"Do you remember a day when you were seven years old?"

This question was posted by Florica Cimpoies.

You realize that's asking a lot. There are days when I have trouble recollecting my wife and son, and days when I remember them quite well - but those are few and far between. From my childhood, the most steady recollection I have is of my mum. At some point, I was taking apart the stove and she was insistent that I stop before my father got home. She used to encourage my drawing, and she was... She had brown hair.

There's a portrait of her and my father that I've managed to find and preserve, so I can tell you what she looked like.... but I'm never sure how much of those memories I've made up to fill in everything I've forgotten.

My father was, as I recall, stubborn and boorish. His work kept him away much of the time, but mum always anticipated his return. They must have had a good marriage, but I left home when I was in my teens to study in Italy. My first strong memories are of Nicolo, the master engineer who apprenticed me...

...but that's another story entirely.