Celebrating Guni’s birthday last Sunday in Enzklösterle with her, Diego, Wanda, and Christoph: I enjoyed the day, the company, the food, the beautiful nature.
And the afternoon was spent @ the Riesenrutschbahn Poppeltal  where the kids had a lot of fun!

On my birthday this year, we spent a busy happy weekend, dining out on friday with some friends, with me enjoying my kids and family’s company and presents,

and inviting on Sunday afternoon in our garden our new neighbours to get to know each others in a nice atmosphere with balloons and ice creams (credits to Guni for pushing for and making this possible).

August 20 – September 4

We spent 2 weeks between Austria and Croatia for our summer holidays. More precisely: we stayed 2 days in Drobollach Austria by the Faaker See, 9 days at Valkanela in Vrsar Croatia, 3 days in Obertraun Austria by the Hallstatter See.

We had time to relax and see beautiful places, enjoying the calm and views of the lakes in Austria and the beautiful Valkanela bay and its incredibly nice Camping Resort. And to see Wanda and Diego being happy, having fun, showing us their beauty.

Valkanela was a come back for Guni and me, after 2014 we came back this time with our two amazing kids. The first of the many places we might visit again with the kids : back to Sicily?, back to Michigan?, back to New York?…

I am already looking forward to that and to new places to discover and to enjoy with Guni, Diego and Wanda.

I am thankful to my my Qigong and TaiChi Teacher Klaus of the Shogun Praxis für Gesundheitssport Berlin (https://shogun-gesundheit.de/) for his lessons, and for proposing great videos; like this one to help when I am not able to join live lessons as in this period while I am injured with my right leg.

Il suo modo di fare, diretto, schietto, chiaro, coraggioso, anche divertente, mi piace. Ha portato il Napoli allo scudetto ed a tanti anni di presenza ad alti livelli. Fa e disfa’ come gli pare. È esagerato a volte forse, avrà i suoi difetti come tutti, ma lo preferisco al piattume ipocrita che lo circonda. Ha creato uno stile di società e di giocatori che mi rendono contento di esserne tifoso. Ho visto la conferenza stampa di presentazione dei due nuovi acquisti (Natan e Cajuste), parlano bene, sembrano tipi smart, puliti, a posto; ed ho sentito che nello scegliere i calciatori ADL valuta anche queste qualità.

Non conosco i possibili retroscena, ma le regole e i patti si rispettano. Se Spalletti si mettesse contro ADL sul tema clausola e nazionale etc., mi sentirei preso in giro (dal tecnico) come tifoso del Napoli, non solo starei dalla parte di ADL ma mi toccherebbe pure essere d’accordo con una velina di qualche anno fa che definì Spalletti un piccolo uomo.

From minute 4:16 to 4:48 of this video, the statement that describes the essence of Lou Reed and his music to me.

“Since I first started making records, I wanted to make records that would appeal to an adult, so that when you listen to the record you don’t have to turn off the intelligent part of your mind. Because there’s lots of other music that you can enjoy yourself too in many ways, and I like that music too, but for my own particular records I wanted to do something that engages you not only physically but emotionally and intellectually.”

We have wanted to do it for a long time, since short after we met in 2011, I guess we promised each other to visit Napoli together more than 10 years ago. And we finally made it. It’s been a highlight of life this weekend in Napoli with Matthias.

Day 1. 14.07.23
Arrival at NAP airport arround 1PM of that friday 14.07… this is what me and Matthias did, in a dry chronicles nutshell… My parents picked us up at the airport, we drove through Piazza Carlo Terzo and via Cavour to Naples’ historical center… and to our accomodation for our entire stay : Camera con Vista Napoli / We had Pizza and antipasti fritti del cuoppo @ O’Munaciello in Piazza del Gesù with Ugo Anna and Matthias. / Met Giusy, and (I also met) Zio Salvatore and Zia Clara. Walked via Toledo, Quartieri Spagnoli, Largo Maradona, walked through Galleria Umberto and by Teatro San Carlo. / Had a Caffè and a mini Sfogliatella @ Gran Caffè Gambrinus / walked through Piazza Del Plebiscito and had the first view of the Vesuvio. / We continued our walk on the Naples’ Lungomare Caracciolo via Partenope, Castel dell’Ovo and the Borgo Marinaro. / Sitting in front of Hotel Continental, just talking me and Matthias. / Aperitivo @ Partenope Bar on the Lungomare. Walking back through quartiere Santa Lucia. Dinner in centro storico @ Pulcinella Bistro’ having Parmigiana di melanzane and Pasta alla Genovese Napoletana. / Drinks at Oax and the bars of Vico II Quercia.

Day 2. 15.07.23
Spaccanapoli! Visiting churches helped us cooling ourselves down from the (very) hot temperatures outside… Chiesa del Gesu’ Nuovo / Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara / Spaccanapoli / Piazza San Domenico Maggiore and (Matthias only) Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore / Via San Gregorio Armeno. Eating Pizza a Portafoglio e Frittatina di pasta napoletana by Pizzeria Di Matteo. / We then (slow and easy) walked back home for a siesta, outside it was too hot! / In the afternoon we made some souvenir shopping and had a drink and a Tarallo ‘nzogna e pepe at Oax bar before meeting Dario and Marida in Piazza Bellini and joining Ciro, Silvia and Alessandro at the Vernissage restaurant. / We all walked back through Piazza Dante and had final drinks and staying together at the bars … Read more

Wanda, sento che tu hai il potere di capire cosa e’ importante e cosa no.
La tua indipendenza e purezza di pensiero ed espressione…
Il tuo essere cosi’ come sei, ti rende ancora piu’ bella.
Ti sogno, ti penso, ti adoro Wanda.
Wanda mia, ti amo.

There is a Gianni in Asimov’s Foundation Universe.
Lestim Gianni, Speaker of the Second Foundation appearing in Foundation’s Edge novel (c498FE).

We moved, 150 meters from where we stayed, but it’s been still a hard work.

We are feeling good at the new place. Things are getting settled.

We were lucky with our first house in Herrenberg, we feel lucky with this new one.

Legoland and surroundings 18-20.05.23
We spend a beautiful 3 days vacation in Bayern: the center of gravity was the day in Legoland and the happiness in the eyes of the kids; and we also enjoyed our stay at Autenrieder Brauereigasthof and the visit to the city of Günzburg.

My Hero

💙💙💙

E’ stato un anno calcistico bellissimo, pomeriggi e serate passate davanti alla TV a guardare questo Napoli divertente, spettacolare, corretto, sano. Insieme a mio figlio Diego tante volte, ed a riguardare le immagini stupende dei loro gol e delle loro vittorie. Un percorso vissuto insieme a loro, anche se a distanza, dall’inizio, dal ritiro in estate quando avevo avvertito qualcosa di nuovo e positivo in questa squadra.
Spero che il Napoli ed il suo modo di interpretare il calcio possa essere di ispirazione ed esempio per le altre squadre, per i bambini e per quelli che seguono questo sport.

Il Napoli e’ Campione d’Italia. Sembro quasi abituato a pensarlo dopo il grande distacco e la grande superiorita’ rispetto alle avversarie espressi per tutto il campionato. Eppure fino a qualche mese fa era qualcosa che pareva non doversi realizzare mai, quasi un miraggio, un traguardo da rincorrere e guardare ma non raggiungibile.
L’ultima volta era successo 33 anni fa. Avevo 15 anni. C’era il grande Diego.
Il Napoli e’ Campione d’Italia! Adesso. E c’e’ Diego, il piu’ importante di sempre.

Re-reading Asimov’s Foundation, I realised how the name of my daughter is linked to my favourite book and dream…

Wanda is the name of a planet in the Foundation Trilogy. The temporary headquarters for the navy of Bel Riose, General of the Galactic Empire, during the war between the Empire and the Foundation. Ducem Barr and Lathan Devers were kept in a prison on Wanda during this war, and Devers’ ship was impounded there also.

Wanda Seldon is a character in Isaac Asimov’s science-fiction novel Forward the Foundation. Wanda Seldon (12040 GE-) is the granddaughter of Hari Seldon and the daughter of Raych and Manella Seldon. If it were not for her, Seldon may not have been able to set up his Second Foundation as envisioned by Yugo Amaryl before his death. Wanda was the first person Seldon had met with her unique brand of mentalic powers, but not the last. Along with Stettin Palver, she formed the seeds of the Second Foundation and ensured the survival of the Foundation until and beyond the formation of the Second Galactic Empire, assuming Galaxia didn’t take place.

SSC Napoli demonstrated once again to be a Great and Spectacular football team. It was not enough to move further forward in Europe: it takes something different than that in such a toxic environment. Still I hope that this team will remain anchored to the sports values they showed this year: leave the others to their hypocrisy and boredom.