Bologna and Patras

What a beautiful random city to land in Italy.
An explosion of colours that hides and appears between the multiple arches and galleries. Ochre reds, yellows, oranges. Green and blue blinds overlooking little alleyways. Old women in long dresses cleaning their carpets.

Just by chance it happened that my cousin Vale and her boyfriend Maxo were also spending some days in Bologna. So I had a couple of delicious dinners with them and heard about their long trip through multiple European destinations.

Bologna is supposed to be the best culinary destination in Italy. Amazing tagliattelle, prosciutto, mascarpone, gelatto! And, of course that bolognesa sauce which is here called Ragú.

Streets are filled with little cafés, beautiful libraries, myriads of churches, cathedrals, fountains, museums.

The amazing Bologna University. The oldest one in the world.

I visited the Anatomy faculty which houses the Wax Museum. A collection of wax sculptures dating from the 18th century depicting all kind of bodily malformations and details. Beautifully creepy.

The Arts faculty with its corridors full of classical sculptures. Who wouldn't want to be a student in that amazing environment.

Last, but not least. I landed in the middle of a great film festival. Both indoor and outdoor movies of amazing quality. It was especially a great experience to hear the passionate howling of the Italian footbal fans while they beat England, overimposed to a Jacques Demy movie.

And watching and hearing Agnes Vardá talking about her mixes of documentary and fiction. What an amazing woman. When I grow up I want to be just like her.

I got to Patras, in Greece, in this huge ferry from Ancona. 25 hours of sailing. Probably 17 hours of sleeping in different positions and places all over the boat. Thinking always about this big step over the sea to start crossing the gates towards the Eastern world.

                                     

Patras was a grand learning experience. Staying with beautiful Linda whom I hadn't seen for almost 5 years.

Linda is Swiss, but she's one of the very few real citizens of the universe that I know. Speaking to me in perfect Chilean, surfing 3 and 7 hour meetings in Greek, translating for people in English. Who knows what else.

And this collection of cultures and languages stem from a continuos search to understand and respect and make room for all souls.

This amazing woman received me in the squat were she lives with a few other anarchists. And it was an amazing chance to learn more about Anarchy and the socio-political history in Greece which is incredibly intense.

                                                  

Not enough space-time here to delve into the topic. But there is so much to anarchism. Its questioning of systems, hierarchies, violence. It's non-proposal, born from individuals that strive to strike their individuality out of the birth process, for every person to take ownership fo their own decisions, future, creations.

Also so much to the question of migrating humans. Greece is the entrance to Europe for oh so many wandering, escaping eastern and african people.  People that flee from their roots towards unknown destinies and are received with violence and cold stares.

The question of walls and frontiers, and people forgetting that we are all human beings.

And the question of economy.

But oh well. Not everything is questioning and heavy brows here.

There is the beautiful city which reminds me of chile in the eighties, but this one is full of lazy afternoons in the café sipping a delicious frappé and playing backgammon.

And the beaches, the first swim in the Ionic delicious sea.

Efharistó polí linda Linda!

Lausanne or a week with Sotito

Whomever said Switzerland is boring has clearly never been to Lausanne during the summer and/or spent a week with Sotito there.
Actually Switzerland escaped all the preconceptions I had of the country, which weren't much. Some words that come to mind are: Boring, postcard-looking, cold, cheese, chocolate, watches.
Actually, it didn't escape ALL the preconceptions. It is postcard-looking and the chocolate and cheese are pretty good.

I met up with the great Alvaro Soto after around 5 years. Became his shadow for a week. And it is definitely interesting to shadow this character through lake beaches, ancient wineries, jazz concerts, fetes de la musique... It is especially good when he is trying to navigate his double bass through Switzerland's cobble stone streets (or perhaps the double bass is navigating for him?)

We had great weather the whole week. And took advantage of it swimming in the lake almost every day.
The lake itself is incredibly beautiful. Yes. Just like a postcard. The swans, the sunsets, the old houses, boats, the Alps. It looks a bit like a scale model of a medieval city. Everything in its right place, well mantained, picturesque.
Even the vineyards can be traced back to the 11th century and are protected by law. You can see it in the knotty wood that ends up resembling dragons and virgins.
It is a bit of an untouchable landscape. But you can still have a great pic-nic while you're looking.

The city of Lausanne itself is also incredibly well mantained. Just change people's costumes and some of the shop windows and you are back many centuries. Going up and down the small windy cobbled streets. In the market-full of coloured spices and carrots.

As Sotito is studying the double bass and jazz, I had the great honor of sitting through different kinds of concerts and rehearsals. As a good shadow, I also became the number one groupy (I'll try to keep up my role long distance!).

Contemporary music pieces that gave life to the beautiful library building.

Big bands playing all time classics at school, in the park.

Awesome music. Merci beaucoup Alvarito!

My french sucks. So I'm not much of a talker, I'm usually just "desolé" (very sorry, though it sounds more like devastated) about it.

Again I found a great home in Sotito's house And he was kind enough to give me his room all these days. Beautiful lazy mornings reading and writing in the garden. Enjoying Alvaro's library. Especially Bolaño's "Estrella Distante", such a good novel.

Lots of talking about Bolaño too. Watching him in Youtube declaring that "After all, we are all writing the same book". Such a genius.

Lots of talking about so many things all the time in all kinds of places. Sotito rocks!

                              

I also had the great chance to meet up with Alex and Jan, the greatest couple in Geneva. Having lunch in the Bain des Paquis, getting to know their beautiful flat amidst Geneva's red district, where Ale makes up stories about the neighbors.

Geneva was beautiful too. Larger. More multicultural. Also with an amazing old city that I just got to see at night during a few minutes, enjoying la Fete de la Musique.

I did get to meet a few Swiss people, though couldn't talk much. Did get the impression that because it is such a "perfect" country, lots of Swiss people are very passionate about fighting for other countries rights. Lots of people involved with refugees, anarchists. Lots of political energy and creativity. Though this perception might be due to the specific circle of people that I met.

So, what can I say. Switzerland for me is a hot summery country full of music : )