Yesterday I was covering a mini-summit in Rome with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Premier Mario Monti, French President Francois Hollande and Spanish President Rajoy Mariano.
I spent most of the day running around like a crazed chicken with her head cut off. It was steaming hot in Rome and TV News coverage involves lots of running around with cameras, tripods, boom microphones, lap top computers and LiveU pack (a special backpack that allows you to cover events live without a truck.)
But there were just a few moments when I was able to drag my thoughts away from the Euro Crisis and look around at the spectacular Villa Madama, the site of the summit.
Villa Madama was designed by Raphael and it one of the most beautiful Villas I have ever seen. For the final press conference there were so many journalists that they had to put some of us out in the Renaissance labyrinth garden where they propped up a TV screen in front of a beautiful statue of a long-haired maiden who looks like she’s just finished bathing. It was funny to hear the sturdy German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s comments on countries taking “responsibility” and “control” of their finances with this lithe Italian statue who clearly represents “beauty” and “temptation” more than “responsibility” and “control.”
The juxtaposition of stern financial talk on a flat screen and the lovely maiden of old is certainly ironic! What is that old phrase, reach for the stars, but keep your feet on the ground.
Thankfully we are not all carbon copies of each other. We have the dreamers who encourage us to be our better selves and the practical who remind us to live in the real world with the restrictions and responsibilities of the real world as challenges.
I am teaching a course on social entrepreneurship. I am so impressed with the many ways that people rise to the challenges of helping others whether they are helping people with a medical condition, protecting the planet, or sharing ideas for a better future. Often they are so good at their mission in life that the practical fiscal part of keeping their projects going isn’t a high priority and yet it is the method through which their dreams and hard work become a legacy to others. In the case of Greece, the concept of caring for citizens as they age is wonderful, now the challenge is to prioritize the expenses. It must be a difficult job to prioritize the needs of a diverse population. Thank goodness we have people willing to do so.
Cyndy– thanks for your comment. Gustavo would probably be able to respond better. He is a big believer in the European dream and thinks these leaders need to get their act together to make a viable future for the euro and europe. That means more political integration and leaders not just thinking about getting re-elected in their own countries but the greater good of all of Europe. It is easy to say but hard to do.
Poor you, it is really very very hot!
It is terribly hot and I must dedicate a post to American differences with Italians on Ice Cubes and Air Conditioners. Americans love both, Italians don’t want them. Sigh.
. . found myself fantasising about lithesome maidens in lime green/blue/pink twinsets . . sorry, what did you write about?
Oh Alan, you always make me laugh!
Trisha: Perhaps your sense of humor in the juxtaposition of symbols of temptation- beauty and control-responsibility contributes to your sanity and balance amidst all the physical and emotional demands of your job on a hot day in Rome. Enjoy your “cheesy” contributions! Ciao! Jim
Sense of humor always helps me get through my job (and through my life). There are always so many funny things to observe with these world leaders. The other day we caught French President Francois Hollande wiping his sweaty hands on his suit pants before shaking hands with the ever-elegant Italian premier Mario Monti.
Yesterday I called a friend of mine who was born in Vipiteno (in alto Adige as italians call it or South Tirol as the Austrians prefer to call it). He has enjoyed his life playing around for many years (he got married once for a short while and had a son but at times he tells me of other sons scattered around the world of whom he does not very well remenìber their names). When he was 50 years old he established himself in Berlin and he has been living here (in Berlin) ever since. He works very little, just to keep himself; has very little money and has a lot of friends. I would say to come back to your considerations very little responsability and control. He wants to enjoy life and I must say he succeeds to do so. BUT yeasterday when I called him he answered from a Berlin Hospital where 6 days ago he had to run urgently as he did not feel well. And as soon as he got in the Urgency without any waiting period he was checked and after one hour he was operated.
The operation lasted 6 hours and was quite complicated. He did not stop one minute telling me how efficient, how nice and firendly all the staff was from the surgeons, and the doctors to the nurses. And you know what? He has to pay nothing. This is part of the German welfare. So to come back to Frau Merkel, when all my friends criticize her for not paying the debts of other European Countries I tell them: How can Ms. Merkel explain to a German citizen (April next year they have the general elections) that she has to pay for the debts of others who do not like responsability and control but tend to enjoy beauty and temptation?
She would destroy her political Party : this is Democracy: it may have a lot of imperfections but it is -until now- the best possible system.
By the way she was wearing the same green jacket as she has been wearing for the last 3 or 4 important international meetings and also in the football match with Greece where she arrived
in time from Rome . She left the beautiful villa in Rome leaving her 3 friends in a hurry; just the time to kindly say “no” to all the requests to open up the wallet.
Dario — Thank you for this fascinating comment. As someone who has lived decades both in Italy and Germany you have been able to provide us a clear perspective on some of the issues facing European leaders as they try to resolve this crisis. Your comments on the German medical system and German democracy are very important. Merkel is gaining a negative reputation as the uptight school-marm in the rest of Europe but perhaps she is doing what is right for her own country and her own people. Although some — including Gustavo, my economist husband– argue that Merkel does needs to show a larger vision and “save” Europe by pushing Germans to make the same sacrifices that they did when they loosened their purse strings to help East Germany back in the 1990s. I am not a political scientist, and not a economist, just a journalist– a simple observer. As a journalist I find it fascinating to look at the cultural differences between Italians and Germans (as seen in the photo of Merkel and the statue) and see how these people and cultures face their difficulties.
And yes, I am also an observer of outfits. You might have noticed that I comment on Cardinals clothing and Italian shoes in some of my other posts. How could I miss Merkel’s lime green jacket. And yes, I was aware that she scurried away from the press conference at Villa Madama to rush to the Germany-Greece Euro 2012 game in Poland where she appeared still wearing her lime-green jacket.
I love the thought of this timeless woman imposing into the modern world and all it’s petty drama’s.
ciao lisa
I totally agree. Sometimes it helps to have some timeless beauty to forget the other stuff.
One of my favorite things about Italy and Europe in general is how seamlessly modern times and technology co-exist with ancient culture and artifacts, illuminating deeper human truths by contrast and continuum.
You have said that so beautifully Kathleen that all I can add is I totally agree.