VISITING THE ANCESTORS

 Florence and Bat went on a little trip to Genova, Italy, to visit Florence's family at Cimitero di Staglieno: one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. 

When I was little, my aunt Virgina brought me to a beautiful garden. I remember the air being hot, dry, and infused with the smell of pine. We wandered through a maze of mysterious sculptured figures and monuments so elaborate in intricate detail, so life-like, I was sure the people were alive under the dusty marble facades. We were visiting our ancestors. The garden was a cemetery, and it was gorgeous. Ghosts of the past are here in their final resting place. And what a beautiful place to be in death. Cimitero Monumental di Staglieno; haunting and so beautiful. I was never to forget it. 

Below is an excerpt of what the American writer Mark Twain said after visiting Staglieno :

 “Our last sight was the cemetery (a burial place intended to accommodate 60,000 bodies), and we shall continue to remember it after we shall have forgotten the palaces. It is a vast marble colonnaded corridor extending around a great unoccupied square of ground; its broad floor is marble, and on every slab is an inscription - for every slab covers a corpse. On either side, as one walks down the middle of the passage, are monuments, tombs, and sculptured figures that are exquisitely wrought and are full of grace and beauty. They are new and snowy; every outline is perfect, every feature guiltless of mutilation, flaw, or blemish; and therefore, to us these far-reaching ranks of bewitching forms are a hundred fold more lovely than the damaged and dingy statuary they have saved from the wreck of ancient art and set up in the galleries of Paris for the worship of the world." 

"Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see." 

GENOA: Stunning sculptures 🏛️, Monumental Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno)

@batandmaggie @hauntedwalk @rideau_walkingtours @harpercollinsch@ottawabloggers #art #artgallery#ghost #bookstagram #book #booklover #catart #story #instagram #instagood#instadaily #insta #cimiteromonumentale#cimitero#cemetery #halloween #grave #beautiful #haunting

PINK PANTHER ~ MEGLIO STASERA 🇮🇹🐱🍀🇨🇦 ♥️🙏

Reminiscing at the moment...

 When M took a picture of Bat in the pink kitty cat hat and named it Pink Panther it took me back to the 1963 movie Pink Panther and Fran Jefferies singing Meglio Stasera in the Ski Chalet MIRAMONTI in Cortina D'ampezzo in the province of Belluno. 

My dad was born there as most of the Livinal family. On my mother's side, Sposaro's family comes from Genova, Naples, and Calabria. Pretty much covering a good part of Italy. Most of our family lives in northern Italy. So, because today it is what it is, I am sharing this post with everyone. A Pink Panther Gatto and this beautiful Italian song to makes things a little more cheery.🇮🇹 🐱🍀🇨🇦♥️🙏

And for Caturday, a Pink Panther who now has claimed the gothic chair for his own with the soft black velvet pillow which has you can see he almost disappears if not for his pink hat. lol 

Meglio Stasera ~ Fran Jefferies

ForbinColossus Thanks for uploading this wonderful video, brings much joy! 

The music of Henry Mancini that added the magic to the 1963 film, The Pink Panther. "Meglio Statsera" (Italian for It Had Better Be Tonight), Sung by Fran Jeffries. Lyrics by Franco Migliacci: 

Meglio stasera, che domani o mai 

Domani chi lo sa, quel che sara

Non mi dire d'aspettare

Il domani che verra

E una porta che tu chiudi

Fra me e te

Se stasera ti decidi 

A rispondermi di si, 

I domani che verrano 

Li dedico solo a te

Megglio stasera, che domani o mai 

Domani chi lo sa, quel che sara 

Nasce il giorno e il giorno muore, 

E la notte portera 

L'incertezza del domani,

Chissa, chissa

Basta un desiderio solo 

A non farti riposar,

E una pulce sul lenzuolo 

Che dormire non ti fa 

Meglio stasera, che domani o mai 

Domani chi lo sa, quel che sarra solos

Se stasera ti decidi 

A rispondermi di si, 

I domani che verrano 

Li dedico solo a te 

Megglio stasera, che domani o mai 

Domani chi lo sa, quel che sara 

English Translation (Let me know if this is wrong, please): 

Better tonight, than tomorrow or never Tomorrow who knows what will be? 

Don't tell me to wait for tomorrow to be it's a door that you're closing between you and me if you decide tonight to answer me with a yes the tomorrows that will come I'll devote them only to you. Better tonight, than tomorrow or never Tomorrow who knows what will be? The day was born and the day dies, and the night will bring the uncertainty of tomorrow Who knows, who knows? Just a single enticement can make you unrest; it's a flea on the sheet that won't let you sleep Better tonight, than tomorrow or never Tomorrow who knows what will be?

💤 SLEEP WALK 💤

Does Music inspire you? It does for me. I have always loved the instrumental piece by Santo & Johnny, "SLEEP WALK",one of my favourites.

I love many things like cats and dogs , music, art and stories and much more.

I once again was inspired by a song or should I say by an instrumental piece to create art and inspired by a place I once used to call home a very long time ago.

There really does exist a place called Wychwood across the Ottawa river on the Quebec side at Aylmer, Quebec. And so, I painted "SLEEP WALK".

SLEEP WALK

It snowed all day. It was a very deep and frosty snow. All of Wychwood was under a twinkling blanket of snow; a purrrfect night to tuck in early to bed for a good night's sleep but Genova , the witch couldn't sleep.

She was in an old cottage in the woods , with candlelight reflected in the large parlour room window; by her side, her 3 ghosts ; Ghost, Spooks and Boo. The view of the front lawn was an enchanting site, all sparkling and glittery, just like a Christmas postcard only it was just October.

Oh, my, I'm so tired but I can't sleep! said Genova. Lying on the sofa she reached for the knob on the radio and turned the dial to on, suddenly over the waves there was the song that always sent Genova to a far, far away place.“Sleep Walk”. Genova closed her eyes and drifted to the land of nod. Ghost, a big fluffy white cat, the biggest of the three cats became drowsy to the sound of the still guitar and soon he too was sound asleep. As for the other two cats, Spooks was transfixed to the window, something had caught his attention. It was Boo he was watching,once again sleep walking .......outdoors!

Spooks wondered just how long it would be before Boo would wake from the chilly air and realize he was not inside the house.