This is one of my favorite caruggi (or alleyways) here in Genova.
It's impossible to judge this ancient city by any normal standards. I'll write of what and who I find there in the days ahead and you will see why I love this ancient city so well.
A Short Walk in Genova ...
Really, it was just meant to be a very short walk through the city, with a stop for coffee at my favourite cafe, Caffè degli specchi - on Salita Pollaivoli 43/R, then back to work on the book ...
That was THE PLAN.
3 hours later, and I returned home, having met the most interesting Genovese along the way. I'll write more on them in other posts but it was delightful.
I talked with the man who imports beautiful furniture from India, goods that have been made ethically, both in terms of labour and wood, and sells them here at his shop - Safarà. You can visit his website here.
I chatted with a designer creating the most exquisite clothes.
I bought my pesto and gnocchi from the women who make the best in the world ... or so says I, this ignorant straniero.
Then down to Bio Soziglia, in Macelli di Sozigli,a for a bio lettuce and 2 tomatoes ... I also popped in at Le Gramole Olioteca while I was down there and bought the most exquisite mozzarella. I asked for instruction on how to look after it, mostly because I felt slightly intimidated by the quality of it ... Francesca was kind and explained. And I was right ask, I didn't know that the cheese can taste better if served at room temperature, nor how long I could keep it for after opening it.
And on back up the hill, for my focaccia from the forno on via Ravecca. The focaccia is good enough to walk a distance for.
A ciao to Lorenzo at cibi e libri and home ... to eat some of the food I had hunted-gathered.
A good day, and now ... the book.
Bouquets in Piedmont, Italy
Wandering in the garden in Piedmont, I had this odd sensation of creating bouquets while taking photographs of flowers and light ...
Out there, in Piedmont ...
Everything seemed kind of beautiful ...
The Lion, from Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Genova
Diana Baur, a meeting
At the weekend, and thanks to the kindness of Stefano and Miriam, I finally met one of my favourite bloggers, ceramic artists and B&B owners ... the lovely Diana Baur.
Diana and her husband run a beautiful B&B in Acqui Terme, Northern Italy, and it so happened that I discovered that they were located just a few kilometres down the road from where I was spending the weekend.
I will use their words, already written, to introduce you to their beautiful B&B in Italy: B&B Baur is a top-rated inn, located in the beautiful Roman Spa city of Acqui Terme, in Piemonte, Italy. Surrounded by history and thousands of hectares of wine hills, Piemonte is known to gourmets and wine experts from all over the world as Italy’s premier gastronomic and enological region. To read more ...
Diana showed us around on Sunday, explaining the renovations, and talking with Stefano and Miriam of NYC. A place much-loved by all three of them.
Anyway, I can't recommend this beautiful place highly enough, and Diana and her husband are delightful hosts. You can get a sense of the B&B via her photographs here.
Her art and ceramics can also be viewed on her website. And she has her first book being published soon but you can read more of that on her blog - A Certain Simplicity.
Grazie to everyone who made that meeting possible.