Uppsala, London, Siena

Well, all things come to an end, including my three weeks as a film star, touring  Swedish cities with Elisabet, the director, for opening nights of the film.  Here she is, below, pretending to be a film star  too, in Uppsala with the composer Hutch, before the first showing of the film at a charming little cinema.

Much fun was had, and much laughter, especially when Hutch pointed out to one of the cinema staff that I was in the film that was about to be shown, and the lady thought I was Penelope Cruz! The resemblance is of course striking...

I left a sunny Sweden, where the leaves were beginning to turn golden and there was arrival of  autumn in the air, and spent a few days in the UK, first a lovely weekend with friends my favourite corner of  Suffolk, 

Then onto London and my Ladbroke Grove flat, where I managed to gather a few friends together for a dinner at that table which has seen so many happy evenings over the last twenty years...

and on the last day of September I finally arrived back in Siena again, after a exactly a month away, and |I observed with some pleasure and surprise  how much it felt like coming home...

Since then my little three room 'auberge' has been well frequented with easy, friendly and non-demanding guests, such as Zoe the tattoo artist from Montana below:

                               

And last Friday we started up the 'Pittura Vocale' again, the little theatre group in embryo, which used to meet up in a freezing cold church last winter, but which will now meet at my flat on Friday nights, under the guidance of Andrea, standing below. We have started to do an Alan Ayckburn play - in Italian- not even quite sure what the name of it is...: a series of monologues on park benches. Quite funny...

Lovely to be back in still warm Siena!

                                                 
 

Film Star for a Day

My vanity was basking in the corrupting glory of that 15 minutes of fame that Andy Warhol talked about on Tuesday night as I had the rather gratifying experience of being a film star for an evening. Here above with Elisabet Gustavson, the Director of the feature length film about the final days of Hotel Djenne Djenno; about being me and being her. ‘A philosophical, rather than political film’, said the  first reviewer, who seemed to be a little disappointed that it was a film about us, about changing one’s life; about personal challenges rather than anything to do with race, which she probably expected from a film set in Mali...

However it was noisily and well received at the Premiere, held at the ZITA, a small independent cinema in Central Stockholm, which was packed out mainly with people who had had something to do with the film, who were friends or relatives, so their enthusiasm was perhaps no real indication of how the film will be received by the real, paying  public on Friday night...The composer of the film’s music had arrived from London; the sound technician from Paris; the first Swedish ambassador I knew in Mali, Carin Wall was there, as well as many other people who had Malian connections, and who had visited the hotel, such as the Dutch Jay, 

                                

with me above, who features in a very small part in the film- he was one of the last visitors and is seen in a scene on a happy starlit night when we dine in the hotel garden, laugh and smoke big cigars...Jay came to Stockholm for the Premiere!

Earlier a large contingent of my cousins congregated and the head of the clan, Pelle, invited us all to a lovely Japanese early dinner treat before the show.

Afterwards the producers, the composer, Jay and a couple of others ended up at Sturehov, a venerable old restaurant around the corner which doesn’t close- the party ended about three I think...

                              

The Riderless Horse wins the August 2023 Palio

                           And the name of that horse is ZIO FRAC, winning for OCA- the Goose. 

The Palio is the only horse race in the world where a horse can win although the jockey has fallen off.

That was of course almost a week ago, but in the tumult during and following the Palio, I have not found a moment to sit down to  record it all. My Irish friend Peter has been here, making me laugh, and entering into all the Palio revelry: 

including taking some inspired pictures at the Cena della Prova Generale at Onda. This time Onda was not running in the Palio, so it was a more quiet affair than in July: noone is wearing the Onda scarves for instance, and it was a lot more subdued this time..

We saw the Corteo Storico at the Piazza, for Peter to soak in some of the atmosphere, and take some more pictures:

and then, just before the Palio started we ran down to the Onda Contrada head quarters and saw it on the  huge screen. It was  good way to see it- this time a totally engrossing race, full of twists and turns of fate,  with everyone standing up and screaming at the top of their volume- first it looked as if the 5 times consecutively victorious Tittia would yet again sail home for an easy win for Giraffa  but the unfortunate Abbasantesa smacked straight into the mattresses at the first San Martino bend,  a second after this shot below: 

and had to be taken to veterinary hospital, but is recovering well. 

Pantera, with the jockey Scompiglio- Jonathan Bartoletti-took advantage of this unexpected bonus and sailed ahead on Anda e Bola, into what looked like a sure win for two turns around the Piazza until he too  went down, his horse having lost a shoe. Then, for a moment Torre, the deadly enemy of Onda looked set for  victory when suddenly, out of nowhere, came the lovely Zio Frac, cutting the trajectory of Torre and Tabacco, 

and arriving victorious to the finishing line. The Ondaioli were deafening in their joy- if we  are not running, the most important thing is not to have to witness  our great enemy Torre win. This is all Contrada stuff that I have not quite assimilated yet, and frankly, might never quite understand. I am still feeling that this 'enemy' business is more of a light hearted affair...but then of course I am, and will always be, a late-comer and an outsider somehow, however welcoming many of the Ondaioli have undoubtedly been to me.

Meanwhile, the  three rooms in the house have been full of lovely guests: the last one the young Chinese Cellist ZhiYu, who is still here, doing master classes at the Chigiana Music Academy, and in the meantime being kind enough to give us  little concerts at night, while she practises. Here she is, with the Bach Cello suites. How lucky am I?

Interactive Theatre

 Well, since last time I wrote, my little mini Auberge has been pretty well frequented. 

It says in the AirBnB hand book that I should  make some House Rules which should be easily seen by the guests. But I don't even know where to start. I have decided to let the rules make themselves gradually, when I see what is necessary. Guests have followed unwritten rules anyway.  For instance, they have asked me if they are allowed to smoke on the balcony, taking it for granted that they are not allowed to smoke in the rooms...

                                                  

After the inspirational Rose, I have enjoyed the quiet and gentle company of George, the Unkrainian jazz guitarist, with whom I discussed gender politics, religion and Ukraine, of course, finding out so much about his part of the world, until now so alien to me. 

And now there is the young Dutchman with an unpronounceable name, who is kindly allowing me to call him Marengue. He too is very quiet and polite, but has been slightly led astray by the South African Dino, who has taken on the role of a Pied Piper, since I first told him about the continuing Siena summer fun which I visited with Rose at Bruco and which has now moved on to the Contrada Of Nicchio. Dino leads them all there- those from here and those he knows from the Dante Alighieri language school. |Only this time I have not been included: the Bright Young Things are out revelling most nights at Nicchio, back about 3, and I am not invited... It has suddenly dawned on me that they are between 22 and 40, and I am now having to accept being  in my late sixties (Ugh!) so it is probably normal that they do not invite me...

So, every time a new guest arrives, I really have no idea what will happen. For instance, yesterday arrived Marco from Sicily, who is here for 12 days, studying the Contradas, for his anthropology PHD. Whereas most people have been rather timid and stayed in their rooms until I try and drag them out of their shells by inviting them for a drink, for instance, Marco has immediately imposed his presence. He has moved all sorts of frozen Sicilian delicacies into the freezer- he flew in to Florence, armed with an icebox packed by his Mama, so he wouldn't have to survive on Tuscan ware. He sits on the balcony having breakfast, having somehow, in the deepest recesses of the drawers  found a clean tea towel which he is using as a table cloth. After his breakfast he PUTS IT BACK in the drawer...I say nothing. Not a great problem really. He leaves the door open to his room while he is studying or writing, and Sicilian hip-hop drifts through the rest of the flat. 

And as a scenic back drop to these goings-on, there is the never ending fun and interest of the 'Rear Window' view from the balcony, crowned in the distance by the melancholy Memento Mori of the Facciatone, the architectural attempt to beat Florence in grandeur which was stopped short by the Plague...

                                         
Meanwhile, I have to negotiate what happens in order to enjoy this and in order to DIRECT  this stage play, so both I and my guests  enjoy it. And I feel like a director,  It is in my power to create something here, something good. 

I must remember what Andrea wrote: In questo posto qualcosa magicamente crescera...

Rose

In the height of the summer in Siena, there is the lovely tradition of the 'Bao'bello', or the summer festival in the Bruco contrada, where one queues up for barbequed meat and those great Tuscan sausages; where much wine is drunk and where the disco or live music goes on into the small hours of the morning. This is where we went once more last night. 'We' comprised of my guests the tall Norwegian Audun, the lovely Rose from San Francisco with her mother Lilly. 

The thing about Rose and Lilly is they are both deaf and dumb. But that was not a problem really- there was plenty of communication going on. Rose was adorable and flirted gamely with Audun, and also with some boys sitting at our table, visiting from the contrada of Nicchio. 

I think the best thing would be just to write down some of the 'conversations' that I found this morning in the writing pad. Rose's comments are in bold.

 I never went to a contrada event before.. This is nice. What is the purpose of this event? 

Just to have fun and make some money for the contrada. Giving back to the community always warms the heart. The contradas are the Life and Soul of Siena. 

What would happen if there were no contradas?  Siena would just be an ORDINARY place.

True. If the Palio was banned for whatsoever reason, would the contrada spirit still be the same?  NEVER. Let's hope the Palio lives as long as our earth.  Mamma aspetto per lei Pizza. My Italian grammar is bad, sorry!

Questo e una sera molto Italiana! I try to blend in.  It feels like you are my nonna!

La bruschetta e soggy! Si.. lora hanno preparato il pomeriggio,,,
 I think your mother has run into an adventure somewhere..Sicuramente, I hope so! Una domanda: do I look Italian? Si, tu potessi essere Italiana. Come? Occhi scuri, capelli scuri... si sarebbe possibile.

Come tu trovi il Norvegiano? He is cute? No, non carino. Ma ho visto lui con i occhiali? camicia bianca. Ti piace? Shhh! Si. 

OK vai! ma io sono sordo. Yes I know. Io scrivo un messagi a lui? Posso scrivere che 'tu piace a lei'. lei e sordo.  'Ciao' La mia amica e sordo ma tu piace a lei'.  Sono ventuno Quanti anni tu? 

IO HO 30 ANNI, MA SONO FIDANZATO! COME TI CHAMI? 

Sono Rose, Sono Americana. Tu sei fidanzato, ma non encora sposato! Di quale citta in America? San Franciso, Come ti chiami? Mi chiamo Giulio, sono stato a San Francisco! Bellissima! Buona serata, e stato un piacere connoscerti.

Piacere mio! Grazie, il mio instagram se vuoi e sancho.golini......

Ravenna; Village Sagra; Octopus Feast and Andrea's Prophesy on the Wall...

My dear old friend David invited me to Ravenna, where he was writing reviews for its summer music and theatre festival- I managed to be present at one thing only- a idiosyncratic production of Don Quixote which was staged by a venerable Ravenna theatre company that he had known for decades- we were therefore looked after extremely well and after the performance we were invited to a late night wine flowing dinner with the company and all the actors- I was then driven back home to my litttle airbnb by Don Quixote himself in his beaten up old car which he called Rosinante!

                           Had just enough time to see those splendid Byzantine mosaics before leaving the  lovely Ravenna :

to host my old friend Robert, whom I met in Mali some years ago, and who now has business in Tuscany: here we are at a village Sagra, one of those lovely summer events which are so popular in the little villages around Siena and the Chianti. 

And here in  my flat I had my first large dinner- we managed to squeeze 11 people in around the dinner table. I cooked  Octopus using my friend Leonardo's Sicilian grandmother's recipe for some of those that I have met through the trekking group; but particularly those  of us who have a splintered off into a subsection of that large group- one where we read and act  and will perhaps engage in other creative activities too- who knows? 

This evening, after dinner, AnnaCarla, below in the chair, read from her book which is just published, called  Ballando Tra Vetro e Ombre : or  Dancing between glass and shadows'.

But the best thing of all was Andrea's Prophesy on my wall: I have a space where my guests write a message - the French call it a 'Livre d'Or' when it is in book form. But mine will fill a circle on my wall instead. And Andrea (above, centre) wrote:

'Don't be fooled by 

  appearances, this isn't a house, it's a fertile field. Don't just look, sow and in this place something will magically grow'

Palio report- much delayed!

Four days before the Palio, on the 29th of June,  our horse 'Viso d'Angelo' arrived into the ONDA stable after the estrazione, the lottery by the Palazzo Pubblico when the participating Contradas are given  their respective horses. There was a great roar of joy by the Ondaioli at the announcement that we had gained this horse which was regarded as one of the three favourites. I can  see the stable from my balcony and enjoyed watching the barbaresco walk him around  the narrow space for a little exercise during these four days. There should have been several Prove, trial runs in the Piazza during these days, but three of them were cancelled because of bad weather. 

The evening before the Palio is the happiest time in Siena- it is when there is much hope in the air and everyone thinks that this time it will surely be their time: when their own contrada will win.. the Cena di Prova Generale is when the whole of Siena have dinner under the stars on long tables that covers most of the city's streets and Piazzas... It is a noisy affair with much singing and laughing.  Here below is Paolo with one of his lovely daughters - I invited  him and his family to the Onda dinner, as a thank you for a job well done and for all the  fun that we have had in the last year completing my flat. He had invited me to his contrada, the Valdimontone, last July (see blog), and since they were not running this July they were happy to join me.

The next day dawned with blue skies and happy, great expectations as the crowds gathered in the Piazza for the long wait... finally, after the  mounted carabinieri and their cavalry charge (always a great crown pleaser) came the almost interminable historic parade which includes the 17 contradas' alfieri and tamburini, followed by  the contradas that are now defunct in their historic outfits and banners,  receiving  their yearly outing so as not to be forgotten: the Serpente, the Spadaforte the Ourso, the Leone... and not forgetting all the ancient guilds with their banners- the butchers, the bankers, the carpenters etc... as well as a company of  footsoldiers with crossbows- finally the great wagon arrives with the Palio, drawn by four white bulls: that is the culmination and the grand finale of the Corteggio Storico.

And after these two hours of lead up : there is the 90 seconds of Palio, but only after about an hour's jostling at the Mossa, the start, when the rather complicated beginning of the race takes place... 

And once more, in a identical combination to last August's,  Tittia won on the mare Violenta da Clodia who once again set a new record. The winning contrada was Selva. Tittia won for the fifth consecutive Palio- he has won every one of the four I have seen- including in July 2019, when I first came to Siena. Alas our Viso d'Angelo slipped and fell at the San Marino bend, but was not injured luckily...