Looking back on the month spent at the creative residency “The Road to the Lost City” in Molini di Triora, the first things that comes to mind are the beauty and peace of the mountains, the exceptionally clear starry sky, the coolness of the medieval walls and the kindness of the people. The autumn in the Ligurian mountains is still quite warm in October, but in November the mornings are already crisp. Although wind and rain are still rare, but strong, there are still sufficient sunny days. Without a doubt, this place has the peace you need to write and endless trails to organise your thoughts, and they all lead up the mountains.
You can always find a small altar along the path, as well as lizards and colourful snakes rustling in the grass. The sunny side of the mountain is like a giant rock garden, where everything blooms and hums as the grasses sway. But if the clouds start to descend and become darker, and the wind suddenly becomes cool, you have to hurry back down.
In contrast to the peace and quiet (for example, when I went to the medieval village of Corte on a random Tuesday, I didn't meet a single person!) Halloween in Triora turned out to be a really wild and crowded carnival. There was market, bands, lots of good wine and food. Even a conversation with a writer who had been inspired by the history of Triora. Cars filled with costumed partygoers, from what seemed like the entire county, drove through the otherwise quiet little town throughout the day and late into night.
Towards the end of my stay, I realised that Luisella and her sister were determined to make me learn to speak Italian, so I sometimes reviewed the most important expressions and names before going shopping. I definitely recommend this to the next residents as well, the locals are very kind and patient, but as Swedish Anita, one of the foreigners in town, said, it's more fun if you speak Italian.
I spent the last day up in Triora, walking by the churches, the cemetery and holy spring, and exploring the last dark secret streets and passages. The tourist shops were closed at the end of the season, but the locals' favorite bar was open and its singing barmaid was at work. I definitely recommend trying the local wines of Liguria and also to take into account that mountain sickness is very contagious. It was difficult to leave Molini di Triora, even though a considerable number of characters had been added to the manuscript and what had been blurred before had taken shape, something about the place still remains in one’s heart.
