Italy // Catania: #DEMETRIODIGRADO

"I like good strong words that mean something..." - Louisa May Alcott

Demetrio Di Grado - CONSUMANDO
la selezione dei ricordi

It was on a December day that Franca was strolling around Catania and she suddenly found herself in a small street full of paper and words.

I love words

I love that a word + a word make a compound

Some people use them in unproper ways, some others make poetry, some others again illusions...

This time it was ART -

Poster Art

Franca took out her notepad and noted down #DemetrioDiGrado.

Demetrio Di Grado - Errore Psicologico

It was a particular perception. She was standing hypnotized in front of those posters. It was a kind of journey between consciousness and instinct.

She was chosen by those characters.

At home, always with that perception in her head, she looked for some information about the artist.

#DemetrioDiGrado was born in Palermo (M.Y. 1976), after some time spent in the Hip Hop culture, in 2012 he founded ManSourcing [the promotion of art in all its possible variations] and from here the collage/poster art.

#vintagepop, he defines his works.

“A survey done at the Louvre found that the average person spends 15 seconds looking at the “MonaLisa”

That was the time that Franca had more or less in front of the “ERRORE PSICOLOGICO”.

I love words

I love that a word + a neswpaper cutting 
make a sense

Demetrio Di Grado - Senza Parole

The scenes that Demetrio represents in his works – she went on reading – recall the years of the War. Men, women, children…each of them carries a message and leads us to our present contradiction.

And finally a sentence on the eyes to close the meaning, to provoke, to urge us to think.

And Franca felt that urgency.









#tobecontinued

Medicare

16th June 2014 (MoNdAy) -  ThE MeDiCaRe

Picture taken on 9 August '14, somewhere in Sydney

G'day, mates!! Remember that:

"Nothing is impossible the word itself says I'm possible" 

Today I'll go back to those famous first steps to take once you arrive in Australia. So here we are.


Checklist:

1. a bank account (see my previous post)

2. sim card (see my previous post)
3. health insurance

Every time we travel we need both a travel and health insurance. In Australia the medical system relies on the so-called Medicare.



It provides access to medical and hospital services for all Australian residents and certain categories of visitors to Australia, coming from New Zealand, the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, ITALY, Belgium, Malta, Slovenia and Norway.

The agreements between Australia and those Countries allow:

- Australian residents to get help with the cost of essential medical treatment when visiting these countries 

- residents of  these countries can get some essential medical treatments while visiting Australia.

What you need to do as Italian citizen is to go to the ASL (a kind of Local Health Authority of your town) and ask for the"Accordo di reciprocità tra l'Italia e l'Australia in materia di assistenza sanitaria" (Reciprocal Health Care Agreements).

---- VERY VERY IMPORTANT ----

This agreement lasts for the first six months, after that you need to purchase a private insurance. The supplementary insurance of the months left on your visa has to  be purchased in advance when you are still in your homecountry.

Picture taken on 26 September '14 - CBD, Sydney

In December I discovered that it was much more expensive to buy one there, so I decided to think positive and I was sure I didn't need one :)

But PLS do not do that!

So to sum up, what you have to do is:

- going to the ASL office of your hometown and request the Reciprocal Health Care Agreements

- purchase the remaining six-month insurance

- once in Australia go to FAMILY CARE DPTM, they are almost everywhere in Sydney. I went on 16 June to the Town Hall Arcade (464-480 Kent St.). I've just found the note on my agenda.

There you need:
- your passport and a valid visa
- identification card showing you are enrolled in your country's national health scheme (tessera sanitaria italiana)

If your Medicare application is approved, you will receive an Australian reciprocal health care card in the mail in two weeks' time :)

Follow this link to find your closest medicare in Sydney.

Italy // Roma: The Gianicolo walk - "The Rome that distracts from the bad days"

Today I won't talk about Sydney for once :)

I know it has been a while I'm not updating my blog, but honestly I was not really in the mood and I have decided not to do anything against my mood  any longer ;)

SO.... A MONTH LATER... HERE I AM!

The Gianicolo - view

It's the turn of Rome, the eternal city. This time I'm not alone, I'm with Patrizio, a friend of mine who is here for work... while I'm chilling :)

Why not Sydney today? Simply because my journal is a travel to the hidden selves of all the cities I've visited.

It's about all the places I have been and which chapter of my personal travel they represent.

I believe that everytime we decide to start a journey there is always something we want to demonstrate to ourselves. And it works like this for everyone.

So going back... last March Pat and I had a nice walk to the Gianicolo and - on a cloudy day - it looked funny we both found this sentence quite perfect for us:

"La Roma che distoglie dalle
giornate storte"

"This is the Rome that distracts from the bad days"


Up to the hill we found the Tempietto of Bramante, a hidden treasure.

By walking around it, it's possible to descend a tiny and tight staircase into its base, and see the altar with its traditional upside-down cross, the cross of St. Peter.

You can see the Tempietto anytime by peering through the gate, but of course if you get the chance to walk in it's much better to have a look from the inside.




The Church was built where Peter was thought to have been martyred. The shape is circular, a beloved form in the Renaissance.

A true jewel of the "Eternal city" that does distract from the bad days.




Well, it's still not all for today! But I need to go... see ya!

Lovely Italian food :)