I hope you enjoyed the Winter Olympics. "Now," as the late comic Les Dawson always used to say (usually dressed as John Bull rather than one of his classic drag roles) "it's melody time, folks," before launching into cacophony on the piano. Yes, we've just seen off the Olympic skiers and skaters but the fun here in Italy continues with the huge annual Sanremo Music Festival which I have referred to many times since I moved to the area. The press is full of little else and the texts of all the songs are reprinted in practically every magazine and paper and you can get all this year's entries on CD and other media already. Hours of live musical variety TV every night for five nights, starting tonight. But the festival really started on Sunday with a laser and fireworks display from the harbour and from the giant cruise ship tiled all over in LEDs, and a light show from the town centre. I can see all this from the Mountain Lair that is my home. All my cameras are hopeless in the dark but it looked something like this.
It's quite camp as most of these pop contests are (look at the Eurovision one) and this will doubtless lead to the local bishop's annual hissy fit, usually involving him waggling his finger from his lace sleeve and turning away in disgust, the skirts of his pink robes flapping menacingly. If only he had some pearls to clutch.
What's actually a regular scandal is that most of the tickets for the event go to media industry executives and their families, not locals. Although locals get their own back by renting out their homes for the week at exorbitant rates. One thing is sure, it's impossible to live normally here at festival time. Ever since the small local branch of my bank closed I've had to go to the main branch in the centre of Sanremo. Only I can't right now because the bank turns into a radio studio for the Festival. Many businesses in the city centre rent themselves out as pop star hangouts and pop-up record shops, which is galling as there's no longer a permanent record shop. The council is afraid of losing this national event that is a giant boost to the economy of a small city/large town that has a mere 50,000 inhabitants so everything is now given over to it and us locals literally get turned away from the centre.
That's why I've taken to going away at this time. Well, since the pandemic ended, I mean. Last year I went to Monaco. Now I'm packing for a few days in the South of France where it should be quieter and I can enjoy some good food and the early spring sunshine. Naturally, there are some things I want to see that I think should be of interest to other trans/CD people, too, notably to do with the perfume industry, queer celebs and their homes, and historic women's costume. I'll be reporting back.
[Update 10:20 pm: Well, the first night of the Festival is under way and I have to say that, although one of the presenters, Laura Pausini, a singer who won in 1993, was very nervous to start with, she is relaxing. She is also wearing the most gorgeous classic plain black velvet off-the-shoulder floor-length dress and I am spellbound by it. The women - Arisa, Mara Sattei, Elettra Lamborghini, Patty Pravo (yes, indeed, the Patty Pravo) - have generally opted for some very lovely long dresses too so far. None of the boys have appeared in a dress yet ... You can tell I'm not watching for the music!]
Ukraine
It's the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. I have followed this war every day since and there is not much that has left me so dismayed. Rather than discuss it now, I simply wish to say that my heart goes out to the brutalised Ukrainians, some of whom are now neighbours, and to the poor Russians forced to fight.
Slimming
Since New Year, I've lost eight kilos or nearly 18 pounds. Obviously, it'll be harder to control the slimming while I'm away but the main trick is zero alcohol. And more fruit and vegetables than usual.
Yay! Cuter frocks on the way.
Springing
I'm so grateful for the mild winter we've had. I've hardly had the heating on at all. In fact, I just received my gas bill for December and January and it's about a fifth as much as last year.
Yay! More money for cuter frocks.
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| Pretty rosemary flowers |
Sue x
Just for a change, wouldn't it be nice if certain religious leaders went: "Have a lovely time at the event. Remember to be kind, stay off the pop if that's your preference, and don't go judging others. See you at worship!" 😉
ReplyDeleteWell, sadly, that's not how they think. The Catholic Church here is bit like the Party in Orwell's "1984", and in the past it had almost all-pervading power. The current governments of Afghanistan and Iran (to date) give you some idea. The more conservative elements, like our guy, want to return to those days. Sue xx
DeleteYou always capture the atmosphere of Sanremo so vividly Sue that I feel as though I’m peering out from the Mountain Lair myself. The Festival sounds as gloriously over-the-top as ever, and your description of the bishop’s annual indignation did make me smile. Camp spectacle and clerical pearl-clutching do seem to be eternal dance partners.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to be escaping to the South of France, too, sunshine, perfume history and historic costume sounds like the perfect antidote to festival chaos. I’ll look forward to hearing all about it.
Congratulations as well on the weight loss, eight kilos is a great achievement. “Zero alcohol” is impressive discipline! And yes, milder winters and lower gas bills definitely justify the promise of cuter frocks.
Thank you, too, for pausing to acknowledge Ukraine. It’s sobering amidst all the glitter and fireworks.
Safe travels, and enjoy every stylish moment.
Lotte x
Thanks, Lotte. I'm home again and the Festival is being packed away for another year. Sal da Vinci won but I can't comment as I didn't hear his number. For me Arisa was the best of those I watched and she has a lovely voice (she came 4th).
DeleteThere's a lot to say about the South of France so, as with Genoa, I'll be posting different aspects over the next few weeks. I may have put on a bit of weight there!
And thank you also for noting Ukraine. It's shattered 8 years of peace in Europe and that's more disturbing to me than anything.
Sue xx