Il Blogo Italiano

Ciao Tutti!
greeting from the lovely island of Sardinia..wind swept, rocky, turquoise water stretching out as far as my eye can see. Thomas tells me it is the best part of the mediterrenean in terms of cleanliness and color. they call it the Costa Smeralda.
Not bad. I have not been here since F was three months old, and have never been here this early in the season as they say. Claus and Eva have been coming since 1981, but stopped for a time because it was all becoming too much and they suspected the front desk, after taking their reservations, howled with laughter and slapped each other on the backs that another imbecile had agreed to be stuffed into such a tiny room for such a large price. But the head guy, Signore Cantatore called them and nagged them and here we are. Things look good..we are in a beautiful room with turquoise tiled floors and even a small garden of our own. It is small...kind of ship like actually, but so unusual and pretty no one cares. then of course there is the scene outside. Last few times I came it was absurd: Russian and Italian mobsters with absolutely perfect looking women in tiny amounts of clothing, and soccer players or Alberto Tomba. it was the single most grotesque display of posing I have ever seen. I don`t know if it is because it is only June, or if things have changed, but I saw something I had until now never seen at this pool: cellulite. Actual women with actual children and people of various ages and skin colors. In fact the tans have even gotten funnier. Some of the middle aged people are so tan I actually had to turn and put my hand over my mouth to suppress the laughter. Think George Hamilton, but tanner. Then think of him after being lost in the pacific on a tiny Essex whale ship for months. They look like someone dipped them by their ankles. The lips somehow look white...it is hysterical.
Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of nubile Russian girls...with their families and they are breathtaking. No makeup and bone thin and perfect.
Last night was heaven: Germany playing Portugal. We rushed through dinner and assembled in a room with giant TV and nervous Germans and civilized Portuguese. Claus likes to know what happens, but an entire game he can't really handle. So we go in with F...where upon the Germans score a goal so amazing, so beautiful I am an instant if temporary fan. F who has visited the dessert table (something out of a dream: one after the other of incredible things) gets so excited he puts the cream puff in his eye, then runs, cream on his face into the dining room past the hordes (there really are hordes) of waiters in black tie to his grandparents to announce Germany is ahead eins zu nul. Well it is now bedlam. No matter what they say, goals in general are so rare in this bloody sport that this means people pay attention..they rush in..eva with her tea, claus with red wine. People, I really cannot explain the camaraderie, the hilarity, the fun, involved with of a group of people watching a game like this. It is all sweetness and light and very funny germans. I kept slapping Claus on the back as he valiantly held onto his wine. and a man behind us..german-made absolutely hilarious color commentary .,,,the only ones who were nervous were the german teenagers there. Germany scored another goal!!! hugs, cheering, promises of children named after each other. Then: portugal comes back. It is now zwei zu eins. Then Germany scores AGAIN then portugal scores AGAIN. (keep in mind this is now almost the maximum number of goals any person under the age of 25 has witnessed in his entire life and it is all in one game) final score: Drei zu zwei. Everyone is tipsy...the Portuguese are refined and nice about it...claus is amazed that a whole world exists like this where strangers yuck it up like this in front of each other...Frederick's tennis teacher who looks realllllly like he has put on a few LBS since we last met is asleep in the middle of all this...but all the other Italians look very nervous...the Germans look good this year people....Do I hear the pitter patter of world domination?
(Thomas has just pointed out that they have already beaten Poland and Austria and France has folded on its own. Thats all I'm gonna say.)
Eloise comes tomorrow! oh Joy! think of the blogs, people! think of the price her hand will fetch on the open market! think of how I can coattail on her tan!!
think on these things....
Arrivederci