When I finally decided to travel back to B and spend my summer vacation in the charming town on the Italian Riviera, I’ve only had one simple plan in my mind: to fully enjoy it. As a subsidiary plan there was the idea which wouldn’t let me off the hook, about the belfry. More precisely the belfry from San Giacomo, “To-die-for”. There was also a … Continue reading The crooked way to San Giacomo, and the belfry “To-die-for”
When Somewhere In Northern Italy.com was close to hitting the count of 9,000 visitors I thought it would be nice to write a note of appreciation to all of you and post it when we hit the magical 10,000. But I missed that because the visitors just kept flowing. And all-of-a-sudden I found myself looking at the stats amazed and overjoyed, now approaching 12,000 hits. … Continue reading Just a “Thank you!” note
I am proud to have many of these editions on my book shelf. But nothing compares to my happiness to have them all in my heart. Continue reading The book
The importance of Monet’s Berm will only make sense once one went through the entire story of Elio and Oliver in André Aciman’s novel. I was, initially, just looking for that postcard from the Monet’s Berm, the one thing Oliver has taken with him when he left B for New York at the end of that summer. The postcard that decades later was till hanging … Continue reading Monet’s Berm
Walking from the Piazza De Amicis towards the edge, there’s the Marabutto with the gorgeous view of the Cape Sant’Ampelio – the southernmost point of the Italian Riviera, the one that divides Riviera dei Fiori from the San Remo Bay. We can hear the conversation from three decades ago: “Just take a look at this” he said as we ambled with our bikes in the … Continue reading “Cor cordium”
I arrived to B on a warm late afternoon. After a refreshing stroll around the lower town and then to the hills, I walked up to the piazzetta of confessions – overviewing the sea – where thirty years ago on a sunny morning Elio found the courage to give up his secrets to Oliver, to the palm trees and to the sea-breeze. Next morning – … Continue reading La piazzetta of confessions
"Somewhere in northern Italy" 