70 mi je godina tek

Excuse my use of foreign tongue in the title, but this is my uncle saying that today he turns only 70. Welcome to the rhyming party!

First, the original song from the title: “You are only 17”, a classic from the Yugoslavia times.

The majority of 35 photos in this post (readers are lucky that there are not 70!) were taken during your three visits to Tuscany in the past year. Here you are happy and in no fear.

Porto Santo Stefano, September 2021

I remember a funny moment. After driving forever on a really steep dirt road towards Castello di Celsa which Google Maps insisted I took even though there was a regular asphalt road as well – you will see the road in one of the photos below, under “draMATIC” – we realised that the access to the castle was impossible anyway due to a big gate with two buzzers. We stopped to look around. It was hot. You stepped closer to have a look…

…and proclaimed: “The first button is if you want lemonade and the second is for the custodian.” We pressed neither.

Before we start to rhyme, here is a little something that will make you laugh for sure. And then you will wish to come over so that we can visit it.

And finally, this little photo poem wrote itself after I had gathered (almost) all the (English) words that end in -MATIC which happens to be your name. The poem continues in the captions.

I’m glad that last year we got to see so many new places and had such a great time despite the situation. And a special THANK YOU for coming to Tuscany and taking me to Slovenia, and one month later again in the opposite direction. Always ready to repeat this.

Oh, the two photos with the cakes (plus one other) are from when you hit 60. And don’t miss the extra photo below the gallery.

Stric Matic and his greatest hits

My uncle – we say stric –
is not Fritz but MATIC,
which rhymes with his wits
and these greatest hits:

Is he probleMATIC?

Post-trauMATIC?

RheuMATIC?

AsthMATIC?

SymptoMATIC

or asymptoMATIC?

AutoMATIC

or semi-autoMATIC?

PsychosoMATIC?

Non-trauMATIC!

UnprobleMATIC!

PneuMATIC,

pragMATIC

and phlegMATIC.

AroMATIC,

surely enigMATIC

but not a numisMATIC.

MatheMATIC,

gramMATIC

and idioMATIC.

DraMATIC,

monodraMATIC

or melodraMATIC?

CharisMATIC!

Can be diploMATIC,

often cineMATIC

and quite dogMATIC

but always systeMATIC

and above all – theMATIC.

Happy 70, Matic. It’s okay, it’s only the end of the 60’s. They lasted just long enough. Na zdravje!

For the very end, something that will cheer you up. When you returned home after your last visit, you gave me a specific task: to take a photo of your beloved train which took you to the beach for free almost every day. Here it is. And under it you can find all seven previous birthday posts. Happy birthday!

This day in my blogging history

• 2015: The Rolling Stones Get to Meet My Grandparents, one of your favourite tunes translated

• 

  2016: Sehen Sie diese Stadt? Das ist Walter!

• 

  2016: When train comes to town

• 

  2017: Happy beer day, stric Matic!

• 

  2018: Cin cin, na zdravje, yamas, gëzuar,  فى صحتك:, salut, skål, kippis, zum wohl, На здравје, noroc, živeli, Şerefe, Կէնաձդ

• 

  2019: Happy birthday and I wish you never run out of poets, rhymes and beer!

• 

  2020: Happy enigMatic day!

• 

  2021: Happy Road 69, Matic!

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