Back when ...

25+ years ago, I had this little munchkin.  It was love at first sight and I spent the next few years as her devoted slave.

Unbeknown to the baby police and those in charge of new mothers, I developed this habit of singing her to sleep.  Most especially when she was ill.  And there was a 'favourites' list ...otherwise known as the songs that got her to sleep most successfully.

She still remembers them.

I have just come downstairs, from my granddaughter's bedroom, after quietly uncurling myself from the edge of her bed. 

I remembered the routine for stopping the songs and the signs were all good.  She had slept through the songs ending, and slept on through me cautiously moving off the bed.  She slept through me leaving the room and I think we might be okay now.

It's hot here tonight.  She had an incredibly late night last night and, unsurprisingly, she complained of a headache at bedtime.  One that wouldn't, 'just wouldn't!' go away.  And wicked gran that I am, I had no painkiller in the house.  Tomorrow.  Tomorrow.

But there was something delicious about telling her of the songs I had always sung to her mum and that, shhhhhh, we probably shouldn't tell her mum but I was going to sing them to her too now.

Mull of Kintyre continues to be 'the' song that most successfully sends small children to sleep.  But you should know, it's not a routine to enter into lightly.  When you sing small children to sleep you must either stroke their forehead or walk with them in your arms while you  sing ... 

10 minutes, and a quiet amazement that I still knew all the lyrics, she was asleep and  here I am , smiling over memories of those long ago days back home in New Zealand ... back when I was just a young mum.

The Farinata, Genova

Just across the alley from the place where I write and work, while in Genova, is this tiny shop that sells the most delicious farinata, pies and Genovese snacks.

Some days, the scent of the food being cooked down in the wood-fired oven there, almost drives me out of my mind.

I was on my way back from another journey through the caruggi with my camera and voila, the sun created this image ...

Often, if you want to use your phone, you need to lean on the windowsill or step out into the street.  The gate of the massive city wall can be seen on the right side of the photograph.  It blocks some technology ... my usb modem has hang, on the end of the cable, up on the window. 

And I hit the ground running ...

Summer has arrived in Belgium these last few days although another huge drop in temperature has been predicted for Wednesday. 

Maybe the list of things, those things that urgently needed my attention upon my return,  is almost under control ... at one level anyway.

Now, it's back to the book, back to some long overdue photo-processing, and back to working out how to go forward with my work while juggling Miss 7 who has most of this week off.

My life is often feels like I'm organising a daily experimental fruit smoothie drink.  Some days,  I get the mix of new tastes so right.  Other days, it's a complete disaster.  I just can't resist trying to push too many different things into the mix.

Today was a disaster that left me wishing I was back in Genova again.  Out at Boccadasse, communing with this very zen Mr Pigeon.

Leaving again ...

This morning, I set the alarm for 6.15am, giving me time to clean the apartment before leaving ... two loads of laundry to do.

I woke at 5.20am and lay thinking how unfair it was, knowing there was no way to sleep again.

I showered, put the first load of laundry through, and packed.  I began mopping floors and then voila, almost 8am, and I needed breakfast.

I sat at an outside table at Caffe Degli Specchi, with a cappuccino and brioche, realising that today was the day of leaving Genova ... again.

And so I walked, through the city's centro storico  ... walked until just after 8.30am. The air is a soft 17 degrees celsius, the sun is out and, as always, all around me was the quiet hum of this city I love.

'Ciao!' is everywhere.  It makes me smile.  People arrive in the cafes, pass each other in the street, arrive at work ... 'Ciao'.

I'll miss that.

Someone has written a long story on the footpaths here.  Beautiful Liguria has the story on Facebook. I didn't have my camera but I stopped this young guy and asked what it was about.  Apparently, it's something to do with WWII.  It's neatly written and seemed like another of those surprises that Genova presents to her people.  It happened in the night I think.

Anna, from the Beautiful Liguria website, let me know about the story today: 'It is a story of love between a Jewish lady and a Russian guy in world war II.'

Laundry is already out and hanging across via Ravecca.  My kitchen window is open and, here I am, this New Zealander who simply loves those times when she comes stay awhile in this private, elegant, chaotic, sometimes dirty, exquisite, secretive, ancient, post-modern city nestled between the hills and sea.

The question is ...

I haven't known if my moods were flucuating on their own, or whether it was the fault of the city.

Today, I decided that it's mostly the fault of Genova ... aka La Superba.

The light pulled me outside again.  The morning light in the caruggi has been so good these last two days.  And there was 'treasure' to be found everywhere.

And then it's about the people too.  I stopped at Caffe Degli Specchi for coffee, then wandered down into the narrow alleyways in the ancient part of the city. 

The light, the light! ... she muttered.

Then, just to add to a kind of surreal heightening of the senses, I heard a huge number of children singing.  I followed the sound and discovered some kind of mixed-age choir performing on the steps of the San Lorenzo cathedral

I passed nuns, chatting as they wandered along the street, and I stopped in at a fishmongers to photograph my beloved Anchovies ... seeing the art of them rather than well ... dead fish.

There's more but here is one of today's photographs. Taken on via Canetto il Lungo, I caught morning shoppers at one of the vegetable shops, and couldn't resist ...