Ανασύρω από τα βάθη της μνήμης – αλλά και τις επιφάνειες της – το περιστατικό στο οποίο πρωταγωνιστεί η Κ.
Ήτανε ένα φθινοπωρινό βράδυ σε ένα νησί των Κυκλάδων.
Είχα επισκεφθεί την Κ για ένα Σαββατοκύριακο. Έμενε στο σπίτι που της είχε δώσει ο Α, με τον οποίο είχε συνάψει ερωτική σχέση.
Η Κ με υποδέχτηκε στο λιμάνι και με πήγε στο σπίτι, όπου ο Α απολάμβανε την υπέροχη βραδιά ακούγοντας “Ντον Τζιοβάνι”.
Η πρώτη βραδιά πέρασε ήρεμα, ήπιαμε ένα κρασί στην βεράντα, είπαμε τα τυπικά και αποσυρθήκαμε στα δωμάτια μας.
Πήγαινα για πρώτη φορά – και μάλλον τελευταία – στο σπίτι αυτό.
Καθώς περνούσα από το υπνοδωμάτιο της Κ είδα ένα πίνακα που της είχα χαρίσει, μια ψαρόβαρκα με το όνομα της.
Η άλλη μέρα κύλισε γοργά και αδιάφορα. Το βράδυ πήγαμε στην Χώρα για να δειπνήσουμε. Η Κ μετά το δείπνο ήθελε να πάμε για ένα ποτό.
Στο μπαράκι επικρατούσε μια ράθυμη γαλήνη, παρά την δυνατή μουσική.
Η Κ έπινε ασταμάτητα. Ο Α κάποια στιγμή δυσαρεστήθηκε και το εξέφρασε. Επιθετικά και επιτιμητικά. Η Κ με κοίταξε με εκείνα τα απερίγραπτα αμυγδαλωτά της μάτια και μου είπε: “Είδες τι τραβάω για έναν ανεξιχνίαστο έρωτα!”.
Πέρασαν οι ώρες και η Κ είχε λουφάξει στη σιωπή και τη θλίψη.
Ξεκινήσαμε μουγκοί την οδό της επιστροφής.
Η Κ επέμενε να οδηγήσει παρόλο που ήτανε βεβαρημένη.
Σε μια στροφή του δρόμου έπεσε πάνω σε μια ξερολιθιά. Ευτυχώς το αυτοκίνητο μπορούσε να συνεχίσει παρά τη ζημιά.
Με κάποιο θαυματουργό τρόπο επιστρέψαμε στο σπίτι.
Ήτανε περασμένες 3 το πρωί.
Όταν σηκώθηκα το πρωί η βεράντα ήτανε γεμάτη αίματα. Και τα τζάμια όλα.
Είχε γίνει πρωινή μάχη ανάμεσα στην Κ και τον Α.
Σε μια κίνηση του βραχίονα του ο Α “μάζεψε” ένα από τα σκουλαρίκια που φορούσε η Κ, το οποίο ήτανε με γάντζο, που χώθηκε στις φλέβες του. Το αίμα τινάχτηκε παντού.
Μέσα στη νύχτα και τις αναθυμιάσεις του αλκοόλ δεν κατάλαβαν τι είχε συμβεί.
Το πρωί το καταλάβαμε όλοι.
Μάζεψα τα λιγοστά μου πράγματα και πήγα στο λιμάνι.
The “Non esiste piu – No longer in existence” series
A year ago, in the early hours of 14th August 2012 a huge explosion obliterated a building in the area of Vergato, near Bologna.
This building housed “Osteria di Camugnone”.
This article is the first in a series of objects that no longer exist.
Today’s object is an “osteria” near Bologna, in Italy.
An “osteria” is an aggregate or assemblage object, and as such it is made of parts.
Aggregate objects are irreducible to their parts.
The existence of all of its parts is a necessary condition for the existence of the aggregate object.
Therefore, the destruction of one of the aggregate object’s part results in its non existence.
Osteria di Camugnone
Local Press clipping (translated from Italian)
14 August 2012. At 0039 hours as a result of an explosion due to a gas leak in Pioppe of Salvaro, around one o’clock, destroyed the old restaurant Camugnone.
The building, which is at the outskirts of Porrettana Pioppe of Salvaro, home to a historic dining hotspot, has been completely razed to the ground. The tremendous roar woke the inhabitants of the houses of the nearby village of Pioppe and surrounding townships. Debris from the explosion has blocked both the state road and the railroad tracks Porrettana that are within a few meters of the building.
Gas that leaked from the mains at the inn, has filled one or more rooms. Then something has triggered the explosion which was of such a violence that not one stone was left upon another.
Fortunately there were no people inside the building. The osteria was currently undergoing an renovation, pending the resumption of activities by new proprietors.
Osteria di Camugnone
The Osteria
Quite a busy place, most of the clients were local.
Service was fast and polite.
The prices on the very low side.
Value for money extremely high.
I had a mixed salad, garganelli, and pasticcio.
Garganelli
Garganelli
I visited the OSteria back in the Summer of 2006, on my way from the hills around Bologna to Firenze.
It was listed on the Michelin guide as a “good value for money” place.
The first dish that I tasted was the garganelli, local pasta with a veal ragu sauce. Absolutely divine!
Pasticcio
Pasticcio
The word pasticcio comes from pasta and means “pie”, and has developed the figurative meanings of “a mess”, “a tough situation”, or a pastiche.
The pasticcio that I tasted in the Osteria had flat pasta sheets (most likely lasagne), cheese, prosciuto and mushrooms. Extremely rich and tasty!
Insalata
Causal chains
If the gas explosion caused the destruction of the Osteria, what caused the gas explosion?
Let us assume that the gas explosion was caused by a leaking valve.
What caused the valve to leak?
Some possible reasons come to mind:
Valve breakdown due to poor maintenance of the Osteria building.
Valve breakdown due to material failure, not attributable to poor maintenance.
Valve breakdown due to human action. The fact that the building was undergoing renovation makes it quite plausible that a worker inadvertently damaged a gas valve, causing it to leak.
Valve breakdown due to superhuman or supernatural action.
I will not pursue the causal chain any further. I leave this investigation to the insurance companies, the fire department, the local administration.
As far as I am concerned, the Osteria no longer exists, and that is that.
Sala da mangiare, Osteria di Camugnone
What is the meaning of “non existence”?
Instead of a conclusion, I would like to offer some thoughts on the state of “non-existence”.
These thoughts do not claim to be anything but thoughts.
Is “non-existence” equivalent to an irreversible change?
Is it may be the epitomy or even the definition of irreversibility?
Does it make sense to talk of (ir)reversibility?
Is it at all possible during a lifetime to regress from one state to another and do so on multiple occasions over time?
If this is the case, irreversibility might wotk as a definition.
The notion of “non-existence” is temporal.
The Osteria does not exist today, but it existed one year and one day ago.
So existence, reversibility, regression, are all temporal.
Now that everything has come together like this, is time reversible?
Why would the temporal be going only in one direction?
Porrettana
There is another dimension of the “non” existence state.
From a realistic point of view, the Osteria today does not exist.
It does not exist in the real world, the world that exists outside of me and you.
However, from an idealistic point of view, the Osteria may exist as an ideal form.
But these questions need to be taken up in another article, on the ontology and metaphysics of restaurants.
Update 2021: The Neichel Restaurant has been closed.
The Neichel restaurant in Barcelona has a tough job to do. The owner chef Jean Louis Neichel comes form Strasbourg, in Alsace and has to compete with the accomplished chefs of the Catalan cuisine. But he is no stranger to this competition. For 8 years, until 1980 he was the chef of “El Bulli”, and since 1981 he has maintained a very high gastronomic level at the “Neichel” restaurant in Barcelona. Located in a nice quite neighborhood of Barcelona, the discrete restaurant promises a lot. Lets see what it delivers.
“Sea and Mountain” salad
The menu calls this a “small” salad! It is quite obvious that the chef has a good sense of humour! Look at the layout of the dish! The chef is an amateur painter, and it shows! The tastes of pickled duck carpaccio, foie gras, spider crab and lobster were married discretely and with confidence. Chef Neichel is one of the first who dared to separate the ingredients in a way that each stood alone yet they all complimented the others.
Seafood glory
The name is mine, but I could not resist. Baby squid, scallop, fish of the day, ccockle, ratatouille and spinach rigatoni, all in a divine squid sauce full of flavours.
Braised veal cheek, shallot compot with cassis, truffled mashed potatoes, sweet potato chips and caramelized quince.
Deserts
The deserts were smooth and silky, but it was a shame to have to destroy the harmony of colours on the plate!
The dining room
The dining room is a very warm place, and the view of the garden a delight!
Eaux de vie
The glorious eaux de vie of Alsace could not be absent!
Display of chefs and cooks
After the meal I visited the kitchen where I saw this huge display full of chefs and cooks from all places on earth!
I really enjoyed the meal and the service and the ambience of Neichel, it is a restaurant where you can forget everything and really enjoy the food and the drinks, served by true professionals. And the value for money ratio is outstanding. I highly recommend it to all visitors of Barcelona.
