Rare Italian book exhibition opens in Qatar Arabic translation of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio among a rare collection of books on display in Doha By Hab

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9 Rare Italian book exhibition opens in Qatar Arabic translation of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio among a rare collection of books on display in Doha By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief Published: 14:54 October 20, 2011 Manama: An Arabic translation of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio, the most translated Italian book in the world, is among a rare collection of books currently on display at the Written in Italy' book expo in Doha. The unique exhibition that has already gone to 12 cities across the globe showcases over 500 Italian novels translated in about 40 languages. Dr Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, culture minister, and Andrea Ferrari, the Italian ambassador, opened the four-day expo organised by Esedra Italian Cultural Association in partnership with the Italy-based Cittadini di Macondo association. Laura Bertuccioli, from the Esedra Italian Cultural Association, told Qatar Tribunethat most of the books signed by the authors with few being rare titles will be donated to a library in Doha. "The Italian language is spoken by only 70 million people. This is a very small group compared to the total population of the world," Bertuccioli said. "However, our language is the 8th most translated language in the world because of our very rich literature. This book exhibition is a way of giving opportunity to the people to enjoy Italian literature. The novels are translated in different languages including

10 European dialects and even particular languages like Polish, Russian, Romanian, Korean, Japanese and South African," she said, quoted by the daily on Thursday. Written in Italy', started in 1992, is the first international exhibition of translated Italian language. In 2008, the collection included translations given by editors, authors or their heirs, Italian institutes of culture, embassies, literary agencies and Italian bookshops abroad. The 200 books in the collection have increased to 2,250. Esedra, through the expo, intends to help Qatar's culture minister in promoting the importance of real' books among the new generation, Bertuccioli said.

11 The Sun Herald - 4 dicembre 2011

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14 Culinary journeys: Sated in Sardinia Rosemary Behan Oct 15, 2011 I had to find some way of keeping my travelling companion awake on the long drive from the airport to our hotel, so we played a game. "Granelli - is it a type of ice cream?" said my friend, clutching the wheel. "Nope", I said, reading from my Footprint guide to Sardinia. "Fried ox testicles." "What about cordula?" "It's a herb." Wrong again. Lamb intestines stuffed with peas, tied into a braid and spit-roasted. But my favourite, casu marzu, really disgusted her. Literally translated, it means "rotten cheese", but as it's a Sardinian speciality, it's in Sardu, not Italian, so she's puzzled again. "A roll of pecorino cheese is aged for months until flies lay eggs in it. The larvae produce enzymes that break down the cheese into a tangy goo, which gives it a tasty, spicy kick. Swallowing the wriggling larvae is all part of the experience." I'm a lover of cheese and Italian food in general, but not knowing what I am eating is a major factor in usually playing it safe. And playing it safe when you are a tourist abroad usually means bad, boring, or both. This time, however, was going to be different - I had books, a friend who is fluent in Italian and we had, quite randomly, booked into a gastronomic hotel with bilingual waiters. Reading the food section of the guidebook further, I'm also drawn to a statement by its resident Italophile author Eliot Stein: "Sardinia's isolation and poverty have combined to preserve the most distinct regional cuisine in Italy." Stein went on to outline - somewhat contradictorily - that "as invaders, immigrants and tourists have come and gone, Sardinia has absorbed outside culinary influences". Whatever the precise origin of Sardinia's current culinary offering, I was looking forward to being more adventurous. August certainly wasn't the time for a beach holiday. From the small coves of the Costa Smerelda on the north-east coast to the sand dunes of Oristano and harbours of Alghero in the west, the beaches were so packed with Italians that from a distance it looked like their parasols were touching. After 10am each day, the car parks were full of Fiats and campervans; by lunchtime it felt like we could hear every child crying and every shouted BlackBerry conversation. Never before have I seen such a concentration of ageing bikini bottoms in one place as Is Arutas, close to where we were staying. Only on the wild Costa Verde, several hours' drive south of Oristano, did we find the coastal solace we craved. Yet beaches are also not the place to find the best food in Sardegna (as the island is known locally). At Spiagga del Principe near Porto Cervo, the bay beloved of the Aga Khan and where the number of yachts visible almost matches the number of people sunning themselves, we were reduced to purchasing dry hot dogs and Coke from a mini-van. As with any bad meal, I was distraught at the wasted opportunities. Lucky, then, that we returned to Is Benas Country Lodge, a peaceful villa with just 12 rooms in a scenic rural area close to the small town of Riola Sardo in Oristano province. Every single night, on a verandah with views of the walled garden, we enjoyed a tasting menu offering a glimpse of the simple yet strong flavours this large

15 island is famous for - fish, fresh vegetables, rustic cheeses and gamey meats. Surrounded by high fields of corn, dairy farms and country lanes scented with myrtle, our hosts assured us that all of the food we were eating was, if not from the local area, then at least from Sardinia. Each meal consisted of five courses. The antipasto (starters) featured delights such as marinated sardines (sardine marinate; fresh, smooth and meaty, barely fishy at all); juicy fried octopus (tentacolo di polpo croccante), succulent air-dried beef with delicious fresh sage-flavoured ricotta cheese (fagottino di bresaola con cuore di ricotta fresca profumata alla salvia), smoked tuna fillet (filetto di tonno affumicato) and deliciously sour Sardinian pecorino (no maggots in sight) drizzled with asphodel honey (formaggi pecorino con miele di asfodelo). Eating in Italy is such a pleasure and a passion that it pays to brush up on your language skills - at the very least, you will avoid ordering something you don't want. As we had the luxury of our waiters being able to translate the dishes, we were able to indulge in an impromptu language course of a peculiarly culinary variety. Next page First courses, or primo piatto, were typically a soup, risotto or pasta, such as hearty zuppa di lenticchie (lentil soup), creamy-yet-tart risotto al radicchio (risotto with red chicory), and firm-but-silky tagliolini burro e salvia (tagliolini pasta with butter and sage). Second (main) courses (secondo piatto) were fish or meat, from grilled fillet of fresh seabass (filetto di branzino alla brace) to roasted belly of veal (pancia di vitello arrosto). Each main course came with contorno (side dishes) such as verdurine di stagione alla griglia (grilled seasonal vegetables) and the gorgeously down-to-earth cavolo cappuccino stufato (braised cabbage). For dessert (oddly, there was always space) we were treated to mattonella di soffice tiramisu (home-made tiramisu), semifreddo al croccante (crunchy semifreddo; literally, a "half-cold" dessert), pardula ghiacciata scomposta (smashed pardula cake), mele al forno (baked apples) and a dreamy flan di riso al limone (lemon rice flan). With names such as those for the dishes, who were we to refuse? For almost a week, we ate only in our hotel, returning ravenous from trips to Alghero, Tharros, Cuglieri and the Costa Verde. Yet after days of eating and trying to run off some of the calories in the surrounding rural lanes scented with wild sage, I had itchy feet again. I had found excellent coffee and more great food at a somewhat out-of-place Illy cafe in Riola Sardo, but it was time to cast the net wider. The owner of our hotel, from Cagliari, recommended I pay a visit to the capital to sample "the best seafood in Italy", so I jumped on a train from Oristano ( 12 [Dh60] return) and was there in an hour and 10 minutes: just in time for lunch. As soon as the train pulled in, I was excited. A grand old city in a wide bay with a large docks and spread over several hills, Cagliari looked like a cross between Naples and Tunis: geograpically, it's almost that. I had read about several lovely-sounding seafood restaurants in my guidebooks, but one especially stood out and, unusually, it was the first one listed in my Lonely Planet Sardinia guide. L'Osteria in Stampace, an old neighbourhood 10 minutes' walk from the station, had all the ingredients location-wise: russet-coloured houses with washing hanging out of the windows, an ancient city gate and cobbled roads. Inside, it was like stepping into the 1950s - old vaulted ceilings, black-and-white family photographs and prints of Cagliari on the bare brick walls, cabinets filled with glasses and elaborate teapots, old-fashioned patterned linen tablecloths, formally laid tables, an old bar and an old lady, dressed in black and white, sitting in a back room shelling peas. "Buon giorno," I call out, wondering if the place is open. The old lady removes her glasses and comes striding out, gesturing to me to sit. "Vuoi mangiare o bere?" She enunciates slowly, clearly sensing that Italian isn't my strong suit, and grinning toothily. "Pesce o carne?" I order fileti di spiegola al fettucine ( 12; Dh60), and she disappears. I think I've ordered swordfish; actually it's sea bass, yet it hardly matters because before I can even raise the query, the first of a flurry of antipasti arrives. There's some lovely warm bread with those meaty, mild-tasting sardines in olive oil and a heavenly salad of prawns, celery and tomato in a light vinegar dressing; this is followed by polpote pesce - fish balls in balsamic vinegar - and then by tentacolo di polpo - baby squid in a rich, salty sauce. "Va bene?" the woman asks. "Si", I answer. This is probably the best seafood lunch I've ever had, and I forget all about the time, the sights and everything else. I'm finishing everything, but having to eat fast to keep up. "She's finishing everything!" I hear her tell her husband in the kitchen; when she comes back, I say something to the effect that I won't have room for my main course, but the dishes keep on coming. This time it's the husband who is brandishing the food - he comes with a mixed seafood salad and stuffed squid (calamari) and then cozze gratinate - gratinated mussels. I decide I must stop him before the mussels reach the table. "Basta!" I say. "Finito!"Next page

16 The couple, Franco and Maria Antoinetta de Franca, are clearly a fine double act. I'm given a short break before my pasta arrives, during which time they turn their full attention to a party of four which has just arrived - two local couples who get exactly the same antipasti bombardment as me. "Madame, ca va?" Franco asks one of the group. "Perfecto" she says, an her guests agree. "Bonissima," they add. A round, shallow bowl of perfectly al dente fettucine with small pieces of fresh fish with garlic and tomato, dressed simply with parsley, appears in front of me and I tuck in. "Va bene?" Franco asks. "Va bene," I say. The total bill is 40 euros (Dh200) with a tip. When I leave the restaurant to tackle the town's Roman ruins and glorious old town, I'm giddy with satisfaction. So, too, it seems, is Franco - as Maria goes to the back room to work on the accounts, Franco lights a cigar. I hope they're still there in decades to come. rbehan@thenational.ae If You Go The flight Etihad Airways ( flies to Rome from Dh2,770 return. Alitalia ( flies from Rome to Cagliari from 158 (Dh792) return. Prices includes taxes The hotel In Cagliari, Kastrum ( ) in the Castello district offers double rooms from 70 (Dh350) per night. The Is Benas Country Lodge near San Vero Milis ( ) costs from 170 (Dh850) per night, half board. The info Cagliari is a year-round destination; autumn and late spring are the best times to visit for a beach holiday. For more information, visit the Italian ministry of tourism's website,

17 Amici Stylish Italian restaurant on Yas Island Stylish Italian restaurant on Yas Island 2 Reviews View slideshow Restaurants in The Yas Hotel suffer over the summer months it s not just the lack of clientele (of course no one expects a bustling atmosphere in August, for example). It s more that despite the creative decorative flourishes in each of the various dining spots, you just can t escape those clinical white corridors and lattices. When illuminated in bold purples and pinks from outside, they look sensational, and make The Yas Hotel the icon that it is. But faced with them during a meal? Well we re not massive fans. However, now that the weather has cooled enough to venture outside, The Yas Hotel s dining terraces are coming into their own. Amici, the hotel s Italian restaurant, has an intimate patio from which you can hear a warm buzz of activity from the rest of the building, but it is also surrounded by enough greenery to make it feel cosy and private at the same time. Filled with diners, the effect is really quite Continental, and gives the restaurant a stylish, relaxed vibe that the tables inside lack. The chef at Amici pulls out all the stops for presentation, which is edgy and imaginative. Meals are elegant rather than hearty three skewered tiger prawns, a mouthful of courgettes and a diagonal trail of peppery breadcrumbs comprised our main course, leaving us thinking that if we hadn t filled up on the terrific antipasti (caprese salad, beef carpaccio, tuna loin and some other extremely appetising titbits) we would have been left peckish. Our dining companion s beef medallion was more substantial, and cooked beautifully, but again the accompaniments a lone shallot, tomato and scattering of miniature potatoes could have been more generous.

18 Desserts, on the other hand, were a different story. A dreamy bowl of panna cotta and rhubarb compote seemed like it would last forever, while a chocolate bombe, filled with hazelnut ice cream was note-perfect. Both enormous dishes were presented with delicacy, which was no mean feat. Amici s service isn t polished, or particularly prompt, but it s friendly enough to compensate for that. The bill (for two) Antipasti buffet Dhs95 Tiger prawns Dhs125 Beef medallion Dhs175 Panna cotta Dhs38 Praline bombe Dhs38 Total (excluding service) Dhs471 By Time Out Abu Dhabi staff Time Out Abu Dhabi, 18 October 2011

19 GIAPPONE ACT ``Patria di Tullio Serain,Rottanova di Cavarzere:Teatro Comunale di Tullio Serafln'' 永竹 曲幸の オベ ラのかくれ里 J トゥー リオ0セ ラフィンの 里 ロ ッタノー ヴ ァとカヴ ァル ゼ レ photograph by Yasuko Kageyama text by Yoshiyuki Nagatake 偉 大 な指 揮者 だが 優 れ ていると 思 う のに 日本 の音 楽 ステー ファノの録 音 の方 が よ っぽど 録 音 よ り フフィン カラス ディ せ 波 り 下手 評 論 家 の得 票 では カ ラヤ ンの方 が ら 言 え ば ト スカ ニー ニよ りず っと 上 タ リ ア オ び フに貢 献 し た 度 合 か ラヤンよ り う ま かった し 戦 後 のイ イ タリ ア オびフを 振 ら せた ら カ も 縁 な き 衆 生 は度 し 難 し た ち に美 味 し いワイ ンを 飲 ま せ て た って通 じ な い 味 のわ から な い人 糖 を 入 れす ぎ だ な んていく ら 言 っ の会 話 を 無 視 し て 甘 い旋 律 に砂 ド 生 ま れ の名 歌 手 エレナ ラコヴス し にな った のか そ れ は妻 のポー ラン ンが何 故 墓 も 買 え な いく ら 二 文 無 ロー ヤリ ティがあ った はず のセラフィ 断 ト ツ上 だ カラヤンは 学 生 た ち だ と 思 う のにゼ ラフィス 八七 八 しかしセラフィンは 決 し てフアシス れ スカ ラ座 から は 遠 ぎ けら れ た と い つこと で トスカ ニー ニから嫌 わ に演 奏 会 でフアシスト賛 歌 を 振 った た セラフィンは スカ ラ座 の芸 術 監 く 聖 杯 の騎 士 を 誘 惑 し フフィン 歌 った 名 ソプラノで クンドリ のごと 指 揮 で パ桜ンファル のクンド リ を ま った か ら だ 彼 女 は セ ラ フィンの 全 部 前 払 い括 で 受 け 取 って し ま い あ と 何 の 収 入 も な く な って し 若 い頃 から そ の才 能 を 認 め ら れ ト では な か った いや 反 ファシスト は 誘 わ れ た アンフォルタスにな ってし 九 六 八 は 今 ま でのと ころそ のよ だ った のだ し かし フアシスト賛 歌 ま った のだ そ の後 人 娘 ヴ ィット ー 人 七 六 九 六 四 が浪 費 家 カ で レコード会 社 から ローヤリ ティを う には 評 価 され ていな い の演 奏 を 強 要 された 時 ど んな 曲 リ アも 最 後 には 自 殺 し てし ま った ので マエスト ロは 最 後 は本 当 に淋 督 にま でな ったが ムッソリ ー ニ時 代 私 に言 わ せれば カラヤン フレー ニ パヴ ァロッティの合フ ボエーム の を 演 奏 し た って音 楽 には 変 わ り な 弓 て演 奏 し てしま った のだ い と し い人 生 を 送 った のだ 郊 にあ る 生 ま れ 故 郷 の ロッタ ノー 主 人 ルチャーノ グ ッツォンが な これ を 憂 いた 郷 土 のピッツァ屋 の 不 通 に団 結 郷 土 の英 雄 の そ れが彼 の人 生 に大 き な マイ ナ スに な った のは残 念 だ った さて セラフィンは世 渡 りが 下 手 だ った 女 運 も 悪 か った だ か ら 死 んだ 時 は 文 な し で 九 六八年 に ヴ ァの霊 園 に仮 埋 葬 され た だ けだ つ んと かした いと 各 地 で訴 え た 彼 は 亡 く な った 時 には ヴ 子不ツィア 近 た あ れ ほ ど レコー ド 録 音 を し て 110

20 蒸 ご 九 六 ０ 年 に ロッタ ノーヴ ァの 幼 稚 園 の 開 園 式 に来 てく れ た マエスト ロ と 個 人 的 に知 り 合 いにな った 二 九 六 三 年 に フフィィ 八十 五 歳 で ア ヴ エローナ で アイ ー レー ナ ディ ダ を 振 った 時 にも 観 に行 っており そ の偉 大 さに感 動 し 郷 土 の誇 り と 思 っていた のだ そ し てそ の翌 年 セラフィンは 愛 妻 エレナが亡 く な る と 私 が 死 んだ ら 妻 と 共 に郷 土 の 土 に埋 め て ほ し いと 遺 言 を 残 し て いた こと も 知 って いた の こと を 知 った も う 人 の巨 匠 ガヴ ァッツエー 二二九 〇 九 九 六 が そ れな ら俺 が 金 を 出 そ う と 申 し 出 てく れ た そ し て ロー マに埋 葬 さ れ て いた 妻 の 遺 骨 も 持 ってき て この ロッタノー ヴ ァに立 派 な 墓 ができ た それはかつ てき フフィンが裕 福 であ った 頃 彼 が 建 てた マエスト ロの母 の立 派 な 墓 の ソ 甘 親 l男 そ 二 書 貫 堤 ビ 2 慶應大学卒業後 三井物産 (株 )入 社(同 社修 業生としてボ園三ニャ大学留学 :そ の後同社ミ ラノ駐在員として合計 11年 勤務 1988年 に 退社後 東京芸術大学講師 昭和音楽大学教 授 を経 て 現 在 尚 美 学 園 大 学 客員 教 授も 2006年 イタリア国よlJコ ンメンダトーレ章を 受章 著書 : オベ ラ名 曲百科J(音 楽 之友 の村 を 統 括 横 に造 られた 同 時 誓 し ているカヴァルゼレ市 では古 い劇 場 を改 修 し トゥーリオ フフィン市 メＬ し て小 さいな 立 劇 場 と 命 名 した がらむ フフィン博 物 館 も 誕 生 す る この 地 方 は ヴ ェネ ツィアか ら ラ ヴ エンナ ま で 約 百 キ ロ近 く にわ た っ て広 が る アデ ィジ ェ川 やポ ー 河 が ア ドリ ア海 に流 れ こむ 北 イタリ アの 河 口 と も 言 って よ 三 二角 州 の湿 地 永竹 由幸 卜 さ 氾 に 壁 だ 再 る 名 い か 榛 :お `塞 Σ こ Lそ チF申 杢 19墾 蒔 ウ 驚 凄 tlめ の を 害 が ス 壊 々, ) と 起 鰤頸 λ幕遣意 馨ち戸ζ燿浮 え 寿 :宏 雰濡 重fTあ 言 う 信こ 臣 t tt l電 と ム 磐 im璽 里 長 ま 轡 窪 嬌 F tt l tt i情,2で, 参 冒 :埜 : a毒 量J,事 菖 i基 芸ビ 詈子え ぢ基貢実1編男きあ貴 Yoshiソ uki Nagltake ) 1 [オ ペラと 歌舞伎 (丸 善ライブラリー リーア カラス (東 京書籍)等 がある Fマ 繊 帯 で あ る だ か ら 昔 は 水 害 が よ く 暴季電を与泉曇ミ爾詈 署 多童 環 雰イ が 1' tζラ 強 驚言 甲量 替村 社 産 : fl. 貯