Author: Sarah Bringhurst Familia

London Town #3

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

We woke up on Saturday morning with the Temple still closed, packed our bags, and got a ride from another kind person down to the train station. Our hotel turned out to be very nice, within walking distance of everything and right next to a private cricket field called Vincent Square. The coffee-maker was hidden away in a little cherry-wood cupboard on the wall, with drawers underneath for coffee, tea, sugar, and cream. Raj had a great time disassembling it.

After unloading our baggage at the hotel, we had lunch in front of a funky monument to Henry Purcell and the “flowering” of the English Baroque (he had a towering cubist flower headdress and a slightly inane smile).… Read more

London Town #2

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Eventually, we decided it was time to go down to the Temple. We stopped at a little roadside stand to buy some cherries and made sure we picked up our muesli and yoghurt for breakfast. We also found some blue stilton. Then we made our way back to Victoria Station. Through the train window on the 45-minute ride, we caught tantalizing glimpses of the beautiful English countryside. The famous constant rain makes the landscape incredibly lush. We saw mile after mile of light green fields with dark green hedges and little flocks of spotted sheep.

The houses in England are delightfully quaint, whether they are flats in the city or little country cottages.… Read more

London Town #1

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

We had a fun-filled and adventurous vacation last week. Since we already had tickets on the cheapest Ryanair flight to London, we thought we’d take advantage of it and go visit the Temple there. We planned to spend four nights in the Temple’s accommodations for out-of-town guests, and then fly home again. What could be simpler?

Well, there were a few crucial bits of information that we now know. Most importantly, everything that you and I have heard about Ryanair is true. #1 They do indeed have the lowest imaginable fares for air travel in Europe. #2 They travel between some of the most inconveniently located airports in the world.… Read more

Housing Contract

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Axa hasn’t been feeling too well, and she was still sleeping when it was time to go this morning, so Tony went alone. When he arrived at Carla and Giorgio’s house, Giorgio was concerned that we hadn’t done a housing contract yet. Also, he pointed out that the Vigili (city police) would be coming by to check our presence within the next few days after we were officially inscribed in the Anagrafe.

He didn’t want them coming around when we weren’t there, so it was decided to delay the inscription in the Anagrafe until we return from London on Monday. He and Tony spent the morning writing the housing contract, which will need to be signed upon our return.… Read more

Centro Migrante

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Today we met Alicia at the train station in Cuneo. She took us to the Centro Migrante, where she works. They were the ones the Post Office said to visit for help filling out the Permesso di Soggiorno forms. And she was amazing. They said to come back next Tuesday, since they were in a meeting. But she kept going in and asking questions.

As usual, even when we have a specific question, people always want to start by trying to decide whether what we want to do is even possible. The people at the Centro Migrante had doubts about whether two generations of maternal line would work.… Read more

If All Else Fails, Fly to London

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

There is no end to surprises. We spent Saturday at Carla and Giorgio’s house, with Tony helping to carry furniture upstairs where we will be living if this all works out. Giorgio had been told by one of the many contacts he phoned that jure sanguinis only goes back four generations. He was exceedingly uncomfortable, even though we assured him we had no intention of doing anything illegal. He’s had bad experiences with the Italian police before.

Bright and early today (Monday) he phoned the Prefettura, which is the chief of one of the more important branches of police. They laid to rest his fears about the four generations (there is no generational limit).… Read more

It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Our heads are still spinning from yesterday. Having written the fateful letter to Teresa (still no reply from her and Silvia), we moved forward with the plan of trying our luck in the little town south of Cuneo where our friends Carla and Giorgio live. We got to know them a few weeks ago when they invited us for dinner after Church. Carla confessed that we were the first guest to whom she had ever served quinoa. We found that we are kindred spirits. Organic food, homeopathy, attachment parenting, etc. They also live in a tiny town (some 2500 people), and Giorgio’s father is good friends with the Sindaco (Mayor).… Read more

A Surprise Visit to the Comune

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Tony had a sudden inspiration this morning. He sat down and wrote a two-page letter to Teresa at the Comune. It was, shall we say, very direct. When he was finished writing it, I put it into Babelfish and translated it. I did some tweaking, but I speak fairly incomplete Italian, so I hope it came across well. Particularly, I don’t know verbal conjugations well enough to fix the fact that it persisted in addressing her in the informal plural. I no longer have the English version, since I saved the Italian version over it as I was doing the transation.… Read more

On from desperation

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Our friends in Italy received the following email this morning explaining our situation:

Dear Francesca,

We would be happy to have dinner with you on Monday. We all enjoyed our visit with you and your family very much.

I also wanted to let you know about a problem we have. As you know, we’ve been trying for the last month to get my Italian citizenship by blood recognized here at the Comune in Saluzzo. It has been a little difficult, since Teresa, our contact, has only helped Argentines before. Because we are from the United States and the line goes so far back (Tony’s great-great grandfather), it is a more difficult process with a lot of work and hassle for her.

… Read more

More Problems

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Well, the meeting didn’t go so well today. We are slowly realizing that Teresa just wants us to go away. Fortunately, or rather, as we are beginning to think, unfortunately, she knows when our tourist Permesso runs out. In approximately three weeks. Today, we had put the binder all back together with only the necessary documents, suitably translated, signed, stamped, and marca di bolloed. Thinking it would be helpful, I had also consolidated the five long declarations of non-renunciation of Italian citizenship into one page listing which consulates needed to be contacted regarding which people. I did it because when she saw the original declarations, she seemed overwhelmed by the amount of work it would be, especially considering that she would have to contact the Embassy in Indonesia.… Read more