CAMOGLI…..ITALIAN RIVIERA

Yesterday was one of the busiest I have had in Key West. Business, not pleasure. I was at it from 9 in the morning to 3:30 in the adfternoon. Two business conferences, 2 bank conferences, a visit to Social Security, a visit with son in law Corey, computer time, etc. Plus walking between people and places. Parking near impossible.

I was exhausted when I finished. Sufficiently tired that I did not go out last night.

Today, I plan on doing nothing. It is going to be a Louis day. Only thing scheduled is a manicure at noon. A fun thing. Tonight another Presidential debate. Pure pleasure for me to watch.

Every place visited on my European trip was different. No two places alike. Today, I share with you my visit to Camogli.

Camogli is a small townm on the Italian Riviera. I spent one week there. Its population small. Approximately 5,000. Off season. In season, Camogli is booming with tourists. How many, I never was able to ascertain. It is a summer beach town. Frenetic is the best way to describe it.

The summer visitors were well dressed in fashionable summer attire.

Camogli is located on the Portofino penninsula. Just over a mountain is world famous Portofino.

Beachside buildings are 6-8 stories high. Multi colored. Each building reflecting its own hue. In days gone by, Camogli was an active fishing port. The buildings were differently colored so the sailors could identify their homes from the sea as they returned. The color was placed in the sand mix as the buildings were constructed. It is not from paint. The colors have faded over the years. Today though still obvious, the colors are muted.

Buildings are actually called houses. Why, I do not know. Most were constructed around 1,000 A.D. Some before. Camogli is an old town. It looks like an old town. There is nothing modern appearing beach front.

Hanging wash intrigued me. It was all over the place. Camogli buildings may be old on the outside. They are not old on the inside. All beach front condos are in the $1 million range and furnished consistent with such cost. Yet every one hangs their wet wash outside a window to dry. Everywhere in Italy. Not just Camogli.

I believe the real reason is that their is an electrical power problem in Italy. There has always been. The people forget. They tell you they hang the wash out to dry because it smells better. Not just outside buildings. Beautiful private homes, also. A rope of hanging clothes is always to be seen on a front porch.

The photos tell the story. Seven photos in all.

The first is of me with Camogli in the background. A part of the Italian Riviera. Colorful and old.

The next photo is an opposite view of the first. Mount Portofino is behind me. On the other side of the mountain is Portofino.

There is a walkway between the beach front buildings and the beach. It is called a promenade. The next photo is me standing early morning on the promenade. Note the wash hanging out the windows.

Camogli was not without steps. The next photo were the the steps I had to climb each morning to get to the inernet store to do my blog. What you see is only 25 per cent of the steps. The stair way curves up and around the building.

The next photo is of one of the $1 million condos with wash hanging out to dry.

On the back side of the beach front condo buildings were inner courts. Expensive condos were located off the courts, also. Again, the wash. Obviously, I had become fixated with the hanging wash.

The last photo is an alley way between expensive condominium buildings. The space is referred to correctly as an alley. Note the wash again and me staring at it.

I enjoyed Camogli. Old. Medieval. Wash hanging to dry out windows.

I felt like I was in Italy.

Enjoy your day!

DAY 40

Today is special.

It is my birthday.

Seventy seven years.

A long time. Who would have thought. I still remember my young years like yesterday.

My father recently passed on at 98. His father at 94. It appears the genes may be good. I hope.

The weather. I have not spoken of it in ages. Here in mid Italy, it is reported in the following fashion. There is a heat wave coming up from Africa. When the heat wave hits the Mediterranean, the humidity will increase. Rain is also expected coming down from the Alps.

I share the weather report so you can compare it with those in the U.S. Generally the same description wise. Only the names are different.

Yesterday, I finally made Portofino. It is as good as they say, if not better. Magnificent. Beautiful.

You can feel the wealth. Huge yachts. Smart people. High end clothing shops. Everything perfect. The buildings, boats and cafes neat and orderly.

Portofino appeared to me as if it were a finely mowed the lawn. Perfection!

The private homes on the hillside equally magnificent. Obviously equally expensive. Terrific shrubbery. All neatly manicured.

The negative with Portofino is that it is too expensive. Outrageous price wise. I had a gin and tonic. Seventeen euros. Roughly $20 American money.

An ordinary millionaire could not afford to live in Portofino. It is only for the very very rich.

I took a cab to Portofino. Decided to treat myself well. The thought of a train and bus really did not excite me.

The cab cost 40 euro. Not bad for a 15-20 minute drive from one town to another. We had to go up one side of Mount Portofino and down the other.

The return trip was not as easy.

I figured I would take a cab back to Camogli. I went to the cab stand. Four cabs. All beautiful. BMWs and Mercedes.

I asked the fare back to Camogli. One hundred euros. I explained I had only paid 40 euros to get there. They did not care. The cab drivers were polite, but adamant. One hundred euros or stay in Portofino.

I sat down on a bench beneath a nearby tree. What to do? I really would have been pissed off if I had to go 100 euros.

Then I saw a sign. Bus stop. At that instance, the bus came. I got on and made sure it would take me to the metro railway station in St. Margery. I probably spelled the name wrong.

I was assured it would. The cost: 1.5 euros. A deal!

I enjoyed the ride. A large comfortable air conditioned bus. Many lovelies in the their bikinis.

The bus dropped me off in front of the metro station. I went in to the counter. A ticket to Camogli, please. Three euro. I bought it. So far I had spent a measly 4.5 euros to return to Camogli.

The person behind the counter told me to hurry. The train was just arriving. I ran out and got on. One stop later I was in Camogli.

The train dropped me off at the internet store I have been using each morning to do the blog. The streets beyond are blocked off. Only pedestrian traffic permitted. A shot walk and I was at my apartment.

On rising this morning, I watched a little TV. No English speaking channels. I came upon the Wizard of Oz. In Italian. However, the songs/singing were in English with Italian sub titles. The movie was easy to follow. I must have seen it a 100 times already.

I have been enjoying breakfast at a little cafe on the sea. Tiny inside. Three small tables outside. Rosalie, sometimes Rosalia, has been taking care of me. A short thin woman in her mid 50s.

I told her today was my birthday. I was 77 years old. She started pulling on my left ear lobe. Seventy seven times. For good luck. She said that was the Italian way.

I explained how we spank in the U.S. She thought that was strange. I did not tell her that pulling on my ear lobe was strange to me.

How will I spend the rest of my birthday? Anything special? I do not know. I will take today like every day. As it comes.

An observation. Middle aged and older women dress well in this area. Nice dresses, suits and hats. Looking at them is like viewing a fashion show.

Enjoy your day!

DAY 16

I was dead last night! The volcano did me in!

I did yesterday’s blog till 8 in the evening. Then I satisfied a need. For whatever reason, I had a desire for a chocolate milkshake. Yes, they sell them in Oia. It was delicious!

I was back in my cave by 9 and soon sound asleep. The sleep of the dead. The volcano responsible therefore.

I have been in Santorini longer than planned. I was to leave last Saturday. Put it off to Sunday. Then to today, Tuesday. Now, tomorrow. I definitely will be leaving tomorrow. Wednesday.

Destination Mykonos.

Going by boat. Speed boat. So called. Probaly a big boat as yesterday. Makes three stops before reaching Mykonos.

I do not have a place to stay. Unusual for me. I am normally a planner. But this trip is loosey goosey. I am told to worry not. A lot of places to stay in Mykonos. Not yet the season.

Donna and Terri wrote me. We have friends in Mykonos. She told me a bar to go to. Terri sang for the owners in New York. Bobby Peoscue, probaly spelled his name wrong, is playing piano there. He worked the place where Terri sang when she first came to Key West.

Loosey goosay not working in Mykonois. I am only staying three nights. I am anxious to move on to Fourni-Korseon. In English, Pirate’s Cove.

Fourni, as it is so called, is a very small island with a very small village. Only one bar. Serves the same one meal all day.

The attraction of Fourni is its expatriates. Writers, musicians, entrepreneurs, etc. I am told my time there will be enjoyable and well spent. The expatriates look forward to the few guests who arrive to visit their island

I do not know how long I will be in Fourni. Perhaps a couple of weeks. Where, then? I am thinking Morroco or Portofino. I have met many Morocco natives on this trip. They make their homeland sound interesting. Although a Muslim country, the people dance to their own tune. Women dress as in the USA. Mini skirts in vogue. Men and women walk the streets hand in hand. The young well educated. A fun place.

They speak of interesting historical places. Like Casablanca, the Casbah and the like. Shades of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Tony Martin. Even Frank Sinatra. I saw Sinatra in person at the Paramount Theatre on stage in 1943. My father took me. I was 8 years old. This young kid, skinny, with a big bow tie sang. The movie running with the live Sinatra was The Casbah with Tony Martin. The recollection fixed in my mind.

China is starting to tickle my fancy. I have met many Chinese here in Santorini on vacation. All interestig. All mysterious.

Portofino is a must. Have to get everything worked out. decision time later. I have the time.

The Greek language is difficult to absorb. I have mentioned the katini I dined at three evenings. The one at the base of a lava cliff on the sea. I thought the place was a katini. In my mind, a canteen. The sign said Katina. Turns out Katina is trhe family name of the persons owning the restaurtsant.

The name of the place turns out to be Fish Eatry. However that is in English. The sign in Greek reads YapotaBepva. I am staying on the island of Santorini. The name Santorini is on the sign, also. In Greek. It read Eantopinh. Do you wonder why I make mistakes in translation?

Some intreresting tidbits about Santorini.

The locals dress in black. Men and women alike. All black. The men wear black jeans and black tee shirts who work on the boats. How they stand the heat, I do not know.

Oia wakes up at 9 in the morning. Before then, the locals are busy sweeping in front of their stores, otherwise claeaning up, doing pre opening tasks. They talk with each other. Not a precise description. They yell. A hundred feet away, they communicate in loud tones. Reminded me of the Italian neighboirhood in Utica where I grew up.

Comes 9, everything goes silent. And stays that way til the next morning.

Water a problem. As everywhere. Santorini is a small island. No wells. Water is brought in by tanker. Some in large vats, some in bottles. It is said it is better to drink bottled water as the tanked water is not so good.

Everyone has water problems. Key West brings water in also. Except Key West gets it by pipe from Miami.

There are two super markets on the walk above the caves. Not really super markets, though so called. Really small grocery stores stacked with every conceivable thing.

I have been going to the one closest to me. The owner cheats. No matter how many times I buy the same thing, it is always a different price. By as much as 3 euros.

No cable TV here. Antennas like in the 1960s on rooftops.

Electric power via solar panels. One on each house. More on hotels. Each rthe size of a door. with a small tank behind each one. Not covering the entire roof as we are being told in Key West. As I understand it, solar panels in the U.S. are cheap. It is the labor that is costly. But we cover the entire roof in the U.S. Someone should look into the Greek concept.

You pay for bread in a restaurant. A small basket is anywhere from 1 euro to 2.5 euros. The bread sucks. The only food in Greece I have not enjoyed. It all tastes
the same no matter where you eat. Bland with a soft/hard crust.

On the other hand, other type baked goods are delicious. Like the breakfast rolls I enjoy each morning.

Santorini is a vacation place. The season is the summer months. However, the island is open for business from April 1 to November 1. Otherwaise closed down. It gets very cold here in the winter.

Locals work 7 days a week. Some froim 9 to 9. Others different evening hours. Hotel workers from 7 to 9. These are all morning to night times.

They do not complain. This is their time to make it. An industrious people.

It is now June. The weather is warm by day. Very warm. Absolutely no humidity. I have not sweat once no matter what I wqas doing. Evenings are cold, however. A sweater or jacket required. They tell me it remains that way in July and August.

So much for today. Chat with you in the morning.

Enjoy your day!