Genoa, Days 6-7
Yesterday’s video shoot left us pretty well exhausted (even the indefatigable octogenarian Franco), so we arose for our final full day in Genoa long after the sun had been out and warmed the noisy family of seagulls outside the patio that had so annoyed us during the previous day’s work.
We now finally had time for a tour of Franco’s own little “museum.” He trolls the flea markets (and eBay), collecting all sorts of obscure mechanical wonders: old cameras, record players, binoculars, stereoscopes, and antique whatchamacallits and thingamajigs of every description.
For example: The hilarious Davis & Kidder Patent Magneto-Electric Machine for Nervous Diseases which could relieve pain, cure cancer, consumption), diabetes, gangrene, heart disease, lockjaw, and spinal deformities.
I test it out on Franco. He showed little improvement.
After going over some final plans for our little documentary project, it was time to wrap up.
Around 18:00 we all met for a final meal with family and friends old and new.
At my left is Enrico De Filippi, our fellow Taraffo aficionado and researcher, whom you’ve met in our past blog adventures (Chiara, Bernard and his wife are all huddling around to help translate…I know, I’m high maintenance, at least internationally). Amusingly, Enrico also played in the bluegrass band with Alberto Giordano and Beppe Gambetta as youngsters. He continues to search the very latest newspaper archive uploads for new news of Taraffo (just in: a hint of a second film…?).
Calamari over rice – not some new variety of black wild rice, but flavored (and by default, colored) with squid ink. I don’t know what adventurous culinary genius thought it’d be a great idea to flavor a meal with the specially evolved liquid a sea creature shoots out of its butt to scare off predators, but it was surprisingly tasty, and we all eagerly devoured it.
Saying goodbye to the rest, our small group (Franco, Margarita and the new Dutch neighbors) took a last leisurely and lovely stroll home up the hill.
Again, we passed the town square, even more beautiful at night. The Banca Carige is the building in which we held our 2012 Taraffo public presentation.
Somehow I hadn’t noticed on any of my previous trips the faces disgorging fountain water.
And finally, there was nothing left but to pack. The next morning, we were up at dawn for the next phase of our travel adventures.
Alberto Basso kindly offered to drive us the 2 hours to Nice to catch a short flight to the EuroAirport that Franco had booked for Jaci and me.
Emotional goodbyes all around.
Until next time – Ciao Franco e Margarita!
Next: Mulhouse: city of historical trains, cars, buildings and…harp guitars!
