L'Arte di Viaggiare - Art of Travel - Francis Galton

'Penelope e Gianna.'

Some years ago, in my book 'In Italia' written for Italian language students, I wrote a piece on Gianna Nannini.

“Let's listen to a bit of music..”

The younger generation listen to a lot of rock and pop music from Anglo-Saxon countries, but singer-song writers from Italy are also greatly appreciated, those that compose and perform their own songs. For example Lucio Dalla, Francesco De Gregori, Fabrizio De Andrè and Roberto Vecchioni are very popular.
The Italian rock-singer Gianna Nannini is from Siena, where her parents own a cake shop. When she was young Gianna helped out in the shop, until her interest in the music-business took upper-hand. She left for Milan, where she made her first record 'America'.

The publishers 'Chancerel' requested that I receive the approval from the singer's press-office. I was told in reply that the piece I had written was good, but that it could have been a great opportunity to mention Gianna's other CD's. I must confess I found it quite a cheek, the idea of using a school text-book as publicity.
Gianna Nannini is today seen on the front-cover of magazines after the birth of her daughter Penelope. Personally, after knowing what it means to have older parents, I find it all a little imprudent. When the girl reaches twenty, the singer will be seventysix!
It's true, but it has to be said though that my parents weren't 'rich and famous', therefore it is an entirely different matter..
In that case, I am sending my best wishes to Gianna and to Penelope.
Long may they run....