Days 54 to 56 - Santa Margherita Ligure
Day 56 – Santa Margherita Ligure
I’ve had to get myself organised and motivated today to wind up my long stay in SML. This is the second-last full day in the apartment and I need to begin the process of closing the place down so that I can walk out of the apartment on Tuesday morning leaving it ready for the next visitor but also ‘shut down’. Also, I want to do some last-minute sight-seeing in SML and today’s weather is as good as it’s going to be before I leave (according to Accuweather).
As usual, I prepared and posted a long blog post. I’ve finally conquered all of Edinburgh and its many photos. While I was doing that, I washed all the linen and manchester, so that it would have long enough to dry before I had to leave. Because its so cold here now (thought the apartment isn’t nearly as cold as outside) I’m running the reverse cycle in the kitchen to get it nice and warm to dry the sheets and towels. I’ve mastered the reverse cycle system while I’ve been here the last couple of times, but I still don’t know how to control the oil-filled(?) radiator system that is installed throughout the apartment (and, I presume, the building). It was on today and works very effectively but I have no idea what temperature it’s trying to achieve, or how to turn it on/off when I want to.
Late in the morning, I heard a brass band start playing, clearly not far away. I walked around the apartment looking out of windows to see if I could see the band and I could; in front of the church. I had to document that little happening. They only played one item. I have no idea what they were marking or celebrating. There wasn’t a big crowd, though there were clearly friends and family in attendance.
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Once I’d achieved all of my immediate goals, it was past midday. I decided to head out to visit the Villa Durazzo at Paola’s recommendation. Looking it up on Google Maps showed me that I would be visiting parts of SML that I had not yet been to. That was great. I rugged up (it was just finishing raining lightly when I left the apartment) and headed off. My first stop was a curiosity visit, to the location of the apartment that Paola’s family had previously owned. It was only 100m from the apartment I’ve been staying in. I think that the new apartment is definitely an upgrade, over-and-above having an extra bedroom. One of the unexpected things about this little ‘detour’ on the way to the villa was coming across another supermarket that I had identified when I first arrived in SML but had never visited. It’s a Coop, which I’ve come to recognise as a European chain, a bit like Coles (I suppose). The other Coop that I’ve visited in SML was only a small affair. This one, which is the closest supermarket other than Carrefour, is a huge, modern, supermarket, very like a suburban Coles or Woollies back home. I really should have visited it first. I would never have needed another supermarket.
Having found the place that Paola’s family used to own, I turned my attention to getting to the villa. Google Maps offered various routes and I chose one that took me through parts of SML that I had not been before. I was also observing and photographing the town more like a tourist than a resident on this walk. It had just finished raining (as mentioned above and is evident in the photos) and the town was glistening in the heavy overcast.
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I kept following Google Maps, though I could see the Villa Durazzo from where I’d taken the last photo, because I needed to find an entrance. Especially because today was Sunday and I wasn’t entirely sure that the place would be open. I didn’t have to follow for long, though. I came to a gate in the big wall surrounding the villa’s estate and noting that the villa was open seven days a week, throughout the year, I walked in to climb the hill (of course) to the villa. Timing meant that I followed a group of people up the hill. They were all in a uniform that made them look like tour guides. I have no idea what their story was as they had vanished by the time I got to the top of the climb, having stopped for photos along the way. The villa’s grounds are grand and well-maintained. The views from the villa out over the harbour were commanding.
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I bought an entry ticket to tour Villa Durazzo, a little bit to the surprise of the guy at the front desk, I think. On reflection, I am pretty sure that I was the first person to visit that day, and it’s conceivable I was the only person to visit that day. (First person because I noticed that the guy opened up one of the rooms after I had walked passed it so that I could visit it on my return. Also, he had to retrieve the credit card reader from the office to take my entry money.) Anyway, I had the pleasure of touring the whole villa undisturbed by other gawkers. And I’m really pleased about that. The villa is magnificent. Built as a classical roman house quadrangle around an atrium (enclosed in this case) over two floors (each prolly 20 feet high), the villa is pallatial and stupendous. It is furnished with wonderful 18th century pieces and decorated extravagantly with frescos on walls and ceilings. I just loved it! Too many photos, as usual; here’s a selection
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The last room that I visited, the one that was opened after I passed it on the stairs, was set up to be a study in tribute to a famous author/poet, Rossi. I felt that the room was really cosy – I could wish for my study to feel that cost – and the amazing thing that I noticed was the portrait of Rossi was a digital one, that moved. For all the world, a real-life Harry Potter wizards’ portrait.
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I finally left the Villa only after buying up some (relatively expensive) SML and Villa Durazzo merch; stuff I’ve been meaning to acquire as mementos of my stay here. I walked out of the front door of the villa really satisfied with this tourist experience. I walked through the formal garden beside the villa, passed a police conference going on in an outbuilding (quite a lot of senior police in dress uniform) and out in front of the church beside the villa. (Google tells me its the Chiesa di San Giacomo di Corte e Santuario di Nostra Signora della Lettera.) It was closed (on a Sunday!) so I could only admire it from outside, then used the steps that access it from the harbour to quickly lose altitude down to harbour.
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The steps left me on the rooftop of a building facing onto the road that runs around the harbour in SML. Right there was a nice looking restaurant with an appealing seafood-oriented menu. It was pretty pricey, so I decided to use this as my dinner venue and get a light lunch from a bakery on the way home.
I spent the afternoon doing a first pack for the end of my holiday. I sifted through everything that I had brought and bought since arriving and filled the big case with everything that I would no longer need. The plan is to use the smaller backpack-trolley case for all the stuff I will need in Rome, just as if I was travelling to Rome with the idea of returning. And that’s a job for tomorrow. I also did a first, thorough, pass through the apartment reseting it back to being ‘empty.’ I now only have to clean the place for it to be ready to lock-up (tomorrow’s other job).
I read for a while before heading out back to the restaurant that I’d spotted earlier in the day – Trattoria La Cambusa. It was a clear, cold night and I took some more tourist photos of the town. I was the only guest at the trattoria tonight. It was a lovely meal and the ambience was set by ad-free streaming jazz from a US broadcaster.
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| Daily facts: Location: Santa Margherita Ligure Temp: 9 Weather: Cloudy, patches of rain |
Day 55 – Santa Margherita Ligure
Another really quiet day. A long blog post in the morning and then some board work in the afternoon.
I was expecting the plumber to contact me today about installing a new dishwasher, but he didn’t show up, call or text. As I’m leaving SML for the last time in a couple of days, it appears that job will not get done.
Today was supposed to be clear and sunny, but never really hit that mark. Consequently, my plans to venture out and visit some more of SML died on the vine. On reflection, I’m not really sure where this day went! But, hey, I’m on holidays. It does leave me recognising that I’m now keen to get home to get on with the long list of things that I have to do there – fixing up the garden, a dozen or more odd jobs around the house, reconstituting my golf game, reinvigorating my health and fitness regime, and just enjoying some summer weather with my friends.
| Daily facts: Location: Santa Margherita Ligure Temp: 11 Weather: Cloudy |
Day 54 – Santa Margherita Ligure
Today was a very quiet day. A combination of not great weather, a long blog post to create, domestic duties to accomplish, and the long time away from home meant that the day passed without me leaving the apartment (except for an early trip to the Carrefour for essential food). I created the blog post, did my washing, re-stocked the larder, and read.
I spent a bit of the day reflecting on my Edinburgh adventure. In terms of the holiday, it was a triumphant success – I played golf on the Old Course at St Andrews on my birthday! In tourism terms, it was a less-successful adventure as I didn’t get to see (inside) Edinburgh Castle (or several other significant landmarks), but that just gives me an excuse to return to Edinburgh in the future. The feeling I left Edinburgh with was very positive, though. I like the city, the feel of the place. I like the Edinburgh residents that I met and observed. I was explaining to Mhairi when I was saying goodbye to her that Edinburgh resonated with me as a resident of Canberra. Similar scale of city and chunks of it quite planned (though Edinburgh has a millenia more history). It’s a capital with a similar population to ours. And Edinburgh Scots just seem like my kind of people. I felt very comfortable while I was there (in spite of the biting cold).
At dinner time, I had planned to visit L’insolita Zuppa again for dinner. However, when I got down there at their opening time, I read a notice on their door – “Chuiso per Fiere” until 3 December. With that plan scotched, I walked down Corso Matteotti looking for a substitute. More and more places are closed for a few weeks. I checked the menus of the few restaurants that are open and ended up choosing Trattoria Garibaldi, as I wanted something ‘not fish.’ I was the first diner in the trattoria but a few small groups showed up as I was finishing my main course. SML, in the way of seaside tourist towns, is really quiet at this time of year.
Home to read for a while and then an early night.
| Daily facts: Location: Santa Margherita Ligure Temp: 11 Weather: Heavy overcast; patches of rain |
I loved your description of the visit of Villa Durazzo 'solo'. And La Cambusa was my Dad's Favorite restaurant. Glad you also found our previous apartment.
ReplyDeleteI can see why your Dad would have liked La Cambusa. I also think that you have definitely upgraded your apartment. The Corso Matteotti is a more interesting and prettier street to be on.
DeleteI’m intrigued by the “Room of Grotesques” ….
ReplyDeleteI was too. There is an explanation about it that I have kept (though now packed) that I will have to review to understand what was so grotesque. Quite a room though!
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