The tempo has not slackened...

After the wedding and the funeral I woke up early on the day of my return flight to Italy, at my brother Johan's place in the Stockholm archipelago, in order to make 6 'laurel wreaths ' for my Italian theatre friends. These were fashioned using a quantity of holly I had gathered two days earlier in Torekov with my cousins- the transformation from prickly holly to smooth laurel was made by the help of scissors...It is a tradition in Siena- and maybe in all of Italy-  to crown students who have passed their University exams with laurel wreaths. And as my friends were to perform for the first time I thought it appropriate...

                                         

A mad dash followed as I tried desperately to get from Stockholm to Quercegrossa, Tuscany, to see this performance in the local sports centre at 21.30, in the face of delayed flights and general confusion, but hurrah! managed to get on that  train from Florence to Siena against all odds, and there, by the train station, stood Robert, my Swedish friend and frequent guest who whisked us off to Quercegrossa with a few minutes to spare! The play went off without a hitch- they  were all splendid of course, passed with flying colours and the laurel wreaths  could not have been placed on more deserving heads.

  

                                         

The next day I took part in the ONDA triumphal procession through town, this time a high octane fun run, carnival style, with  groups of different costumes and music floats, all inspired by something to do with ONDA's win, and often to do with our horse's name: TABACCO. My group were dressed in white, trying to look like Carmen and her friends in the tobacco factory- all sporting big cigars, cleavages, red lips and frilly dresses. 

    

The best group was without doubt the ONDEPENDANCE DAY group, since the Palio was finally run on July the 4th, having been rained off twice. There were American flags with waves rather than stripes, t-shirts with the names of states changed, and a float with quite a few of the guys having taken inspiration from that infamous storming of the US Capitol when that young blade- rather gorgeous it has to be admitted- had his fifteen miutes of fame on all the TV channels of the world sporting  a painted naked torso, draped in some animal skin and with a horned helmet over his long mane of hair...well, there were a few of those, all painted in ONDA colours...

  

The following day, early, early, we went off on a trek in the Appenines, in the region by Carrara, where we visited a stunning marble quarry, which looked as if it had been drawn by a great artist with a piece of  charcoal:

                                    

                                 

Last night this same group of friends went into the Crete Senese close to Asciano into a plantation of lavender, in the midst of which was improvised a theatre: at sunset a comedy performance of a local amateur theatre group, followed by pizza in a little restaurant in the ravishing little town of Serre Rapolano.

A Victory, A Wedding and a Funeral...

 

Yes! One of the most spectacular events of the last few days was of course the Victory of ONDA at the July Palio... but I was 10000m over the earth when this was happening, on my way to Stockholm...the Palio finally took place after two postponements on the 2nd and 3rd, when the skies decided to open just at 7pm when the horses were arriving in the Piazza ready to race...I will now be able to partake at least in some of the celebrations which take place for WEEKS after a win... more about this later!

But even long before that, much has happened at Casato di Sopra, and  I have not had a moment to write... I have finished the wall piece above, using the scaffolding metal pieces recycled from two pieces I made in London for my last exhibition at the twelve Star Gallery: now they  have turned into one piece, somewhat pretentiously called 'The Trees of Life'. 

And a lot of guests and many happy times: here below with Robert, my Swedish friend and frequent guest taking a selfie with the marvellous Siddharth from New Delhi, who came for two nights, but stayed for a week, because when he found out I missed Indian food, he started cooking.

 He maintained a constant telephone conversation with  New Delhi and his big brother and his sister-in- law, who gave him  lenghty and detailed cooking instructions. I acted as a washer-upper while he used every pot, pan and plate available in the repertory of the kitchen cupboards. He also found me, very usefully, an Asian supermarket, and bought me every spice -Masala- I could possibly need for any future Indian meals I will attempt on my own. And the results, which stretched over two nights, were totally delicious. 

That afore-mentioned flight took me to Sweden for the marriage of my God daughter Ida, and her lovely Senai, who had laid on a lavish wedding with a hundred guests at a beautiful restaurant by the water in Stockholm: an interesting a crowd of invitees- Senai's Eritrean family included the older generation which had first emigrated to Sweden in the late seventies after the fall of Haile Selassie and the subsequent troubles in the area, and the younger generation who, like Senai, are born in Sweden where many have found successful careers in their new homeland.  Ida and Senai are now winging their way to Bali for a long honey moon.

                                            

I am now in Torekov in southern Sweden, my childhood paradise, where I am spending a few days with all my cousins (all those engineers...)

And the last chapter of this Sweden trip will be my return north again, to be present at my mother's funeral on the 11th. An ending in a Minor key to a happy trip- but something we had expected for a long time. She had really already left us in spirit some time ago and we had said farewell  last summer in a rare lucid moment when she recognized me ...  my mother was a very talented artist, I have a lots to thank her for. May she rest in peace,