Beginnings

Just got my genealogy report back (okay…not really. I already knew where my ancestors came from). My DNA can be traced back to:

1) Gioia del Colle (“Joy of the Hill”), a town in the Puglia region of Italy. It’s known for its mozzarella and red wine, Gioia del Colle Primitivo (also Fanellis, Gabrieles and Guzzos). Mmmmmmm, cheese and wine, mmmmm.

Specifically, the report absolutely pinpoints my origins to an espresso bar on Via Gottardo. Cats passed by in a near continuous stream on their way to Piazza Pinto. They stopped by the table, hoping for a nibble of my crostoli. Also, some red, red wine. Possibly cats originated in Italy too.

2) Killorglin, a town at the beginning of the Ring of Kerry in Ireland. Killorglin is known for it’s annual Puck Fair.

The origins of the Puck Fair are uncertain, but written records from the 17th century refer to the fair at that time and it has been suggested that the fair’s origins are even pre-Christian.

Each year, a wild male goat is captured locally and crowned King Puck in the town of Killorglin by a schoolgirl in her role as the Queen of Puck. The crowning signifies the beginning of the festivities. (source)

Possibly, Great Grandma Annie Dodd had a place on the River Laune, stopped for a pint at Falvey's Pub (or whatever it was known as in the early 20th century) and then off to the local bookshop for the latest novel from Mister Oscar Wilde. Maybe on the weekends she visited the beehive houses farther down the peninsula. Well, that's what I would've done (and did when I visited the area).

3) Somewhere in Schwandorf, Bavaria (91km from Nuremberg of WWII trial fame) Great Great Grandpa Johann and his wife Agnes were born. They lived there until emigrating to the U.S.sometime in the mid 19th century.

What was there to do in Schwandorf back in the early 1800s? Beats the fuck outta me. Now? You can tour the Felsenkeller-Labyrinth.

Dating to the 16th century, this maze of 60 connected caverns is a testament to both German ingenuity and the much-celebrated love of beer. Each of the chambers was once part of an underground network of storage rooms. For the most part, the labyrinth was used for beer storage, though it has served as a bomb shelter and even a Nazi headquarters. (source)

Beer, Nazis and a few pretty churches—woohoo. I don’t drink beer. We’ve got enough Nazis (AKA MAGAts) here in the U.S. and I don’t find churches at all interesting (except for that one in Siena). 60 connected caverns though? If I could get past my hostile, asshole claustrophobia, I'd def want to stroll around them.

So, that's me in three. Basically, I'm mostly a Coffee/Pastry/Book American.