweet peppers were nowhere to be found. "When they came they were not willing to blend in at all and eat whatever everyone else was eating," says Costantino about her parents. So they set out to solve the problem, by growing and producing their beloved products. They grew all of their vegetables that were hard to find, curing their own salsiccia calabrese, making their own ricotta that would then be used in countless recipes.

The Bay area did offer opportunities however, Costantino went on to become a chemical engineer leading a team in Silicon Valley. Her Sicilian husband Lino, also working in the industry. They started a family and during a trip to Italy, Costantino began to reflect on the value of her Italian heritage and all the gastronomic and cultural traditions she grew up with thanks to her parents. "I realized that I wanted to return to my roots and revisit the gift that I had, what my parents had. Which was the opposite of what I was living the rat race. I wanted to go back to that, and that's what gave me the idea to do a cookbook, no one knew Calabria."

"It became my mission to put Calabria on the map, to make people know it," says Costantino. What initially began as a way to record recipes and make her home region become known to the American audience, turned into people requesting to have cooking classes and then students wanting to see Calabria with Costantino. "During those first weeks of cooking classes, I don't even know how many fusilli we made!"

Often, with treasured recipes in families, they are not written down, amounts are estimated and not precise, leading to a loss of gastronomic history, "I felt a lot of recipes were being lost. I wanted to preserve everything my parents knew for the next generations; the way they cook, the way they live. My mother was always making everything," says Costantino.

Making everything from scratch, the way it was once done is something changing even in Italy. Where more people work office jobs, or because they left their small towns for the big city where more opportunities were to be found, exchanging land and time for the fast pace of city life. "My mother's generation worked. Hard work that many people don't understand nowadays. But I often say to people who want to start a garden, begin with herbs so you don't have to run to the store and buy them."

Both Costantino's and her parent's homes in the Bay area have abundant gardens right in the backyard that supply food year-round. Full of San Marzano tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, escarole and cicorie, onions, romano beans, long sweet peppers, figs, arugula, and basil. Costantino's father even brought a zappa in his luggage so he could till the land the way he knew how to do in America. "Our backyards look like Calabria, we recycle everything, trellising the tomato with old fabric, we kept my parent's methods and traditions which most people wouldn't choose to do. It's hard work, and I think even in Italy the majority of people aren't doing it anymore."

When Covid hit, Costantino was forced to cancel her cooking classes that operate out of her home - but the cooking and gardening never stopped, now taking place virtually. "I had students that wanted to continue to learn, so I began posting how to make all of the different pasta shapes. I thought this was a way to give back, to teach by doing it online for free. It felt wrong to charge during this difficult time. I then started to make all of the dishes out of My Calabria and that's how it grew."

In a historic period that allowed people to finally have a little more time to devote to cooking and gardening, Costantino's book was selling out. "I decided to do virtual garden tours. I did them throughout the entire year, showing all the things we grow seasonally, sharing tips on how to do it and how to cook these ingredients. One of the biggest rewards is to grow your own food -you can't buy it as good as homegrown."

Experiencing southern Italy from the sea to the mountains and all the varied gastronomy these regions offer is what Costantino loves to share in her travel tours as well. "The food from Cosenza is totally different from Reggio Calabria food is very local and we travel throughout the areas tasting and drinking the incredible food and wine." Tours are seasonally organized to highlight the local produce and products that are eaten in those periods. This also promotes helping the small and local producers to gain new audiences through Costantino's tours.

During the spring, Costantino organizes tours to stay with two families, one of which is the Toscano Mandatoriccio Mascaro family who owns the Casa Solares estate in Rossano, Calabria, right on the sea. The family owns an oil mill where they produce an Igp product, 'La Dolce di Rossano' and fragrant clementines, native to Calabria. Then the tours go to the Barbieri family in Altomonte where cooking classes take place, guests stay in the estate and learn to cook local fare. On the evening before the final day, students make "pasta china" a typical baked pasta dish from the area of Cosenza that has layers of pasta, soppressata sausage, egg, tomato, and mozzarella. Then on the final day, the group hikes in the mountains of the Pollino National park, and Laura Barbieri of the estate brings the baked pasta to everyone to devour in the woods.

Costantino's passion for the Italian south was transformed into an unexpected business that has transcended even the Covid-19 pandemic. She continues every day to honor and make the recipes she grew up with, teaching and showing others how to have a piece of Italy in their very own homes.

Source: Forbes

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[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Thank you for the tags @zaldritzosrose and @saltedcaramelpretzel <3

What is a bad habit you have? My nicotine addiction. Although I vape now, instead of smoking.

What's your dream job? Nothing. I should not have to work for a living. I didn't ask to be here.

How many times have you been pulled over by a cop? Never.

Dream travel destinations? Bali, New Orleans, Puglia, the Carpathian Mountains.

What are the top two words your friends would use to describe you? Tiny and chaotic are both words they have used to describe me!

Have you ever had sex in a public place? Yes, more times than I'd care to count.

Favourite beverage? Water, dirty chai latte or caipirinha.

Are you more independent, or need lots of people around you? Independent. I am an ambivert, but I need time to recharge.

I'm late doing this, so assuming most people have done it and there's no need to tag anyone. If you haven't, and would like to, then feel free!

Thanks @arcielee for the tag 💓

Question Time!!

What is a bad habit you have? Probably either biting the skin near my nails or chewing at my lip when I'm stressed.

What is your dream job? It changes at times, but absolutely love to simply create things for a living (probs not all that realistic but I love my crafts! More realistic, therapist or psychologist.

How many times have you been pulled over by the cops? Thankfully. Never. Though watch me say that and it happens.

What are the top two words your friends would use to describe you? No hesitation. Weird (but I take it as a compliment), and probably protective, but I've always been the 'fight me' friend.

Dream travel destinations? Anywhere Scandinavian.

Are you more independent or need lots of people around you? It absolutely depends on the people.

Have you ever had sex in a public place? I will unashamedly say, yes I have.

Favourite beverage? About to be so very English and say tea. Or coca cola.

No pressure tags: @officerbrowneyes @valeskafics @barbieaemond @barbiedragon @ewanmitchellcrumbs @fairysluna @flowerandblood @targaryenbarbie @targaryen-dynasty @targaryenrealnessdarling @vhagar-balerion-meraxes @aemondsmoon @aemondsbabe @qweencrimson @axelsagewrites @liv-cole

And anyone else who sees this, feel free. The tags are purely random!

[rahleeyah]

After rewatching the Christmas episode one thing I noticed is that in that scene where El and Liv are talking to the doctor and Elliot begins to panick and being defensive and she says his name and that grounds him immediately and then he listens to what the doctor is saying, this scene just puts much more meaning to the statement " If I heard your voice I wouldn't have been able to leave", because just the sound of her voice was enough for him to stop his mental breakdown, when he said it in the hospital scene on ROTPS it was almost poetic but this showed that he indeed at least felt incapable of hearing her or looking at her when he decided to retire because he would have been powerless if she had asked him to stay. And that brings me back to wonder what exactly was he expecting when he atended her ceremony? Now we have more context, we know Kathy wanted them to go and for him to give her a letter that would give them closure and probably would put a definitive distance between them but was he really unbothered about just how much effect would seeing and hearing Liv again would have on him? If all had happened according to plan he probably would still have returned to Rome but I don't think he would have felt any closure, I wish this would have been adressed on the show it still intrigues me from his POV. It's a shame that all went downhill with Isabel Gillies because not that I think it would have happened but it would've been very interesting for them to shoot a flashback scene where we saw El's motivation to seek Fin and finally decide to see Liv again and of course that damn letter and more context of the Puglia job that put him on odds with Wheatley and his father.

ok there's a lot going on here and i may miss something so i apologize in advance but some Thoughts:

1. liv's voice is the only one he'll hear. it's always been the only one he'll hear. one word from her and he pulls himself in. and it's not that she controls him - how does she make you do anything? - it's that he controls himself, for her sake. for her, he wants to be better. and he knows, he knows, that voice would have called him home. just the sound of it would have moved him, not because she makes him do anything but bc his love of her means that he'll do anything for her. it's so fucking good i wanna scream

2. oh holy shit yeah elliot what the fuck was your plan? it almost comes off like the writers didn't have a plan, as regarded elliot's actual reason for ducking into and out of liv's life, and they hadn't written the letter at that point, but if i may meta a little now - it's been ten years. elliot's life is in rome. he knows liv is a captain now, that she's moved on, built a good life for herself. finally, after all this time, he has a chance to see her. a chance when he won't be risking his whole life for her; he knows, now, after a fucking decade, that he has no claim on her. maybe there is a part of him that thinks it's almost safe, now. that he can catch one last glimpse of her. kathy suggests the letter as a way of bringing them closure and if indeed he only saw her that one night and pressed the letter into her hands and disappeared, it would have, i think, been closure. but knowing that this is his last - his only - chance to tell her how he feels, elliot can't help but add it will always be you and I. elliot has to call out to her, one last time. to let her know that he knows he has no chance of having her in this life - bc again at that point kathy is alive and their family is living on the other side of the world - but he wanted the chance, just the same. that he hopes in some other life, they would have got it right. holy shit that's so much.

3. i kinda want a fic like that tbh. a like prelude to rotps. elliot calling fin, promising he'll call liv. getting her number from fin, even, and staring at it, unable to dial the numbers. kathy feeling el pull away as the moment when he's gonna see liv approaches, and her taking charge of him. trying to help him, and trying to keep her family whole in the process. just. what that all would have looked like this is a fascinating Concept