A Story about an Appearance of S.Fortunato to a Salernitan Man

These last days I'm very busy with the discovering of the medieval history of Salerno. It is not because I do it to study but because I speak with persons or read dedicated articles and ask questions about what I read or heard. To answer such a question I have to open everything available. And it is practically nothing of available, I have to claim.

The most interesting for me are the stories of the persons. There are legends, there are fables, there are common points about this period. And there are real stories that are much more interesting, and tragic, and legendary, and fabulous than any legend, fable, story, Hollywood creation etc.

Among them are the stories of the local Saints. SS. Fortunato, Gaio and Ante for Salerno, for instance. I paid attention to this story by accident, exploring the arms of the noble families and archbishops of Salerno. But I had some photos and so, decided to tell you this story today.



This photo is not very good but it contains important elements. This is the chapel of the Saints in the crypt of S. Mathew of the Salernitan Dom.

The personal stories of the Saints are not clear (I was not able to find something, at lest). It's known only, they were tortured near the wall of Salerno (in my post), where a church was built than, that contained reliquiaes of the Saints (actually in a special place fenced by sticks on the photo) and the column (first on the left) on (?) which the Saints were decapitated.

Because the church was outside the wall it was not protected, and Saracens wanted to loot it in 871-872. There was the leader of the siege, emir, there too that died with his men in that moment for the collaps of the church. And Salerno was saved.

The other story is about a Salernitan man. In the same period (871-2) S. Fortunato appeared to this man and said him he has to go to the prince and to convince him to make a sortie against Saracens. The sally was successful. If we think that the sieges normally finished when the leader was dead, probably this sortie happend before the collaps of the church.

I had some doubts: how could a simple man come to the prince and convince him to make a sortie, it seems interesting to me, specially if who knows who comes and says: I've seen a Saint telling me to do this or that, but local history is full of similar legends. And -!!!-residents continue to revere them.

Finally, a better photo of the same chapel.

Great Astronnomy Discoveries in Milan

Most TV programs we watch are documentaries. Specially about the nature and animals. In the last period because I pass to much time near PC writing articles or learning, I did not noticed how my husband passed to astronomy documentaries. He never was interested in this things. Now, he began to ask me what planet is nearer to the Sun, what planet is after Mars, how many km are from one to other planet and where he has to find pictures of Sun system to print them. Once I shut my dropped jaw, I began to explain him what I remember and to show him how to find all this in PC.

That being told, I can pass to the story.

In Milan, we turn the first night in our hotel. Suddenly my friends call me:
-Come! Look here what an incredible astronomic effect is here today! 3 Moons!!!!!
I run to the window and see really 3 Moons in the night sky over our room.
-Ohhhhh!!!!! It's secially for us! It's the rare case when 2 planets are alined and visible together, my friends cry.
-Oh, no, they are 3!!! I cry. Near the biggest one there is a little third that moves around that big!!!! I have to take photos! I'll show them to my husband!
-Is it possible that nobody else than we could notice this unforgettable effect!!!!!!
(I leave this photo big to allow you to see the alined planets better here)



Here I made it clearer:



Next morning I am in the bath when I hear my friends laugh really loud as mad. Go out and see them laughing till the tears.
-What is happend? I ask.
-3 Moons!!!!! Ohhhh!!!! Ahhhh!!! 3 Moons!!! Come here, look! Ahahahaha!!!!
I look out from the window and see our "alined planets"...



The third was probably an airplain.

Very Quick Excellent Flaky Pastry Cake

There are not many Recipes in this blog because I'm not a fan of cooking. My recipes are normally something very very quick. At least as quick as possible. This time I want to tell you about strudel, a cake invented by Germans and made with apples. I noticed that Germans have similar tastes with us, Russians, and apples make part of those few fruits naturally awailable in both countries.

I adore apple cakes, have 2 very special recipes that use if have great wish to eat an apple cake. One of them is this strudel.

You will say, it's possible to buy strudels in the shop. But I don't like them. They have not very good tastes, even if there are relatively good preparations among them. From other side, I don't digest additives that industry uses for half-ready foods. Than, I like ingredients that those strudels don't have.

So, we begin with ingredients.
2 sorts of apples -one of them acid (only acid apples are good too but 2 sorts is the "original rule")
flaky pastry -I buy it ready, rolled out and frozen, in the supermarket.
different sorts of nuts -just crashed
raisins -not very dry
cinnamon
sugar

You can change the ingredients how you like. Other fruits or even vegetables with or without meat (better if just ready)

Cut the apples in little pieces. Robot is great, but my is broken, so I cut apples with the knife. The best way in this case is to do it so, as you cut the potatoes to fry them. Put all ingredients together and mix them.





Open the sheet of pastry and lay out the ingredients on it. So much you want. Make a roll slowly! Close it's ends and cut the (deep!) holes.










Finally roll up it's own paper -this way the oven remains clean. 220° and 35-40 min.







ATTENTION! Next part is very important.
Cut your strudel at the instant you took it from oven. It will be complicate to do it when the cake is cold. From other side, if you do it instantly, you will eat it after some minutes.

As you see, the ingredients I use make this cake very nutrient not only tasty.
It's very good, if warmed-up next day in microwave oven.

I Don't Care What They May Think Of Me

This song I've heard it the first time now and liked it so much to post it here.
"I don't care what they may think of me! -it's about me.

By the way, did you notice how natural this actress is? It's very rare to see this naturality today. The movements of many singers are everything else than natural. It's MY opinion. And the clothes are... not to create a feast for those who watches them. Sad.

Enjoy Your Coffee

A group of adult persons came to visit their old teacher. The pupils claimed their jobs, hard conditions of the existence and other problems that happen in the life.

Their teacher took the tea tray full of many different glasses in the room. Some of them were beautiful, some were very simple, others were from plastic. The pupils took the glasses and began to drink their coffee. Did you notice, the teacher said, everybody of you took a beautiful glass and nobody wanted to take glasses of bad quality. This is the main problem of all us. We want to have only the best for us. But the coffee in all these glasses is the same. It does not change, if the glass is beautiful or not. And some of these beautiful glasses even cover the look of the coffee that has very nice color.
The most happy persons often have not the most beautiful and expensive things. Glasses are only tools to contain the superb drink.
Enjoy your coffee.
The happiness is to enjoy what you have.