There are places that feel like home. Drop our shoulders, drop the guard, drop the attitude, feel the deep growl of comfort seeping in. Chiavari is that for me, in so many ways. No list of why. Just a heartbeat that finds itself – here.
When we left Florence – it was like seeing old buddies to see Neptune in his watery stance, David in his manly possibilities, the Ufizzi, with its everpresence of the Medici that was powerful then until it wasn’t. But wait! The family has the last laugh/chuckle/resonance. They are the fleur de lis fabric of Florence, and when I peer up at the roofline of their former residence, now an art museum, I can picture the townspeople locked inside for protection, and the men on the rooftop armed with arrows and boiling oil to pour on their enemies. They feel like the spirit of Florence more than that horrible Savonarola ( what a physcological study he would make ) ever thought to be. Did you know the inquisition wasn’t called as “finished” until the mid 1800s. yikes!
We are here now, after leaving the sweet nuns of Florence/Fillipines/for an AirB&B with amenities and a local address in a medieval street. I always love those floors that apparently we can’t have – don’t know how to do them – maybe poured terrazo? And windows – Have I waxed overmuch about those windows that do everything? Out/In/horizontal/vertical and sideways – open out or in. Amazing, and we don’t have anything like them. I want them. I think its all in the hinges, but surely it would be possible.
We’ve tried out a new thing – shipping one luggage back with various flotsam from each of us, so that we will fit our luggage onto a Ryanair flight. It was a big learning experience, and now we have some idea how to do that. But, for the moment, we have to deal with three ladies, each shopping, and enjoying souvenirs. I bought an extravagant red necklace from Venice that I will have to now find an outfit to wear with it… for example. I do not know what comes over one… Murano glass – beautiful stuff, shoes, amazing clothes… the list goes on. sigh.
K&K went to Cinque Terre today – one of Kelleys favorites – and they hit three of the cities of the five. I stayed to see the luggage off with the jaunty man carrying it on his shoulder like it was an airy small box instead of a 45 pound suitcase. It was nice too, to watch the world out of the window , perusing the street below me, enjoying the street scenes – the observer in me always on alert to build a story out of what I am seeing. I am hearing a child outside my window, for example, and he hasn’t stopped yelling – not crying-yelling for the entire last hour. Now what do you think his parents are thinking? It is the street, and perhaps since it is street fare, entertainment and all that-it is fine self expression. And the place does serve some great foccaccia formaggio!
But now, tired and ready to say goodbye till the next time – we pack up for our very full day and night in London. Already there are choices to be made – sleep? HA! when we are dead apparently. Not now. We may not get into the B&B till it is too late to get tickets, and find Sam, but…
from our last hurrah in Chiavari, Italia. Home is a few days away, and I am thinking about how long it will be until I can come here for a longer period of time.
till then – Addio! thanks for coming along with me.