Earthquakes in L'Aquila

6th of April 2009

At about 6AM Pepe came into the room very worried and called Luisa outside. I also went out to see what happened and see if I can help. There was a 5,7 grade on Richter scale earthquake in the nearby L’Aquila at about 30 km from us and he was worried about his dauther, Noemi and his friends. During the night in Aglioni di Capitignano on “La Canestra” I felt two earthquakes but nothing big enough to get me out of bed. I was worried when he told me about the scale of the earthquake because I remembered we had a 7 grade on Richter scale earthquake in Romania that devastated it’s capital, Bucharest.

I was thinking I wanted to help if there are any fallen buildings and wounded in L’Aquila. I later saw in the news at the family house where all of us gathered that there were indeed people killed in the earthquake and allot of damage to the whole city. I even saw that the church dome under which I was waiting for Luisa to pick me up when I first arrived was collapsed.

Nothing happened in the village though, not even a broken vase. It’s a good thing that they finally reached Noemi on the phone because they were visibly worried about her. She and her boyfriend were ok and out in the car.

After we all had breakfast (colazione) we started organising a bit. Luisa went to the “comune”, the city council of Capitignano to see if there is anything we can do and to let them know that Pepe is offering his agriturismo for the ones that were left homeless.

The attitude of the family and their hearts are in the right place. Something visible from the number of phone calls that were made at “La Canestra” and at their place by friends who wanted to make sure the family is allright. Someone from Florence even left 3 or 4 voice messages from what I could make out to make sure that they call her back. And than friends started gathering at their place. But now that I try to remember what, when happened it doesn’t all come back to me.

It was a very chaotic day with car rides and cycling back and front between “La Canestra” and the family house. But sometimes after lunch we got to plant 4 trees and... a cross. Pepe said it is a memory of this tragic day, a rememberance of those who died and a protection for the farm. A mystic sign he told me when I started smiling at the ideea that we’ll put up a cross. And now I agree that it actually is a grand gesture to do while everyone else is preocupied with their own angoases and a strong memory for the day.

In late afternoon I had time to go with Pio to look for Morghelle mushrooms but we didn’t find any. But we did fill our basket full of Cicory and another local wild plant called Candi in Italian. Bruna was also very “brava” cooking all day for as much as 12 people even though she still had a fevre. Even though I’m not a big fan of cooked Cicory everyone seemed to enjoy the way she cooked it and I could feel the same about everythig else she cooked. She and Pepe are strong poles for the family and no earthquake is gonna shake them.

After dinner and watching some news, people gathered in the living room for weaving baskets but the events of the day finally cought up with me and I felt very tired. I cycled back to the agriturismo to our room where we seem to feel the earth shake less than anybody else; Lindsey even slept through the ones that caused so much panic and tragedy in L’Aquila and we barely noticed them. And indeed thourgh the night there was another one in nearby Pizzoli, 20 km from us but even with the fresh images of the devastated buildings and the wounded it didn’t feel strong enough to get out of bed. Could it be the cross?

Radu Burtescu - Romania, Constanta