Camogli Favorites

Favorite thing: ... some things aren't a surprise. I had seen a pic of these big cooking pans on Giampiero's page. So I even knew they are used for the festival each year when they cook huge amounts of fish.
Or perhaps - were used - because they seem quite rusty and are a little eaten away around the rim.

Favorite thing: This old guy does the rounds of the cafes and restaurants. One tune and then he comes to the tables with a small bowl for contributions. You can see it hurts his pride. He plays quite well. Someone has washed his old woollen suit and shrunk it a bit. Maybe he has 14 flats and a ferrari parked just around the corner - and the felted, old suit is his costume - but there was a look in his eyes that made me think he really needed the extra money.

Favorite thing: Lying on the beach very close to the blue clothes peg - which is in perfect working order - was a cunning little work of art. The face of a wry and whimsical man etched by nature on a small pebble.
Matthew is insisting I declare it when we return to Australia - because we are an island continent it is important to try it keep it as disease free as possible - any natural products have to be declared.
So I shall line up at the quarantine line. They will say - "What have you got?"
I will pull out the pebble.
They will say - "What is it?"
I will answer - "A gift from Camogli."

I do hope they don't confiscate it.

Favorite thing: I was astounded to come upon a blue clothes peg while I was trying to paddle - ouch ouch - on the pebbly beach.
(Pebble beaches are a bit of a shock to people who are used to sandy beaches. Matt said -"Europe doesn't do sandy beaches" - but maybe there are one or two.)
Why such astonishment to find a blue clothes peg?
Well, back in Australia I noticed my clothes pegs were going missing off the line. Then a neighbour found a satin bower bird's courtship arena. The males love blue - and filch drinking straws and bottle tops and clothes pegs .... when she took us through the bush to see the beautiful display area - there were all my blue pegs.
Back in the old days, before brilliant blue plastic, the satin bower birds would have had to make do with blue berries and flowers - which faded. They must be desperately over dosed on blue these days.
Anyway, I am taking this blue clothes peg back to Australia as a gift from Camogli to the satin bower birds of Australia.

Favorite thing: Chiavari is a lovely small town, maybe 15-20km east of Genua, along the train-track to La Spezia and 5terre.

Fondest memory: Chiavari shows a combination of different styles in architecture, with a very few nice medieval buildings in the centre and much more modern buildings in the rest of town.
This monument - obviously of V.Emanuele - is to be found on your way from the station to the centre of town.

Favorite thing: Like at many places in Liguria, the structures on the fassades are PAINTED only.
But it is done in such a perfect way, that even standing in a short distance, you may think, there are structures of stone instead of a totally even and flat wall.

And since the Iraque-war, you will see the " PACE " = peaceflag at many windows

Favorite thing: The beach-promenade is built in different levels, as you may see on my pic.

On "groundfloor" you will see the beach and the changing-cabins

On the " 1st floor " - where you see the umbrellas of the gardenrestaurants, you have the boulevard to take a walk and enjoy the lovely scenery

Favorite thing: Watch out for the many details in this lovely town :

This is an altar, built into the wall, close to the port. And in order to pray for the sailors and wish them luck out on the sea, it is decorated with all sorts of shells