We were a bit unsure about the forecast, but decided the morning might be the better half of the day. We goofed off a bit and did a little drawing, then got more organized and decided to head down to Camogli. We found online that Wednesday is Market Day there, so we thought it might be fun. We jumped in the car and cruised on down.
Camogli is a wonderful, picturesque fishing village about 10 miles from Bogliasco. We stayed there for two nights last year on our return trip to Milan from Rome. It is one of our favorite places. It is perched on the hillside and is a bit of a challenge to navigate with a car......nevermind finding parking on Market Day. Luck was with us, however, and we stumbled into a space after searching for about 5 minutes.
The market areas were set up on the major street which is one block away (and about 3 stories above!) the main seaside promenade. We had not experienced this street before and its was a pleasant surprise. The market was much larger than the one in Bogliasco. We wondered around and ended up down on the Passeggiata along the sea and stopped for a cappuccino........and inevitably a gelato.
We trucked on back to Villa dei Pini just in time to catch lunch. We are beginning to realize we are probably eating and drinking just a wee bit too much. It may be time for some serious exercise. Before we get too serious about that, it seemed like a better idea to grab a quick siesta after lunch!
The rest of the afternoon was spent on the 'studio' side of the apartment having fun with some reading and painting. At 4:00 we decided to grab some tea and headed downstairs, first in the Salon, and then as the sun came out, we went out onto the terrace. It was a very pleasant and peaceful afternoon.
A quick rest, a quick shower, a quick filter through the emails, and a quick change of clothes.......and we were headed down for drinks and dinner. We arrived first, followed by Robin and Margie.......as we were settling in on the couches, Alessandra appeared, bursting on the scene with her typical shouts and hugs! It is difficult to explain without knowing this woman, but she has a special energy andis a unique advocate of the foundation. She is probably our favorite personality, but we had not connected yet as she has been quite sick for the last week.
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| The hidden "bar" under the central staircase |
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| The "Cocktail / Aperitivo" hang out before dinner" |
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| View out the front entry from the lounge above |
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| Dinner Wednesday Night! |
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| After dinner coffee, drinks and discussion........we look a bit serious here, but we laugh a lot! |
In any case, the energy is back and we had a great discussion about her son, Ettore, and the finally completed renovation of her house......which has taken more than three years. It was really nice to reconnect with her. She left just before dinner to pick up her son at her mother's house.......but will be back to work full time at the beginning of next week.
Dinner was wonderful, pollo milanese, and the group seemed more energized than usual. This carried over into the after dinner function and discussions going on until almost 10:00. Time for bed!
One last picture, which is a view we love from our bed.......straight out to the Portofino promontory.
