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My Father’s War – Part 3 Posted by Serena on Jul 30, 2015
Here is part 3 of my father’s war memories in which he recounts being taken prisoner during the final retreat in North Africa. If you haven’t already read them, here are Part 1 and Part 2. Aprile – maggio 1943: terza e ultima ritirata da Bengasi fino alla Tripolitania. La battaglia finale è stata al…
Il Duo Diabolico Posted by Serena on Jul 22, 2015
By Serena, with English translation by Geoff E’ silenziosissimo, il Duo Diabolico, non ti accorgi assolutamente della sua presenza finché, all’improvviso, non senti il twang della chitarra. Allora ti volti e li vedi tutti e due lì, avvinghiati in una morsa d’acciaio che compiono acrobazie degne dei più grandi atleti di lotta greco-romana. Il loro…
A Hot Summer’s Afternoon In Italy Posted by Serena on Jul 20, 2015
Today, as is our custom, we got up at six o’clock and, after a quick breakfast, set off for a walk in the early morning freshness. As we walked up the mountain road towards the picturesque village of Pracchiola, constantly surrounded by the strident screeching of cicadas, I gazed up at the intense blue cloudless…
My Father’s War–Part 2 Posted by Serena on Jul 15, 2015
I recently began writing about my father’s personal experience of the Second World War in North Africa. If you haven’t read part 1 yet you can find here. Born in Benghazi, Libya, in 1921, my father was drafted into the Italian militia as soon as Italy entered the war in June 1940. Here’s the second…
E’ Arrivato Flegetonte Posted by Serena on Jul 9, 2015
“E’ arrivato Flegetonte” (Phlegethon has arrived) is the main headline in most Italian newspapers at the moment. But what on earth is a Flegetonte? Well, in Greek mythology, Phlegethon was one of the rivers of the underworld, its name meaning ‘flaming’. In his Inferno, Dante Alighieri describes the Flegetonte as a river of boiling blood which…
My Father’s War–Part 1 Posted by Serena on Jul 3, 2015
Il 10 giugno 1940, quando l’Italia ha dichiarato guerra all’Inghilterra, mio padre era un giovanotto di 19 anni appena compiuti e viveva con la sua famiglia a Bengasi, in Libia, che era colonia italiana dal 1911. Approfittando del fatto che papà in questo periodo abita con noi, gli ho chiesto di raccontarmi le sue esperienze…
My Father’s Old Trade Posted by Serena on Jun 24, 2015
By Serena with English translation by Geoff In questi giorni mio papà vive con noi, cioè con me, Geoff e otto gatti, perché mia mamma non sta bene ed è ricoverata in ospedale. Per tenere tranquillo mio padre e non fargli venire in mente brutti pensieri, ho scoperto un trucco semplice ma molto efficace: gli…