many, many years ago I lived in a mountain village a thousand feet above sea level, the country's economy was based on the work of the past chair-street, (work traditional country) and the work of miners, too, was a traditional work, because the base of the mountain on which stood the village, there was a cuprifera pyrite mine, mine certainly existed since the beginning of 1400, but almost certainly mined ore already a few hundred years before.
This was the largest pyrite mine of the Serenissima which drew iron, copper and sulfur.
This mine was a concession to Montecatini from 1910 until 1962 the year of final closure. All
years in that war, the colony of Montecatini on the Adriatic coast sent in workers' children, so I made myself the three-week seaside holiday camp.
I remember that I did not want to get away from my family and make less heavy posting, I was magnified the beauty of the sea, telling me that ended their race in the sea waters of all rivers and told me that the planes were flying over the sea, so in my mind of a child I imagined an expanse of water fed by a huge waterfall in which was merged with the water of all rivers and over this fall like flies, flew planes, then the time came for disappointment when I realized that the big waterfall there.
Then came the day of departure, when I left the village with a large Magone and although I was only six years, I remember that in an empty box of Magnesia San Pellegrino, I had brought a fistful of earth in my country, arrived at the small station next to mine and I miei compagni venimmo presi in consegna dall'infermiere della miniera, poi il primo viaggio in treno sul trenino elettrico della Montecatini fino alla stazione delle Ferrovie dello Stato.
Poi ricordo la grossa locomotiva a vapore che entrava in stazione sbuffando, avvolta in un cappa di fumo nero e di sibillante vapore.
Saliti sulle carrozze con i sedili di legno di terza classe, continuò l'avventura verso paesi sconosciuti: la stazione di Padova, poi Bologna e infine Rimini destinazione colonia Italia, ( e negli anni seguenti anche la contigua colonia Aurora)
Le tre settimane di soggiorno le ricordo come un periodo di lacrime per la nostalgia di casa, a tale proposito una cartolina ricevuta da mia madre For a long time I have worn under the blouse in contact with skin, I remember the fried fish that I ate with gusto, was an unknown dish on the table of a family that lived in the Dolomites, then I remember that we enjoyed some juggling with his magic and a few films that were projected outside.
The "lady" who greeted us was a young teacher and her name was Ada Negri, in later years at school when I learned a poem by Ada Negri, I felt proud of my thinking was "Miss", did not know that the poet had died some years before .
learned new games to play on the beach with the soft caps or build sand castles.
When the weather was clement is bathed and walks on the beach.
A tragedy occurred to me one night when I woke up in the blood of the nose and in the dim light of the dormitory tried his handkerchief to dab the blood and macchiai the blue jacket of Montecatini, I was scolded by the "lady" for having soiled with blood and I thought that I did not deserve all the blame for an event that was not in my power to control, it's been several decades now, but I have always considered the reproach that a real injustice.
Another vivid memory: the red moon, huge rose from the sea, to my child's eyes, the moon was huge because I was much closer to the moon than the country, then the songs that made us sing in the evening, was " The mountain "that I loved as I reported on my mountains and the other to the tune of "Farewell My Lovely Farewell ..." was:
"farewell Italy Cologne,
only stay here, I'll leave my heart
for years to come.
The backpack is prepared and the rest have it with me.
and at sunrise
I'll leave you. "
dell'agognato So the time came back home, the long journey on trains pulled by red-hot from the sun and the panting locomotive with coal smoke coming in through the windows and made his eyes water, the muffled fierce thirst by drinking a few sips from the washbasin in the bathroom even if a brass plate around the torch warned, non-potable water. Finally
again home with many stories to tell to family and friends that do not yet know the train and the sea.
I still very much in the memory just returned home when I looked around with wondering eyes in three weeks to see how nature is so lush and how they grew so much the bean plants, I had less than seven years.
