Apricale – In between dream and reality

Once upon a time, there was a stone hamlet, dwelled by cats and storytellers, kissed by the sun and fortune. This hamlet, as a trade, would create fairytales to donate to strangers passing by.
It’s fame grew so fast, that soon people started to arrive from all corners of the country, just to lose themselves in fantastic stories of mysterious creatures and enchanted woods, narrated with such contrived ability by the minstrels of this strange hamlet built on the side of a hill, where it seemed, or may me it was just a tale, that the sun never went down.

Apricale is still like that today, a medieval village frozen in time, dwelled by cats and storytellers.


Walking its hidden alleys, covered by gray stones, you will be surprise by the colours of signs, letter boxes and simple flowers.


And being a medieval village, the king, queen and princess will not fail to appear. Looking out of the lizard’s castle window, they perennially hail with majestic elegance, to the ever obsequious guests, crowded on the below square.

But wonders don’t end here…

What about the bicycle that from the extreme tower of the castle is heading for infinity ?
Each one of you, my dear readers, may give it’s own interpretation, for me, a romantic English woman, it’s a love-token.
To the end of the world, it seems to promise (or is it a threat ?).
The mere truth is, that it was craft in 2000 by the artist Sergio Bianco and named “the force of non gravity”. But this is like revealing the trick of a magician; when truth irrupts imagination, all it brings is destruction.

In-between dreams and illusions, we leave the stone hamlet dwelled by cats and storytellers, kissed by the sun (Apricus means places in the sun) and fortune.
Along the way home, I think about the sheer difference, sometimes, between what it is and what could be.
I like this thought.
If we just believe it, will our pumpkin turn into a charming coach ? I don’t know but why not try ?
***bibidi bobidi bu ! ***

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Apricale (IM), Liguria In-between dream and reality
Apricale – Liguria

writing and photography by paola faravelli
translated and adapted by daniela menzano