… quanto costa essere gentili ? Teoricamente poco. Quanto si guadagna ad essere cortesi e disponibili ? Potenzialmente tanto. Io sono il primo a dire che noi liguri siamo quasi sempre la causa dei nostri mali perch\u00e8 tendenzialmente siamo delle teste di cazzo, indolenti e maleducati, trattiamo i turisti a pesci in faccia perch\u00e8 ci avvaliamo alle nostre rendite di posizione. Eccetera eccetera.<\/p>\n
Dunque quando leggo di visitatori che vengono trattati con inaspettata e gratuita cortesia dai miei conterranei e concittadini, mi si alleggerisce il cuore.<\/p>\n
Di Mackey arriva a Genova.<\/a><\/p>\n Siccome ho sempre il sospetto che le buone notizie vengano cancellate da un Grande Fratello Che Ci Detesta, copio ed incollo il testo anche qui, a mia futura memoria.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n My journey to Genova in May, despite being far too short, was as special as\u00a0every other visit<\/span><\/a>\u00a0I’ve made to that exquisite Italian city located in Liguria.\u00a0 But the kindness of strangers was quietly overwhelming and intensely appreciated.\u00a0 Perhaps it was all more condensed .\u00a0 I don’t know.\u00a0 It was a special visit.\u00a0 Crazy busy but filled with people I want to write about in the days ahead.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n I’ve put off writing about it in detail because I didn’t want to miss out any stories.\u00a0 Now … so much time has passed, I fear I have forgotten some things.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n It’s time to sit awhile and remember.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n I arrived via Rome and landed in Genova late afternoon.\u00a0 It was raining and grey.\u00a0 The journey from Brussels had been long.\u00a0 This time I was staying with Francesca and her lovely family out at Arenzano.\u00a0 Paola’s apartment was under renovation back in the city.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n So I followed the train signs out to the airport exit doors but then the signs peetered out.\u00a0 I turned a few times, sure it was me who was somehow lost, before wandering back to a counter where there was man who seemed like he might be open to questions from this lost woman.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n He was lovely.\u00a0 He started talking of the bus, then a taxi, then walking …discounting each idea as he went.\u00a0 It’s not much more than a kilometre to the train station, an easy walk normally and so he drew me a map but then looked at the rain and wasn’t happy.\u00a0 The situation was resolved when a friend or collegue of his called out a\u00a0ciao.\u00a0 He called him over to us.\u00a0 This lovely young man listened to the story and before I knew it my luggage and I were in his car.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n He had\u00a0piccolo inglese\u00a0and well … my lack of ability in other languages has created laughter all over the world.\u00a0 But we talked a little.\u00a0 He weaved through the streets near the airport then parked next to a footbridge that went over the railway tracks.\u00a0 He unloaded my luggage and then, much to my horror, carried my heavy bag all the way to the top of the stairs.\u00a0 I was so grateful and a little bit mortified.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n We said our goodbyes and I made my way down to the train station. I bought my ticket.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Flustered, tired … who knows really, I had forgotten how trains worked in Italy.\u00a0 Platforms, directions, stuff like that.\u00a0 Eventually I asked at the office and another lovely Ligurian said,\u00a0come with me, and so I did.\u00a0 I followed her under the tracks and up onto the correct platform.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Honestly, I know how trains work there.\u00a0 I use them often but it seemed that there was a brain-freeze going down and I was in its grip.\u00a0 She kept an eye on me, we talked a little.\u00a0 I wished I had studied Italian.\u00a0 I appreciated her unobtrusive kindess.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n I arrived in Arenzano and Francesca picked me up and whisked me off to her place.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Now … Francesca has lovely friend called Anna Lisa.\u00a0 I’m sure of the ‘lovely’ because Anna Lisa had offered to cook dinner for Francesca and her family that evening.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n I took a photograph or two while she whipped up a focaccia al formaggio, as per the photograph at the end of this post.\u00a0 There was other food too but I was so tired by then, and I did nothing but race about madly during those 5 exquisite days in Genova, I’ve lost the rest of the memory of dinner.\u00a0 I suspect that the warm focaccia di formaggio was so good that I have fixated on it.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n I also suspect that the kindness of Ligurian strangers had overwhelmed me, filled me up, knocked me off-balance a little.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n And Francesca’s family … Beppe, Cesare, and Emma.\u00a0 There’s so much love between them that it is truly lovely to spend time in their midst.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n And so I arrived. Genova,\u00a0 May 2013.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Altro Argomento.<\/strong><\/span> Com’\u00e8 la pubblicit\u00e0 dell’American Espress ? Quella che dice qualcosa di impagabile che capita al tipo e poi invece per tutto il resto c’\u00e8, per l’appunto, l’American Express ? Insomma, quando ti togli quella piccola soddisfazione che nessuno pu\u00f2 valorizzare per tanto sembrerebbe valere e sticazzi che spiegazione contorta ?<\/p>\n Ricevo il seguente messaggio email:<\/p>\n From: “Studio xxx<\/span> Vi informo che alla cena del x Luglio p.v. oltre al xxx e\u00a0<\/span>xxx sar\u00e0 presente anche xxx<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Cordialit\u00e0.<\/span><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em>xxx<\/span><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Al quale rispondo come segue:<\/p>\n From: “Posta Stefanome”<\/span><\/p>\n Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 8:22 AM<\/span> Cara xxx,<\/span> La persona in questione forse si\u00a0\u00e8 fatta invitare all’ultimo momento per presenziare e secondo me dovevano dirgli che non c’era posto. Ma nella vita bisogna essere cortesi ed anche baciapile e dunque eccolo qui. La serata poteva anche essere interessante, ma non intendo \u00a0rischiare di sentir quel tizio parlare. Mi irrita tremendamente perch\u00e8:<\/p>\n Ciao ciao !<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" … quanto costa essere gentili ? Teoricamente poco. Quanto si guadagna ad essere cortesi e disponibili ? Potenzialmente tanto. Io sono il primo a dire che noi liguri siamo quasi sempre la causa dei nostri mali perch\u00e8 tendenzialmente siamo delle … Continue reading Arriving in Genova – May,\u00a02013<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
\nSent: Friday, June 28, 2013 6:18 AM<\/span>
\nTo: Stefano<\/span>
\nCc: xx<\/span>
\nSubject: incontro di xxx<\/span><\/p>\n
\nTo: “Studio xxx<\/span>
\nSubject: xxx<\/span><\/p>\n
\ngrazie dell’informazione. Scopro in questo istante che proprio in <\/span>
\nconcomitanza con la serata ho un importante impegno con l’Associazione <\/span>Amici Della Frittella Di Righi e pertanto non potr\u00f2 partecipare. Grazie <\/span>ancora, ci vedremo ad una prossima occasione.<\/span>
\nUn caro saluto.<\/span>
\nStefano<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n