Motown, Sung in Italian

 A brilliant new album has just been released containing Motown classics sung by the original artists but in several different languages. The album is called Motown Around the World: The Classic Singles. Starting in the mid-1960s, Berry Gordy, the legendary founder of Motown Records, had his biggest stars re-record versions of their hit songs in Italian, German, French and Spanish for European markets. These songs are compiled into this album and includes gems such as The Temptations singing My Girl in German, The Velvelettes singing The Hokey Pokey in French, Smokey Robinson singing Being With You in Spanish, and my favorite The Supremes singing You Can't Hurry Love in what else?, Italian! If you listened to NPR over the weekend you might have caught the interview they did with the album's producer. If not catch it here. Also catch a sample of each song on the album here. But please follow along with the Italian lyrics I have posted below and take a listen to L'Amore Verra.
You Can't Hurry Love in Italian

Italian Lyrics:
The Supremes - L'amore verrà

Voglio amare,
però lo so,
non potrò mai mai
cambiare il mondo:
aspetto qui

L'amore verrà
l'amore verrà
ogni cosa a suo tempo
prima o poi mi toccherà
L'amore verrà
l'amore verrà
lo sentirò subito
lo capirò subito

E come d'incanto guarirò
e tutti i sogni miei
e tutti i giorni miei
e tutti i baci miei
io li regalerò
finalmente a lui
solamente a lui
e così l'aspetto qui

Sì, l'amore verrà
ogni cosa a suo tempo
prima o poi mi toccherà
Lo sento per te
so che un giorno verrà
lo sentirò subito
lo capirò subito

E come d'incanto guarirò
e tutti i sogni miei
e tutti i giorni miei
e tutti i baci miei
io li regalerò
finalmente a lui
solamente a lui
e così l'aspetto qui

Sì, l'amore verrà
ogni cosa a suo tempo
prima o poi mi toccherà
L'amore verrà
l'amore verrà
ogni cosa a suo tempo
ed anche lui lo troverà con me

E poi poi
finalmente
fra le braccia sue
potrò restare

L'amore verrà
l'amore verrà
ogni cosa a suo tempo
prima o poi mi toccherà
L'amore verrà
l'amore verrà
lo sentirò subito
lo capirò subito
L'amore verrà
uh, l'amore verrà

English:
I need love, love
To ease my mind
I need to find, find someone to call mine
But mama said

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
You got to trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

But how many heartaches
Must I stand before I find a love
To let me live again
Right now the only thing
That keeps me hangin' on
When I feel my strength, yeah
It's almost gone
I remember mama said:

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take

How long must I wait
How much more can I take
Before loneliness will cause my heart
Heart to break?

No I can't bear to live my life alone
I grow impatient for a love to call my own
But when I feel that I, I can't go on
These precious words keeps me hangin' on
I remember mama said:

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

Gotta wait!

No, love, love, don't come easy
But I keep on waiting
Anticipating for that soft voice
To talk to me at night
For some tender arms
To hold me tight
I keep waiting
I keep on waiting
But it ain't easy
It ain't easy
But mama said:

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said to trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take

Discover Something New About Your City, Part 2

Fun fact about Torino #2

Did you know that it is illegal to stick out you tongue at someone in Italy?
Yep as of this year there is a new law that makes it against the law, findable even, to stick you tongue out at someone.
Italy has strict laws regarding “insult” which, under Article 594 of the Penal Code, is often seen as a slur on the victim’s dignity or honour. It is punishable by six months’ imprisonment plus a fine of up to 516 euros. In cases that amount to a slander committed in front of many people the penalties can be doubled. Under Friday’s ruling poking your tongue out or sneering at someone are regarded as offences to their honour.

So all of you that have plans of visiting Italy, beware! Leave you tongue inside your mouth or you  just might find yourself in a heap of trouble with the polizia.

La Boheme

Last night I had the pleasure once again to attend the opera. This time it was La Boheme. The brilliant thing about seeing this particular opera was that the world premiere performance of La bohème took place right here in Torino on 1 February 1896 at the theatre we went to, Teatro Regio.

As it was the finale performance, we were treated with a view of how they change the scenes between each act which was brilliant.

The applause and curtain calls lasted for almost as long as the opera.

Door Series #24

Poppies

Poppies grow everywhere in this region even, it appears,  in the middle of the city.

What's Out My Window: Chaos

 Soccer team Inter Milan won the European Championship over the weekend beating Germany's Bayern Munich for Europe's top spot. Italians celebrate by taking to the streets. Where do they go? Well right in front of my house of course! At midnight. Until 3am. You wouldn't believe me if I just told you how loud the party was, so I took a couple of video clips. I hear you asking, "I thought you were in Torino?" Yes I am. This is how the superfans celebrate in Torino for a Milan team winning. Can you imagine how loud they are in the actual city of Milan?
(Note. It is NOT just a stereotype that Italians are passionate about their soccer, see below for proof.)

Orsacchiotto

 It is established in Pier's family that I am now the internet selling expert. At each and every christening, birthday, communion or other family gatherings we attend it is inevitable that I will go home with something from someone's grandma's attic that they would like for me to sell online. This last time it was this teddy bear.

 The value of this one stumped me because teddy bears have a value of ten bucks to thousands. Luckily for things like this, I know a guy. I did an online appraisal from Auctionwally. He is a professional appraiser I listen to his radio program online. It fills the void I have for the Antiques Road Show. Anyways here is what he said:

"AW says:  Although he’s adorable and indeed has some age,  the market for stuffed toys with significant damage is pretty low. If he’s hard packed with straw, he could be a Steiff, but with his left ear missing it’s difficult to say, as this is where they often inserted a metal button with the company’s name on it. It’s of little consequence anyway because with the ear missing, I’m afraid the value is low anyway."
Circa 1900-30
Retail value: $25
Wholesale value $10

Sadly he's not going to pay for our next vacation but it was so cool to learn that he is about 100 years old! I have no idea where that ear could have gone?

Has Medusa Been Here?

 I am endlessly surprised at what I find just casually strolling around the city. I love the idea of taking a new side street to make new discoveries. Like this plaster statue shop. I was peering threw shop windows when this time I found something staring back at me.

The Gipsoteca, for all of your plaster statue needs. 

It honestly looks like this guy has just saw Medusa and now he has been frozen in time.

Check It Out: Other Expats in Italy

  Hungary for more of Italy? 'Hungary' being the operative word, then check out La Tavola Marche . La Tavola Marche is a gorgeous blog I discovered on the Expats in Italy site. It's written by Jason and Ashley Bartner, 2 American expats living and running an agriturismo and cooking school in Marche. They describe their site like this:

"Our bog is all about local seasonal Italian recipes, organic gardening, food festivals & markets, day trips in Le Marche, Tuscany, Umbria & beyond!" 

Their blog is full of pictures, recipes, and even podcasts from Italy. I highly recommend you check it out!

(all photos taken from La Tavola Marche website)

                      

This is Torino

Scenes from my neighborhood. 

Door Series #23

This one looks like Robin Hood could walk threw it at any minute. 

Things Found on a Sunday Walk

Walking in my neighborhood on Sunday, I happened upon a local flea market that took place along the river appropriately called  'I Love Shopping'.

Also along the river, a man hoping to catch his Sunday dinner.

Italian scouts walking threw town, perhaps coming home from a weekend camping trip.

Big In Italy: Borbonese

 Everywhere I go I always see women carrying this purse with a strange brown print on it. At the markets when a seller has one of these bags, the women go crazy over them. I didn't get it. So I asked around. Here is an example so you can see for yourself.

I learned that the brand is of these bags is called Borbonese, an Italian company that produces many styles of bags with this print. But what was so special about this print? So I investigated and found a shop in Torino.

Turns out this brown print is not a print at all. It's a leather hide but not from a any cow. It's from an Italian mountain goat called the camoscio (or chamois). It looks like this:

Apparently Borbonese is the only company licences to produce products from this animal, which explains why this bag was 820 Euros!

Another mystery solved!
This one was my favorite:

Comment and let me know what you think!