Mali and La Soluzione Maliana

Just back in Siena again, after twelve days in Mali, where my boss (and friend) Father Columba of the HMML (hmml.org) joined me for a trip north to Segou, where we met three of the library team from Djenne- this time even the Djenne team had dissuaded us from going further north and it was the first time I went to Mali without visiting Djenne...Even in the midst of all the insecurity and political upheaval in Mali, most people seem quite optimistic and virtually every Malian are behind the military junta. This is of course in sharp contrast to the expats left in the country who believe the country is carreering headlong into disaster...

The rainy season in Mali is beautiful, and we travelled through and witnessed some impressive downpours (which we could have done with in Tuscany this summer too!) After 

our days in Segou, when hard drives filled with manuscript images were handed over and accounts were scrutinized, as well as plans for the future discussed,  Babou (left below), Hussein and Ousmane boarded the Djenne bound bus. Anyone who has travelled on a local bus in Mali will recognize the scene glimsed to the left of Babou, as the local girls fight to board the stationary bus and try to sell their produce, shouting at the top of their voice and jostling to get on: 'Sefan be! Sogo be! Tiga be! (Boiled eggs here! I have meat! Nuts here!) and whatever else they might have to offer..

I had time to meet up with two of my former employees in Bamako: Dembele (left below) came down from Djenne with a shipment of plastic necklaces bound for South Africa and Mamane who still works at the Sleeping Camel and with whom I still carry on our  (moderately successful) chicken business.

And thoughts turned finally to the journey home to Italy and Siena: I sent Maman off to the market to buy the item below, which everyone who has been to Mali will recognize.  it is found in every Malian loo. Those who have followed this journal will remember my continued run-ins with Paolo, my architect, who says I have to have bidets in my Italian bathrooms. I went to his office today, and put this on his desk: La Soluzione Maliana: