I was just introduced to a new song set in the stadium of my Italian football team as they beat Juventus 1-0 and I love it.
Jack Savoretti writes of his song, over on Facebook: Here it is, the BRAND NEW OFFICIAL VIDEO for my new single HOME! I have made music videos before, but none quite like this…we filmed it at Genoa football club’s stadium…my home stadium...a night I will never forget for the rest of my life!
There's an interview with him here. His website ...
Saturday night and I was invited to Alessandra's place, with Barbara, Federico and Davide too, for aperitivo before heading out to Teatro Govi and a superb show by the Paul McCartney tribute band. (not the best sample but it gives you a sense of their talent perhaps).
Genova is gifting me some beautiful music this visit. 2 nights in a row and there has been music that has had me trying not to rock out of my seat and dance.
But it's more about the fact that I know some really good people here ... and I'm meeting more all the time.
Barbara has been teaching me Italian in the quiet times and has actually given me hope that I might speak it one day. She was surprised to realise I had the sounds required. (I was probably more surprised. I'm so used to apologising for all of my languages that to be praised felt like some kind of magic). I will go on with the work. I think it's more than time I learned to speak here.
Today was all about a most divine Sunday lunch and yes, that was me, the New Zealander there in the midst of her beautiful warmhearted family. Afterwards there was a family photography session and so much laughter that I'm still smiling.
It's been like that ...
I love Genova. It's a city of secrets that can be difficult to find but they are so stunningly intense when discovered.
Friday night, Barbara invited me out to Club La Claque and for just 15 euro we were able to listen to Stefano Marelli sing with the truly talented trumpet player, Raffaele, accompanying him. I would love to hear more of their music.
Then came Marina Rei and her magnificent band and they played until midnight. I can't even begin to describe her performance. She drums as she sings, plays keyboards too, and her voice is divine. Finding a youtube performance that begins to capture her is difficult.
Walking back through the city after midnight, some Palestinian/Syrian guys were giving the most delicious impromptu musical performance I've seen. Somehow they radiated joy and pulled all those passing by into their circle of music. I ended up talking to their friend from Lebanon for a while.
So ... Friday was just another beautiful night here in Genova.
It began harmlessly enough ... gate-climbing as soon as I worked out the 'how' of it.
Another memory from long ago, quiet excitement ... a gap in the hedge that surrounded my childhood home. They closed that up pretty quickly once they realised how I was slipping away.
Me and my trike, then my bike, traveled far and wide ... or as far as my lazy legs would carry me. Then came the car and that seemed like the best freedom so far, until I flew over to Istanbul. And zipped off to Rome. Then ended up in Belgium, discovered France, Holland and every place else in Europe was easily reachable.
'Gate-climbing' on steroids.
Then Genova, Italy. That place I keep on returning to ... since 2008. That exquisitely ancient city surrounded by beautiful hills and the sea.
These days I can wander where ever I want but I keep returning.
I'm flying this week.
14 days in that city I love ...
Listening to The Sweet Remains these days, specially Ghost in the Orange Blossom Air.
You know when you spend what seems like endless days with intensely excellent friends and then you have a normal day without them ... ?
That happened.
But I found the music below and I love it. I didn't want to forget it and so, I'll blog it, I thought.
They even have a song called Sahara ...!
2 // take a break from your carefully packaged & organised life; suspend all the doing, sit amongst the shambles of half-read books and empty cups, let blessed rest find you.
Leonie Wise, lifted from her beautiful blog.
Murray left yesterday and I collapsed into a small pile of crumple today. I can do stuff ... I can but oh how I pay. Just till the iron medication kicks in.
I'm so impatient for it to work though. And so I was always going to love Leonie's wise words, suspend all the doing.
Although, rather than suspend all, I'm doing slowly and carefully, then resting. Multiple loads of laundry have been done today because ... it's 17 celsius here in Belgium. Unusual perhaps, or simply an Indian summer. It's good, as so many of my very best people are arriving on Friday.
Shannon and Erik are zooming over from Holland, Teresa and Kim from the UK, Jayne is coming and her Steve is flying back from Dubai, Ren and her lovely Norwegian are coming too.
Steven and Isabel, Martin and Gaby, Ellen and Anna, Marcia and her man ... I'm happy.
My photography exhibition has its official reception/opening on Friday night. Saturday night is the night of the birthday party. But honestly, it's mostly about my pleasure in catching up with these people I love.
I'm scared I've forgotten to invite some people and they need to contact me because I am haphazard at the moment. The anemia has surely caused problems with energy levels but also with concentration. And I thought it was enough to take the medicine and move slowly but it's the 'not doing' that is making me most crazy. It feels like someone has removed my larger station wagon motor and replaced it with the engine of a very small scooter.
Or that's the way I'm explaining this loss of forward motion.
Slowly, slowly ... let's see how it goes.
Leonie, thank you for the music too.