(Piacenza) Take 9: Domenico

Take 9: Domenico

So? Bambi-rella & Bambi-rella came by...
(cafe acquaintences)
...last Domenico (sunday) afternoon -whilst I was working on a new Curry receipe, which - incidentally - included HARISA (Morrocan) hot chilli pulp....And? - on greeting B & B at what I laughingly call "mio appartmento" which is on the Via Campagna in Piacenza....did "espy" a sly look from both their Sandro Botticelli dark eyes.

So? On que, I rapidy embraced these (2) divine, though slightly chubby "bella donnas";

(love, in the Ecconomy size)

...invited them down to (mia piccollini hotel/albergo: €35 - 1 nite)  "Benedicttine Suite"...where my dick was (in stereo) sucked quite raw...and cavorted a, la "menage a, trois";

...till the cows came home.

......

......

......

Funny old life.

OH! I almost forgot. The CURRY on the stove?

Like me: Burnt to a crisp!



c 2011/davedelacroix/Lord Borgo/all rights reserved/send money/I NEED a spatchelor/scissors, too!/Piacenza/sometime in Italy...

(Piacenza) Take 8: LA GRANDE FESTA!

Take 8: La Grande Festa!

Act 1: Moretti, Minestrone & Me...

Like the 3 Stooges?...Moretti (beer), Minnie whats-her-name? -and ME sit, once again...together.

We,re all outta Paprika & Curry powder-friends.
They went chasing off to Oregano... And as for Cumin?
...We dont mention her name.

Tarragon pops by, once n a while.
Marsala?
Always a great friend, though (of late?) rarely seen.

Lentils & Cannelini; visit...off & on.

Tumeric?
I cant get rid of her. She stains everything I own.
Still?
I have "amici" Onion & Garlic.
(I miss Ginger a whole lot! Cinnamon, too!)

....And so, socially? -I,m like YOU; life? - Ja-ja! - is a Stew.

But I DO have a clean whte table cloth...bearing a sparkling white platter & "almost" silver cutlery, plus! -soft lighting & mellow "Rat Pack" tra-la-la!

I take my seat with Vino Bianco/Rossi...bi-polar AND spend-thrift though she is (always cheap BUT in the Ecconmy size) ...and THEE "plat du jour";
(probably Minnestrone)

I guess i,m stuck with HER!

Still.
I gotta Moretti beer on standby. A "Mcdounes", 3 year old Scotch... stashed under the couch, somplace.
The Music in my head? The Poetry we must write?
And, yes: You, too.

So now? Why dont you join me in a (song) walking blues?

WHISKY BLIND MAN WALKIN BLUES:

"Whisky,ll make a blind man
Sing the blues.
Nobody,s gonna love you
Wthout no shoes.
I,m gonna get on back to Memphis
If I,m ever compass-senses;
Whisky,ll make blind man
Sing the blues.


Dont you ever talk NO reason
Baby-girl
Micro-manage, at the dentist
Leave me Cool
I need a haircut & a White cane
Not kisses full of Novocaine
Dont you EVER talk no reason
Baby-girl-


If you see me down in Paris
Say: "Bonjour!"
I gotta suitcase & a guitar
As a rule.
They dont teach this stuff in College;
Bring that apple to the teacher!
If you see me down in Paris?
Say, "Adieu"

(last verse)


Whsky,ll make a blind man;
Go South.
I got it, first hand,
Mouth to mouth.
Loves heaven has NO season,
Leastways? -wthout a reason;
Whisky, blind man?
...Sing the Blues"


(dedicato: Count Clay von Cabe, Viceroy of Akansas & Princess Sarah B. -hugs!...:)


c 2011/davedelacroix/Lord Borgo/Piacenza/Saturday/Sun shinning/giggng tonght/Bar Insomnia, via Cittadella, 10pm/be there or get gay/remember children? -always brush your teeth...otherwise you,ll end up looking like Delacroix; leastways? -Kieth Richards!

(Acts 2 & 3 will be posted tomorrow.)

(Piacenza) Take - lucky No. - 7: Kind Hearts & Coronets

Take 7:     Kind Hearts & Coronets

A very close friend, here in Piacenza, had his heart broken, leastways "shaken" recently.
A fast gals caprice...A brothers betrayal.

A friends "wisdom" at such a time is pretty much worthless. My comforting words? -acknowledged, yet nevertheless, no band-aid for such a wound.

My "Accountessa" (Carol, in Denver, Colorado) ever on the ball and ALWAYS positive, even in the darkest times...would...were she here to advise my heart broken friend, say:

"Carpe diem, Amico! See it as a NEW opportunity...for your LIFE: see it as an OPEN door!..."

 November, believe me, is infact - not April - the cruelest month (ask Guy Fawlkes);

So? October, Me, Kind Hearts & Coronets.....whisper;

                                          December comes anon, mon brave!
                                          with ALL its fireworks, bangles,
                                          promise, love & gifts!...:)


PS: You owe me €1.00. The cost of posting this message at the local Pakistani Inter-net cafe. And, yes! - it IS an inter-net CAFE. Daniel, the owner, actually HAS an Espresso coffee machine. and YES! -dont FORGET to come to my "piccolini concertina", (domani) tomorrow (sabatto), 10.00pm, at the CAFE INSOMNIA, via Cittadella, Piacenza.

PPS: Bring money!...:)

c 2011/nov/davedelacroix/lord borgo/italy of course/twix bloody marys & happy hour martinis/off to gig at LADY BAR, via mazzini, 19.30 hr./be there or be frickin square!...:)

(Piacenza) Take 6: The Seventh Seal

Take 6: The Seventh Seal (dedicated to Paolo Bossalini)

Its getting on for 2 years now since the close of the American chapter of my life...which I have spent in European travel, recording new songs and, on & off, shooting a miscellany of music video footage that, to date, has NOT added up to a "Pythagorean Hill of Beans!"
Or maybe? JUST that! -namely? -this blog/book: "Our man in Europe/Piacenza"...

These past THREE MONTHS - as U., dear blog/book reader are aware - has found me happily located/living IN Piacenza, Italy, fortunate to be surrounded by/amongst a most wonderful community of new, good friends and a whole new generation of music fans.

At my modest, local, weekly concerts...they collectively bounce/dance around, pass the "tip jar" and "en que", sing WORD for WORD, at the TOP of their voices ALL and any of my songs I get to strumming!

"Fire Exit!", "This Train", "Eleanora from Cremona", etc.

It IS at once, for this particular "Old Dog" an honor & a delight!

(See photos on theirs/my Facebook websites, why dont-cha?)

Alas, however, during these past 2 reasonably turbulent and extremely active years...a shadow in the sun has appeared all too frequently...in the form of the Grim Reaper...to cull the flock of several of my old American friends.
In point? Whilst they have NOT been dropping like flies, their number, nevertheless, has decreased significantly.

The great TOM WAITS is "on record" as saying: "most of my pals are either dead or not feeling very well.", whilst MINE? --those who continue to thrive? -there is growing alarm....And whilst it IS inevitable, should U. be blessed with a long life, you WILL witness many friends & familys demise...and it DOES leave you  (actually? Me) to ask: Why Megan? (36 yrs old), why Darren? (50). Robin? (32) Evo? (25), Screaming Jack? (40) Jackie? (37), many, leaving young children behind; and, of course, ones OLDER friends who still had a decade or 2 of life expectancy?.... Janet; mother of Robin (60), Kenny Ortega (Jazz bassist-genius, 59), Everet (Comedian, Actor, & stunt man for Rodney Danerfield: 58)...the latter, who once impressed upon me, re. Acting & Comedy: "TIMING is EVERYTHING, Dave!"

As FOR my "Time", I have - and hopefully will continue - to spend it traveling AND celebrating this journey through words & music.
Fact is? Ive never really stayed in one place long enough to gather roots... Or when I did, the Grim Reaper, hovering un-seen, and later? -after my departure? His Scythe descended!

Clearly, I have been dodging the proverbial "bullet" (or Scythe) with uncanny good fortune!...

And whilst (and DO "stay" with me, folks) I am no more or less superstitious than the next man? -when I get to know just about every bar-tenders name in the region...the notion to "move on" becomes a factor.

Like the Knight in Ingmar Bergmans movie, The Seventh Seal, a Chessboard trick was deftly played... And, perhaps? JUST perhaps, like Bergmans - neverthless doomed - Knight....one of my now deceased,  much loved/and loving friends... clung to Life for just a few seconds EXTRA to distract the Reaper from gathering THIS "Old Dogs" Soul unto him, too?

OK! SHOWTIME!!!!

"Im looking for the Fire Exit!"

c 2011/nov/davedelacroix/Lord Borgo/Piacenza/Italia.

OUR MAN in Piacenza: Take - dave brubeck - 5: "Eleanora from Cremona": un canzone per Irma Zanetti

Take 5: "Eleanora from Cremona": un canzone per Irma Zanetti

Caro Irma? It was so nice to see you again, yesterday (ieri), Wednesday (mercoledi?) when, - through working night & day on my new book - I thought it was FRIDAY (venerdi) and insisted you come TO my Friday night concert at Lady Chans, "LADY BAR" on the Via Mazzini (Piacenza) where I do a "piccolo concertina" EVERY friday (venerdi) night around 8pm...and thank you for assuming I had gone completely off my "rocker" & politely NOT correcting my obvious "time-lapse" and are waiting UNTIL (venerdi) friday...and then come WITH friends to my "piccolo concertina"!

(Ahem!)

Regardless?... "Ieri" (yesterday)....still thinking it WAS infact (venerdi) Friday...I dutifully showed up at Lady Chans LADY BAR, guitar in hand, played a "piccolo concertina" to the ever-present cool crowd & made a bunch of money and several new "amici" (friends) who insisted I play/perform a "tarantella"!

Thus? I wrote the following song (canzone), a "tarantella", on the spot and every one, along with "molto,tutte, bella vinos" had a fine old sing-song time!

Ergo? Dedicated to YOU, sweetie-pie? -here is the song: "Eleanora from Cremona"

...written on Lenudi (monday) or Sabatto (saturday) or whatever frickin (di giorgno) today actualy IS!

OK: "Eleanora from Cremona"

Eleanora from Cremona
She said she,d love me true,
Then she took me to Bologna
For minestrone soup!

Then we got the train to Roma
A dolce vita coup
Like Juliet, Verona
She had me by the noose!

(Everyone sing:) LA-La-La-La, etc., etc.

I wrote a postcard from Salerno
Mamma-mia e Amici (gasping for breath)...USA
Im stuck in old Calabria
Mia Amico,s gone away!

So I hitch hike to Brindisi
Shes nowhere to be found
Eleanora from Cremona
As gone to Napoli!

LA-la-La-La.La, etc., etc.

So I go to Viacenza
She,s (encore) nowhere to be found
I drink a beer in Piacenza
Get a hotel in Milan!

Dont you ever go to Torino
Cause Eleanora is living right THERE!
She broke my heart
And left me broke;
Eleanora!!!!!
(Buona Fortuna!)
Eleanora!!!!....from Cremona!!!!!

La-La-La-La, etc., etc.

OLE!

(Obviously, Irma? this is a song/canzone/tarantella that still needs a LEETLE bit of work!....)


c 2011/oct/our man in piacenza/dave delacroix/lord borgo/Hotel Dave/piacenza/italy/presently sober as a judge!/but things WILL change!...ole!

OUR MAN in PIACENZA: Take 4: "Bongiorgno Italia!"

Our man in Piacenza: Take 4: "Bongiorgno Italia!"

I love the sound of a "Skill.saw" in the morning! -grinding, crisp and shrill! TWO?...even better. THREE? -an orchestra! And the honking of traffic, Vespa scooter whines; the populace veritably SCREAMING: "Ciao, bello, Ciao!!! Plus the blessed No. 4 bus (kinda small; almost a VAN: "Wheres its mommy?") spluttering outside my (HOTEL DAVE/Casa di Amici/€35 -1 nite) "alberego" window every 20 frickin minutes...spewing carbon monoxide which mingles with my tobacco smoke, addressing the flavour of my morning coffee with the utmost rigour...and the BELLS of the basilica St. Sepulcro rattling my window panes ("The BELLS! The FRICKIN BELLS!")
Ya get the picture?

Paradise.

And such IS Piacenza. Such is Italy!

Encountering some Brit tourists, long ago in "romantic" Venice, they be-moaned the City,s Summer stench... And yet? I - for one - embrace it! You are experiencing HISTORY. How....IT WAS! Like the dust & damp you sense when visiting a Basilica or that musty taste of rennaisance tapestries that hypnotize you in a hundred citadel fortresses.

If you require peace and tranquility...go to some pacific atoll; do NOT come to the land of the Etruscans, the Romans, the Lombards! Its sensuality of sights and sounds, vinos & epicurean delights will drowned you.

Still? -in MY view (and I DO have "a room with a view") it will be....a happy demise.


c 2011/dave delacroix/LORD BORGO/Hotel Dave/€35 -1 nite/Casa di Amici/Our man in Piacenza.Italy

OUR MAN in PIACENZA: Take 3: Below the Salt

Our Man in Piacenza: Take 3: Below the Salt

Having just been robbed by - the very best - quartet of South American kids; 2 bandidos, 2 bella donnnas, who having shared my hospitality at the HOTEL DAVE/Casa (sic) di Amici; money missing from my bureau, poor olf "Albergo" having been obviously ransacked (I own nothing worth stealing) I commiserate with a bottle of Guternero (rossi) and several Morretti brewskis....and wonder just how, being fleeced, I will manage to pay the frickin rent!?

When U are life,s victim...its best to think of past times when U - occasionally - were/have, in the foiables of youth, like the South American quartet, been uncaringly predatorial.

Who?

Once? (twice!?)

...did U betray?

Whose trust did U tread upon....like broken glass?

Did U hurt them? And DO they still carry that scar?

What goes around, comes around. Religious text is filled with such metaphoric wisdom. It takes - perhaps - a life-time to understand: DO NO HARM!

In olden days - think renaisance - people dined/ate/feasted at long tables. SALT was a precious food preservative and high-end commodity.

U sit above it, at the top of the tables? -You,re "entitled"- Chow on down!

U sit BELOW it?....That venison U are munching on is probably spoiled.

To sit above it, however, takes more than personal prestige. It takes "the getting of Wisdom"....which - again, perhaps - is the carefully nurtured understanding that U have to BE KIND.

(Where was I?)

at this point, dave delacrtoix, a.k.a. LORD BORGO, satiated with vino Gutternero & several Moretti brewskis....falls off his sofa onto the HOTEL DAVE/€35 -1 nite/Casa di Amici,s marble floor...and needs an ambulence to take him to thee ol hospital... Concusion, I think.... And a kindly neighbor - TOONA - provides a stretcher, saying: (in Italian) "Hang on, Dave! I think its gonna be a bumpy ride!"

c 2011/dave delacroi8x/LORD BORGO/Hotel Dave (€35 -i nite)via Camapgna 89, Piacenza, Italy...of course/OUR MAN in Piacenza.