Long ago, in a far-away land ...

Miss 8 and I have been gadding about lately ... ignoring the fact that we have had no weather that resembles summer weather and just getting on with the summer holiday thing.

Sunday was a big day.  I was off on a 24 hour, more or less, documentary-style family photo-shoot.  She was coming as my assistant, although she was soon distracted by her new best friend, as per the picture below.

The family were located in a big old house way out in the Belgian countryside.  It rained so hard, on Sunday, and the temperature dropped so low that ... the fire was lit.  Now tell me, is there any sweeter smell than a wood-burning fire?

No, I don't think so either.

There I was, out in the middle of nowhere, taking a gazillion photographs of a most beautiful family, absolutely delighting in all those delicious scents and events that reminded me of long ago, in a far-away land ...

A Still Life ...

We realised, counting back, that it has been 7 weekends since we had no plans, nothing scheduled, no one staying over ...

This weekend it's just Gert and I, and here we are, quietly working away at projects that need completed as soon as possible, eating what we feel like when we feel like it, and enjoying the simplicity of this sunny Saturday in Belgium.

I finally had time to write over on the Beautiful Liguria blog, time to work through those May photographs taken in Genova, time to update my blog, time to wash winter blankets ... you know? All that stuff we lose in the rush of everyday life ... lose to poor planning, and into that hole recently described as The 'Busy' Trap.

Last week I took some time to work through all of my notes, research and general paperwork, then carried on, sorting through my files of everything else too.  I rediscovered my desk top.  I made time to work out how to use the drawers on this now old 'new' desk.

Gert finished creating our new photography e-course.  I worked with Anna on the itinerary for the photography workshops in Genova.  A parcel of 'stuff' has headed for Germany where Miss 8 now lives with Ms 25 and the Prince of Nintendo (as we may have taken to calling Ollie.  Miss 8 and I.) 

There have been skype sessions where I have read Harry Potter  and the Goblet of Fire to her, and skype sessions where she writes to me in English - my little Dutch-speaking, about to learn German, Kiwi-born buddy.

There have been birthdays to remember, new apartments to view with friends who are moving, and a couple of long photography sessions at a yoga studio.  The last being so interesting because, until now, the closest I came to that kind of photography where the subjects didn't complain was the photography of sculpture.

And so, in finally exploring my folders of photographs from Genova, I found this still life ...

A Recipe for Dreaming

The streets in Genova pull me out into them ... I can spend hours walking there, lost in the now.  I am missing those days where images came in through my camera lens as a deluge of colours and textures.

In New Zealand I was the kid and later, the woman, who disappeared constantly ... on my bike or in the car, with my dog, I was off, in search of a place to dream.  Rivers, lakes, the beach or, more simply, a school field.

In Genova I find that space more easily in a cityscape than anyplace else I've lived so far.  It used to be Nature, now it seems  that this remarkable old Italian city can soothe my soul.

a little of this and a little of that ...

 

Life has been busy, with days tumbling over one another and to-do lists that seemed impossible.  The knowledge of things left undone was pressing down on me.

I knew that I had to wait.  That there were things to be done in those weeks leading up to us taking my daughter and granddaughter to Frankfurt.  And we had the lovely Australian called Jobe staying with us in that last week.  A Tasmanian, and a friend of Jessie's, he ended up helping her with the packing and cleaning here in this Belgian life, in-between visiting Bruges, Brussels and Antwerp.

Saturday rolled round and exhausted, we 3 New Zealanders and the Belgian packed ourselves into the car and began negotiating the roadworks that hugely delayed our 4-5 hour journey between here and Frankfurt. 

It was hot.  The rental car didn't have A/C.  One series of roadworks saw us take 30 minutes to crawl 3kms.  We were stuck in it for 45 minutes ...

But Frankfurt is beautiful.  It's not my beloved Genova but the city planners have bowed to Nature, seemingly respecting her.  It's clean, it's pretty and it was okay leaving my people there. 

Home again, and the itinerary for the 2 and 5-day photography workshops is done.  I have projects and plans all over my working desk here, forcing me to move my book work upstairs to the now spare big bedroom.  The step children have gone home ... it's just about me and my work.  Well, there is 3-storeys of quirky Belgian house to clean and reclaim but that can be baby steps.

Summer comes and goes here, on a daily basis. We can go from an ordinary 15 celsius kind of day up to 29 celsius, almost in the blink of the eye.  Gert's rhubarb is going crazy ... actually his garden is.  There are parsnips and silverbeet seedlings, raspberrys, and the herbs are ferociously wild.  My Jasmine and Lavender are pleasing me ...  actually, it's not bad outside, in the tiny pocket-sized Belgian backyard.

And I have a title for my book on Genova that is so unbelievably perfect that I shall keep it completely secret until publishing. 

I'll leave you with a photograph of Miss 7 and I messing around with the camera in Central Station, here in Antwerp sometime last winter ...

The Farinata, Genova

Just across the alley from the place where I write and work, while in Genova, is this tiny shop that sells the most delicious farinata, pies and Genovese snacks.

Some days, the scent of the food being cooked down in the wood-fired oven there, almost drives me out of my mind.

I was on my way back from another journey through the caruggi with my camera and voila, the sun created this image ...

Often, if you want to use your phone, you need to lean on the windowsill or step out into the street.  The gate of the massive city wall can be seen on the right side of the photograph.  It blocks some technology ... my usb modem has hang, on the end of the cable, up on the window. 

And I hit the ground running ...

Summer has arrived in Belgium these last few days although another huge drop in temperature has been predicted for Wednesday. 

Maybe the list of things, those things that urgently needed my attention upon my return,  is almost under control ... at one level anyway.

Now, it's back to the book, back to some long overdue photo-processing, and back to working out how to go forward with my work while juggling Miss 7 who has most of this week off.

My life is often feels like I'm organising a daily experimental fruit smoothie drink.  Some days,  I get the mix of new tastes so right.  Other days, it's a complete disaster.  I just can't resist trying to push too many different things into the mix.

Today was a disaster that left me wishing I was back in Genova again.  Out at Boccadasse, communing with this very zen Mr Pigeon.

Leaving again ...

This morning, I set the alarm for 6.15am, giving me time to clean the apartment before leaving ... two loads of laundry to do.

I woke at 5.20am and lay thinking how unfair it was, knowing there was no way to sleep again.

I showered, put the first load of laundry through, and packed.  I began mopping floors and then voila, almost 8am, and I needed breakfast.

I sat at an outside table at Caffe Degli Specchi, with a cappuccino and brioche, realising that today was the day of leaving Genova ... again.

And so I walked, through the city's centro storico  ... walked until just after 8.30am. The air is a soft 17 degrees celsius, the sun is out and, as always, all around me was the quiet hum of this city I love.

'Ciao!' is everywhere.  It makes me smile.  People arrive in the cafes, pass each other in the street, arrive at work ... 'Ciao'.

I'll miss that.

Someone has written a long story on the footpaths here.  Beautiful Liguria has the story on Facebook. I didn't have my camera but I stopped this young guy and asked what it was about.  Apparently, it's something to do with WWII.  It's neatly written and seemed like another of those surprises that Genova presents to her people.  It happened in the night I think.

Anna, from the Beautiful Liguria website, let me know about the story today: 'It is a story of love between a Jewish lady and a Russian guy in world war II.'

Laundry is already out and hanging across via Ravecca.  My kitchen window is open and, here I am, this New Zealander who simply loves those times when she comes stay awhile in this private, elegant, chaotic, sometimes dirty, exquisite, secretive, ancient, post-modern city nestled between the hills and sea.

The question is ...

I haven't known if my moods were flucuating on their own, or whether it was the fault of the city.

Today, I decided that it's mostly the fault of Genova ... aka La Superba.

The light pulled me outside again.  The morning light in the caruggi has been so good these last two days.  And there was 'treasure' to be found everywhere.

And then it's about the people too.  I stopped at Caffe Degli Specchi for coffee, then wandered down into the narrow alleyways in the ancient part of the city. 

The light, the light! ... she muttered.

Then, just to add to a kind of surreal heightening of the senses, I heard a huge number of children singing.  I followed the sound and discovered some kind of mixed-age choir performing on the steps of the San Lorenzo cathedral

I passed nuns, chatting as they wandered along the street, and I stopped in at a fishmongers to photograph my beloved Anchovies ... seeing the art of them rather than well ... dead fish.

There's more but here is one of today's photographs. Taken on via Canetto il Lungo, I caught morning shoppers at one of the vegetable shops, and couldn't resist ...

Caffè degli Specchi, Genova

This warm and welcoming cafe has become my favourite place to stop for a breakfast coffee, here in Genova.

Caffè degli Specchi, or the Cafe of Mirrors, is like so many of the cafes here in the city, a hub of activity.  The Genovese call in on their way someplace else, select a pastry, and order their cappuccino or espresso.  Some drink standing at the bar but I love to sit outside and watch the world pass me by.  The sandwiches make a rather nice lunch too.

Jimmy, pictured below, is responsible for the best cofee I have had in a long time.  He greets customers as they arrive and switches to English for those who, like me, are liguistically impaired.  Their aperitivo, later in the day, is also rather special.

Located at Salita Pollaiuoli 43, it's not far from Palazzo Ducale and is a must-visit kind of cafe.

 

There are days, here in Italy ...

Last night, I woke just before 4am ... in time to feel an earthquake shudder through the city here.

We were fortunate, far enough from the centre that no damage was done here in Genova.  I thought it was a 3 or 4 magnitude quake.  Of course, I did get up and go find my wallet, my glasses, warm clothes and my camera gear and put it all by the bed in case the next one was stronger.

But I slept. I have experienced some big quakes in New Zealand.

Today the rain came.  And there was this point where I longed to be home, in a place known to me, and so I wandered into an ancient church and sat quietly, listening as two priests recited something in Italian.  Perhaps it was the rosary service ... but I am guessing.

And now here I am, back beside the open window, working at the kitchen table here in Genova.

 

 

A mozzarella snob writes ...

It was bad enough when I became particular about my wine, and realised that I preferred Italian, French and Spanish wines over the wine of any other countries.

I am a woman of limited income ... I can't afford to be particular, not really, however it happens.

Next came the problem of good coffee.  Italian espresso and cappuccino ruined me.  I returned to Belgium and ended up buying a Nespresso machine, for the times between visits to Genova.

This time, I was introduced to mozzarella di bufala campana made by Casa Madaio. 

It is so good! 

Francesca and Norma sell it down in Le Gramole ... if in Genova, I cannot recommend trying it highly enough.

As per the photograph, I put some of the mozzarella on focaccia, with lettuce and tomato.  I took the photograph but really, I was desperate to eat it. 

None of these are paid advertisements ... it's just me writing of the things that I love and find.  And this particular small feast is so easy to create for yourself if passing through Genova.  You don't need a kitchen but the mozzarella ... it's truly delicious.