RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON THE FLOOR

Back in Genoa after the holidays! Feels good. We went to Finland for Christmas and oh boy, it was dark, dark, dark - no snow whatsoever, quite unusual for this time of year and very depressing too. Normally, I would expect Helsinki to be closer to the temperatures currently experienced in Chicago. It was a quite a relief to arrive to Genoa, where we  enjoy at least a short periods of blue sky and rays of sunshine on most days, even though it is quite cloudy and rainy too. The temperature has been between +9 to +14 C this week, not bad at all. 

On New Year's eve we went to a party in Nervi with friends and staggered home at 4 am - something I have not done for about 30 years! Seriously. The first day of the year 2014 was a very quiet one... 

But last week it was time to get back into action.

For quite some time - almost a whole year actually - we have had a problem on the wall in the lounge area. Structurally, this wall faces outside and is therefore open to the elements. First, it was only a little stain on the wall, but last winter was quite stormy and with time this developed into proper rain damage and the plaster started peeling off at an alarming phase.We alerted the landlord early on, but apart from a visit to assess the damage, nothing has really happened for months. I have to say, that we have very good landlords and I mean it. If ever there has been the tiniest thing wrong in the apartment, they have repaired and fixed it in record time.They definitely have tried to get some action on this. But it is a bigger problem and clearly involves negotiations with other people who own properties in the same building. Essentially, it is probably a question of how to share the cost of structural repairs.

The whole thing got a little bit more urgent last week, because - apart from the peeling plaster - we also had a proper leak on the ceiling. There were couple of days of rain and clearly the weight of the water sitting on the roof became a bit too much. I went to the lounge and was surprised to get my socks wet, which made me to look up to the ceiling and notice the very big drops of water happily coming down to the parquet floor. A bucket and a large bath towel were on constant duty for hours. Luckily, the rain eventually stopped and we have been able to assess the seriousness of the latest problem a bit better. 

This week we have had a committee of people coming to see the damage. Measurements have been taken. The outside wall and roof has been inspected. Everyone is in agreement that it is a big problem. No promises have been made but the general consensus is that speedy action is necessary. We have been told that there is a plan to repair this, but it will take time.

This has also made us think one other issue: if  we ever decide to buy an apartment, the top floor may not be ideal. These old houses are clearly built for sunshine only. Farewell to my dreams of a roof top terrace. 

In the meanwhile, I have a bucket and a towel ready. 

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... 

LIGURIAN GHOST TOWNS PART 2

It was nearly lunchtime and we were very much looking forward to finding a small trattoria in Castelvecchio, a tiny village few miles from Zuccarello.

The bus took us up the mountain road and as soon as we reached our destination and stepped out, we were greeted with cold and clean mountain air. Our driver, Roberto, parked the bus on top of the hill and we walked down the stone steps, following  a sign pointing to the historical centre. Castelvecchio was established by the Clavesana family in the 12th century and I imagine that those steps may have been there for a very long time indeed (well before the invention of cars, anyway). 

It soon became obvious that November may not be the best time to come here if you expect to be fed. We must have made quite a noise descending to these old streets, but not a single person came out to the window to check who was disturbing the peace.

  We did wake up one cat, though. She was having a well earned mid-day nap  next to a vespa and she did not look too pleased to see us.

The autumn colours on trees and wall creepers were absolutely stunning in the sunshine.

Don't get me wrong - I would not have missed this place for anything, it was just so unexpected to be wondering through a totally empty place.  It was a bit creepy, to be honest. But very,very beautiful.

After seeing at least two lifeless trattorias, we saw a third, which seemed to be open. The door was open and we were met  by the owner, who said that they were not open for business, unfortunately.
"Everybody are out picking olives, that's why all the places are closed," he said.
A-ha. That explained a lot.
We walked back to the bus and Roberto drove us through the mountains, crossing the border from Liguria to Piedmont. Next stop Garessio and luckily, an open restaurant, Osteria del Borgo Antico, served us a delicious meal.

Ormea was an unplanned stop, but after lunch we had a brief walk in the immediate surroundings. Very close to the restaurant, there was a house with several trompe l'oeil paintings. This is still a skill strong and alive in Italy.

The light was fading already and we made one final, very brief stop in Ormeo.

The air was cold and crispy, already late in the afternoon. But I have to say that the snow peaked mountains were a perfect ending to this day. Amazing, what you can see and do in just one day!

LIGURIAN GHOST TOWNS PART 1

There are places in Liguria impossible to explore properly unless you have a car. So, my friends Mary and Chantal had a great idea: let's hire a small bus, get a small group together and explore the Ligurian countryside. Who knows what we may see? Armed with various guidebooks, we left Genoa early on Tuesday morning. None of us had ever been in Albenga, Cisano sul Neva, Zuccarello, or Castelveccio before. Mary had done a lot of research on the places we were expecting to visit, so we had some idea of the history and main sights. The sky was bright blue and the air crispy and cold, a perfect day to be a tourist! 

An hour and a half later we arrived to Albenga, 46 km from Savona. This town has one of the most well preserved medieval city centres in Liguria, dominated by four impressive towers. The Cathedral of Albenga, dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, has a very unassuming and modest entrance from the main street, but the interior is full of interesting art work and historical details. 

Frescoes on the wall and paintings on the ceiling of the Cathedral in Albenga - watching them was like being in a time machine, catapulted back to medieval times. It was particularly nice to see that this ancient church was by no means preserved for historical purposes only. Quite a few locals were coming in to have a quiet moment. We were definitely the only tourists. 

Very close to the Cathedral is the early Christian Baptistery (built between fifth and sixth century), said to be one of the oldest Christian monuments in Northern Italy. There is a rare mosaic of a blue, starry sky inside the Baptistery. The Museo Diocesano was just opening when we got there and even though we did not have a lot of time inside the museum, we did manage to see the copy of Caravaggio's work of John the Baptist. The original is in Kansas City. But there were many other interesting paintings too and three walls were covered in large tapestries, full of rich details. 

After this suitably large dose of art and culture, we strolled along the streets of Albenga for while. I came across this ginger cat, which definitely had seen a camera before and happily posed for photos.. 

We were soon back on the bus and continued towards Cisano sul Neva, a walled city since 13th century. The 8-seater bus was parked in a tiny piazza and we got out. An old man stopped to say hello and pointed us towards an alleyway with his walking stick (first, I thought that he was telling us not to park on the piazza, but he just wanted to make sure that we not miss the most beautiful part of this little village!!). Have to say, that it would have been a pity to miss the view from this bridge.

There was a small private garden on one side of the bridge with a persimon tree....

....and the cactus with a tiny flower looked so exquisite in the November sun.

Cisano sul Neva might be a tiny dot on the map of Liguria, but it was one of those delightful places, where you would like to photograph every inch of it. Interesting details - such as this stone bench - everywhere.

For example, this dark and mysterious alleyway (see below)would be a perfect back drop for a murder mystery or a horror story. The old wheel and all! Location scouts for Hollywood movies should not miss this place.

Eventually we had to leave and get back to the road. We stopped to view couple of pretty castles from outside and then drove on to a tiny place called Zuccarello, established in 1248, with many signs of medieval structures preserved to this day.

This lady is Ilaria Carretto. She was born here and was daughter of Carlo, 1st Marquis of Zuccarello. She married Paolo Guingi, Lord of Lucca. The wedding was a society event of the year, I guess, as it lasted 3 days and 3 nights according to the sign next to the statue. The couple had 2 sons, but tragically Ilaria died after giving birth to her second baby. She was only 19 years old. Paolo must have been beside himself with grief and he commissioned a monument in her honor. The original monument, made by Jacopo Della Quercia, was  in 1407 and can still be seen in Cathedral of Lucca. The bronze statue  in Zuccarello is a much more recent creation by Flavio Furlani (2007).

Zuccarello's streets were totally empty, but there was some signs of activity: Christmas decorations were on display on the bridge and around the piazza. Couple of workmen were putting in the final touches. Again, all shops were closed with shutters and big padlocks. What else would you expect on an ordinary Tuesday in November? I think it started to unnerve us a little bit: the fact that we did not see any people about. 

We were clearly visiting Zuccarello couple of days too early, as there is going to be a big pumpkin/harvest festival this weekend, on 1st December. 

  Zuccarello may definitely be one of those places where Italians from the big cities of Milan, Turin and Genoa come to relax during the summer months, possibly having a second home there. On this November day it looked so totally dead and deserted. But little did we know that the Zuccarello was not the only "ghost town" around this area on winter time... (to be continued tomorrow). 

THE WAITING GAME AND GETTING READY FOR WINTER

Still no buses in Genoa. The strike has been on since Tuesday this week and today is the fifth day with "no service available" signs on the bus stops. All mediation efforts have failed so far and the newspaper headlines are declaring that this is now a war on privatisation. I know too little about the politics behind this issue to comment - all we can do is to minimise the need to go to town, use local services as much as possible and wait. 

In the meanwhile, life goes on: This week we put the heating on for the first time in ages.The temperature has dropped considerably and it has rained heavily almost every day. It is pretty dark already at six o'clock in the evening. Out came the hotwater bottles (they really work) and woollen socks (equally effective), candles in the evening too. Christmas lights have gone up at least here on Nervi high street, a sure sign that winter is not far away now.
  Tonight some friends are coming for an aperitivo and no doubt the ongoing bus crisis will feature in our discussions, but it has been a busy week and it is great to have a quiet time at home.
(Just now  my phone said "ping" with a message:"I am so sooorrry, cannot come tonight because of the strike..." Aaaaargghh!!!!) 

AMT BUS STRIKE HITS GENOA TWO DAYS RUNNING

There has been no buses for two full days now. It is still possible to get to town by local train, so it is not a total disaster, but the strikes are affecting everyone who relies on public transport. Usually, a strike is announed in advance and it starts conveniently after 9 am when everyone has been transported to work. The traffic starts flowing again later in the afternoon, so that people can get back home. Not this time. 

The bus strike has not affected local trains, operated by Trenitalia, so it is possible to get to the city center.  But trains do not go as frequently as buses so for many people  that means leaving home earlier and coming back later than usual. 

 The buses have not moved from the depos at all. Yesterday I watched a very noisy and loud demonstration in the city centre of Genoa. Hundreds of people marched towards the offices of the municipality, where the decision to privatise  the public transport provider AMT was being discussed. There were loud bangs and singing, especially when the march reached a tunnel, were the sound was amplified many times over. It sounded like a gun battle - which is wasn't, of course. There is a real fear that jobs will be lost and in this time of very high unemployment, it is a depressing prospect. Hopefully, a solution will be found soon - but in the meanwhile, no bus service in the city. 

BUS STRIKE IS A SIGN OF A CITY IN CRISIS

If you don't speak Italian, but would like to know some useful words, I suggest that you add the word sciopero (a strike) into your vocabulary. Once you start noticing this word, you will realise how often it appears, especially on the noticeboards on bus stops. Today was one such day as the city wide AMT bus network stopped for 4 hours.  

   As a family, we use the buses every day to go to the centre of town and we have not even thought about getting a car as the public transport system is pretty good. Buying a car and getting it registered is not quite as straight forward as one might assume and furthermore, finding a parking space in town can be a mission too. There is also the issue of where to keep the car overnight, if you cannot park in front of your street: buying a garage space for the car can be a very serious investment indeed. 

 Bus strikes are quite frequent in general. It is not unusual having to find alternative methods of transport
 at least once a month. 

  But there are clearly tough times ahead as far as public services are concerned. Today's strike was prompted by plans to privatise the AMT. Opionions for and against are running high.

A leaflet appealing for public support informed travellers that the municipality of Genoa is planning to privatise the public transport system and that this will mean increasing the prices of tickets and cuts in service. "People will be transported like cattle in the Third World", it predicts. 

Currently, it is very cheap to use the public transport as one bus ticket costs Euro 1.50 or Euro 1.60, if combined with bus and local train travel (bought from the tabaccheria).  It is valid for 100 minutes from the time it has been stamped. Unlimited changes of buses and trains are allowed during the 100 minute period.
  Not a bad deal, but obviously ticket prices are heavily subsidised. An Italian friend also made an interesting comment about why the AMT is in constant financial difficulties: the truth is that the ticket inspectors do catch quite a lot of people travelling without a ticket. Not wanting to pay for public services is almost a national sport, my friend said. It remains to be seen what will be the future of public transport in Genoa. In the meanwhile, we are not heading to the car show rooms. Not yet, anyway. 

Perhaps a scooter or a vespa? It is pretty quick to zip through the city with one of these, but being forced to breath petrol fumes does not appeal either.