Lovely Bath

Viva, viva, viva l’Inghiltera, pace, donne amore e libertà. (Claudio Baglioni)

On September 1991, few days before beginning my University, I went to London for ten days. I was hosted by Christian, a friend I made the month before while on holiday in Alassio. Christian was born in England by italian mother and english father. That was the first of many trip I did in Albion’s land: during the day I was visiting the classical touristy places, while at night I was staying home, or I was hanging around with Christian, his brother and their friends.

Any other time I came back to England, and it happened many in every season, I always been at relative of friend’s place. I love England, to me is like a second home. I love it especially because the feeling of freedom that give me. You can perceive it in a crisp way if you hop on the tube. If you mind the gap, or if you don’t, you look around and you see every person so different… it’s like a zoo.

I love London, more than any place, more than New York, you can call it “the centre of the Universe” From Clapham, where Christian was living, to Stratham, where my cousin hosted me last time I was there. Passing through Chiswick, where I lived and worked in 2000, to Hampstead and Richmond, my favourite neighborhoods. From Twickenham, rugby temple, to Wimbledon, sanctuary of tennis. From the City to Portobello Road. From Hyde Park to Hammersmith, from Chelsea to Fulham Broadway, where I had in Napulè the best pizza of my life.

I love Bath, a place my uncle and now my cousin, has called home for many years: the fact you can go anywhere on foot, the Royal Crescent and his fabulous music underground scene. I love Ilchester, tiny village in the moor where I spent an August, after my third year at Uni, running through fields and clearing tables at Giulietta Restaurant. I love Fridaybridge, summer work camp near the village of March, few miles North of Cambridge, where I spent my first August, after finishing Uni.

Fridaybridge in March..what a funny names!

I love England houses, detached or semi-detached. I love his unpredictable and ever-changing weather. I love pubs! I love pop,new wave and plenty of good music. I love playing football e pitch & putt. I love England green parks. I love Saturdays getting drunk and Sundays on hangover. I love listen to posh accent. Not so much a cockney one, and even less someone from the North of the country, but you cannot have everything in life. I love England multiracial society.

God save the Queen.