PROTECTOR OF THE SEA AND THE VERY FIRST VEGAN SAINT

Yesterday afternoon we went to watch a ceremony in the small boat harbour in Nervi.  It was the annual blessing of the sea by Saint Francis of Paola (or Francesco di Paola as he is better known here). Last year we missed it, so I was glad we had an opportunity to see it now.
   It was a hot day and there was quite a crowd watching the procession of the statue of Francis arriving to the porticiolo. First, he was transferred to a small boat with the priest from the local parish and they then went out to the sea.

Francis is thought to be the patron saint of all mariners, boatsmen and the navy. As with all saints, there are many stories about miracles associated with him.

  According to one legend, Francis of Paola was once refused a passage by a boatman when crossing the Strait of Messina to Sicily. Despite this setback, Francis managed to get to the other side. He put his cloak on the water and made it a rudimentary sail by tying it on his staff www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Paola. The wind took to the sail and carried Francis over.

A small number of boats followed to the spot where the actual blessing took place, while the spectators on shore were entertained by a local brass band. They returned 15 minutes later and St Francis was put back on dry land. Couple of very strong looking guys lifted up a big cross of Christ, followed by the statue of Francis and then the procession moved towards the small harbour, stopping every now and then for prayers.

Slowly, we approached the local church, which was not far away.

The bells of the church started playing a very joyful melody as soon as the procession appeared.This was definitely not a pre-recorded tape, but someone who was clearly enjoying a bit of a "solo".
  St Francis, by the way, founded an order of monks. He was very fond of animals and therefore this must have been the very first vegan order in the world as the monks were not allowed to eat meat, fish, dairy, eggs or cheese. Quite ahead of his time, I think.

GIRO D'ITALIA WAS HERE!

Italian flags and pink balloons were flying high in the Ligurian Riviera and Genoa today, when the Giro d'Italia cyclists showed who are the true kings of the road. They were welcomed by cheering crowds who were shouting words of encouragement and applauding to the fast pedalling group trying to complete stage 11 of the race today.

The route started in Collecchio and finished in Savona, total of 249 kilometres. We managed to get a glimpse of them in Nervi around 2. 40 PM. Luckily our neighbours have a balcony facing the street and we all took positions, cameras ready, just on time: it was all over in 20 seconds!

 There is clearly an enourmous organisation behind this race and this could be appreciated both while waiting for the cyclists to appear and when they had become tiny spots on the road.

Even though the whole moment was over in matter of seconds, there was a feeling of a carneval in the air long time after the cyclists were gone!

HUFFING AND PUFFING UP THE MOUNTAIN WE WENT

Yesterday was such a glorious day that staying inside was not an option. We decided to check out the views 202 metres above the sea level on the mountain of St Ilario, which we can see from one of the windows in our apartment. 

There are two ways to get up there: you can either cheat and take bus number 516 from Nervi to the last stop and walk from there or you can have a really good leisurely work out session on the way up through the long, narrow alleyways and hundreds of stone steps. This is an excellent way to find out one's current level of fitness and it is really worth it. In the end, it took us roughly half an hour to walk up to the mountain, not bad at all. 

  On our way up we could not help but wonder how do people manage to live on the mountainside. Judging by the number of private gates and doors to numerous buildings next to the stone steps, there must be quite a large community of people out there. Daily tasks, such as carrying shopping bags or getting mail delivered, could be interesting challenges when there is only a limited access to the main road. 

 As soon as the top of the mountain is in sight, there is a short, well positioned  promenade with delightful views across the sea and an ancient church Cappella San Rocco di Nervi, nice and cool escape from the heat, full of local history. Looking down from the promenade, Nervi is like a toy town. The trains passing through Nervi station could easily be part of a skillfully built miniature train set. The size of the park of Nervi can  also only really be appreciated when looking at it from high up.

 There are no cafees or restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the promenade, but it is certainly possible to find a quiet spot for a picnic. Going down on the same stone steps is faster than walking up,  but a word of warning: if you have any knee problems, there might be some painful moments. 

THE CHRISTMAS CRIB MIRRORS REAL LIFE IN NERVI

It has been a very busy couple of weeks: a quick trip to Milan, Christmas concerts, the hunt for Christmas presents in all kinds of little markets around Genoa and  generally speaking, a very long list of things to do before the holidays. So, it was really nice to have a long, relaxing lunch today with couple of friends and go for a stroll on the passegiata Anita Garibaldi afterwards. What a warm, sunny day it was - in the middle of December! There was also another reason to go to Anita Garibaldi: the local Fishermen's Club of Nervi has built a Christmas Crib (presepio) and we all wanted to see it. 

    The Christmas crib  exhibitions are common in Italy this time of year. Even though this tradition is mainly associated with Naples, there are some famous presepios here in Genoa too. This time of year there is one in every church but cribs are also displayed in company offices, doctor's surgeries and other public places. Many people have one at home too. There are specialised stalls selling all the bits and pieces in Christmas markets where it is possible buy customised pieces for the whole scene together with the Holy Family. Large presepios often tell the story of a particular place and the fun factor is created by including real-life people in it - such as the local butcher or baker or even the mayor or some other big wig. 

Here in Nervi, the Christmas Crib is a very carefully re-constructed scene of the small harbour, close to the Passegiata, down to the smallest detail. Anyone who has ever visited this place knows how accurate this miniature world is - it must have taken hours and hours to built it. On the foto above, Passegiata Anita Garibaldi is on the far right and the bench - with two people sitting on it - is positioned exactly where it is in real life. On the far left there is the communal swimming pool, which was re-opened last summer. On top of the buildings, the railway line features miniature trains going back and forth. 

Here is the same scene from a different angle. Note the small boat being pulled to the main land in the middle. The big tower in front of the swimming pool is part of Collegia Emilia, an old school and a well known landmark in Nervi. 

This is further down the road, towards Quinto and Quarto. Those cars actually move on the road!

The Holy Family is discreatly positioned on the side of the whole scene, in a quiet spot - somewhere along the Passegiata Anita Garibaldi, seeking shelter in a simple structure. 

On the walls of the Fisherman's Club, next to the Christmas Crib, is also a very interesting collection of historical photos of Nervi. Judging by the display of these old postcards, nothing much has changed - luckily... 

LA FESTA IN THE HARBOUR

There was a small festival last night in Nervi in the small boat harbour, at the end of passegiata Anita Garibaldi. We saw an advertisement promising food, drink and music and decided to wonder down the harbour area in the early evening to have a look.

   The local fishermen's association had transformed the tiny square into an outdoor restaurant with long tables  and benches. There was an air of informality. Tables were covered in plastic cloth, secured in place with brown packaging tape. Simple, but efficient.

   Even though the weather - which has been absolutely gloriously sunny and hot for couple of weeks now - turned into a thunder storm with light rain later, it did not spoil the festive weekend athmosphere. People still came to the party: families with small children, elderly couples, teenagers...

  After buying a ticket, €8 per person for food and drink, we found a free table  and sat down to enjoy the evening. Teenagers volunteering as waiters and waitresses came to inspect the tickets and then brought us a plastic plate of freshly cooked fish with pieces of bread covered in tasty tomato sauce and a glass of deliciously cold white wine.

   Then the rain started and everyone ran to seek shelter in a covered area. We found another table and met a very nice Italian family. We even managed to have a conversation in Italian with them. Luckily, they also spoke some English so we got the basics covered.  

  A Rwandan band was supposed to be performing but sadly that was cancelled due to the weather.  Neverheless, the evening continued in all the other small restaurants and bars along the harbour.

   We went home happy. 

   This was the first time we had a strong sense of having participated in something benefitting the whole community.  After last night one other new feeling has started to take shape as well: perhaps this is now a little bit our neighbourhood too.