Una Giornata Tipo

Today we wrestled a bit with structuring our activities.  When we manage to slow down and take it easy, we tend to get nervous that we are not making the most of our experience!  In the morning we worked for a couple of hours in the studio and then headed for a walk through town......ending up with our caffe ritual at Bar Centro at the piazza.  We were tempted by several wonderful produce markets, but really have no need to buy any food, fruit or vegetables........which is frustrating......but not worth a complaint!

For the afternoon, we had more definitive plans (always including a siesta!) which had us heading out to see the view from the hillside above Bogliasco in a small hamlet called Sant'Ilario.  Upon returning down the precipitous, switchback roads, we did make a venture into the local supermarket to grab a few necessities.  Arriving back at the Foundation around 5:30, we sat outside and had a coffee/tea........which probably was a mistake as we found ourselves waking up around 2:00 in the morning as if it were mid-afternoon!

At the end of this post you will see our group gathering for the day out on the terrace for drinks.  This has become a welcome part of the daily routine.  We have 'aperitivi' before dinner and 'digestivi' after dinner.  The conversation is a lot of fun, a bit unpredictable, and often chaotic.......as it is common to hear English, Italian, French and Spanish all in use around the table.  It sounds crazy, but the dynamic is actually fascinating.  Fortunately for us,  English is a common thread for most of the group. For us, it is quite an expansive and somewhat humbling experience. 

Drive to Sant'Ilario

Based on stories from several others who had ventured up to Sant'Ilario, we decided to make the trip this afternoon.  The big difference for us is that we drove the car!  Two other women had walked up a tortuous series of stairways that wound up through the landscape.......taking almost 30 minutes to finish the ascent........not for us!

It remains astonishing to us that these small hamlets and villages have so successfully populated the upper reaches of the Ligurian hillsides.  The steep slopes present an enormous engineering challenge just to reach a point of stabilization.  The retaining wall construction is staggering.  In any case, this area is now populated by primarily luxury villas and gardens.  The location and view has made this one of many high end property areas.  The gentrification, however, is never total.  There are wonderful examples of small houses with innovatively positioned gardens and small lawn areas......and substantial remnants of olive groves.  It was really quite beautiful. 

With the weather cooperating and warmer days ahead, we occasionally move our 'aperitivo' hour to the terrace outside the living room. This evening was particularly pleasant and it was difficult to corral the gang back into the dining room for dinner!