The Summer day of the year! This year no Summer holidays due to new house refurbishment. But this day is always holiday!
And as every year the post with amenities (miniature soldiers are a serious thing indeed).

This is a new great entry in trash world. Andrea Diprè is a bloke with a loser look, and he is involved in porno stars and weird chaps interviews. He claims to be addicted to sex and drugs. He is very funny and the unequivocal proof of brain damage with the abuse of illegal substances. Together with him you can find Sara Tommasi. She was a TV actress famous only for her body. Now she is out of mind. She lives in the same city where live Andrea Sfiligoi of Ganesha Games. And here they sing their Summer song where they say: “come with me inside my privé, coke and tramps even for you”. Real culture!

The myth! Richard Benson is back with a record and a great hit. Like a paraplegic king on his throne, he moves his club and gnash his teeth. This song is about his fear for dwarves. We sing it during Ganesha Games work for the upcoming kickstarter about dwarves miniatures and rules.

And now Andrea Diprè interview Richard Benson in English. So you can understand their greatness. Have real fun during this Summer ; )

More things about Genova. This is the last post and it is dedicated to travellers, as Cristoforo Colombo.

Another traveller was captain D’Albertis. He travelled around the world three times. When he was in Genova, it built a castle that now is an ethnographic museum with a weapon section based on his souvenirs took around.

Another traveller was Edoardo Chiossone who worked at the Imperial court of Japan, designing their money. He collected various things, and among these armours and weapons.

A war mask.

Samurai armours.

The museum is very suggestive and with a particular architecture. At the ground a musical exhibition was held as final year essay.

James Richardson Spensley, an Englishman who worked in Genova, practically founded the first football team in Italy. During the visit of the team museum I found this boardgame, a sort of football manager on cardboard.

Other travellers were the Red Shirt leaded by Garibaldi that started from Genova conquered the South Italy. Since Italy was united as country.

And this one is one of the proto-flags of Italy.

If you want to know more Genova you have to become a traveller and go there…

Genova holidays again. I selected few photos from 1000. So it is only an idea of what you can find. We visited more than 14 museums in 5 days. We are not used to rest during holidays.

Here I am partially under the sea. The frontal part of a real submarine. Where you put torpedo to say hello to enemies.

The pilot seat on the right, a lot of indicators all around.

Periscope. I cannot see a thing, pity!

Nazario Sauro, Italian style submarine.

Inside the new Sea Museum, a 1:1 reconstructed Genoese galley.

Helms to coordinate with the ship.

And cuirasses.

And inside the old harbour a very huge aquarium with various kind of fishes, jellyfishes, aquatic mammals and birds.

More tomorrow…

And now something about 2015 holidays. This year was Genova, at the end of May. From here an empire on sea was built. And Cristoforo Colombo started his voyage to discover another continent. Now it is still a proud city with something of rebel into his veins, with more glory than majesty.

Old city with narrow streets. Dark even when sunny. A maze, sometimes dangerous.

Epochs on epochs. A mix that still live.

City lie on hills, so you have to climb it.

Some buildings have an access to the road on the ground and on the roof following a natural height difference. No straight lines from a place to another here, but walls to climb with steps.

Building inside buttresses. Every space must be used.

And now the part built in the 1800 and on. A straight one level large way with porticoes. The fountain has pink water. It seems wine or blood.

Even here a difference of levels: under a portico, and upper a church.

A view of the harbour from a fake castle built on a real castle. It is still one of the most important Mediterranean harbours. In the dock a cruise ship so large that it seems a big block of flats.

Containers.

The old lighthouse now is only an element of the harbour, enclose by a coal-burning power plant, roads, huge ships and containers.

The old part of the harbour is now a tourist place with cinemas and attractions.

Boccadasse was a small town for sailors. Now it is absorbed by Genova and it a picturesque place where to eat gelato.

At the other end of the city, on the left, there is Pegli. Some beach resorts on stones instead of sand.

More tomorrow…

Back from the past! It was 2012 and we were in Switzerland at the Paolo’s marriage. During a visit at a castle we found, inside a large number of showcases, an exhibition of flat tin soldiers which were owned by the former landlord. While I was viewing old photos I found them, so now I show them to you. But remember, it is only part of the exhibition. When you speak about the number of soldiers that you have got, you are never sure…

Instead, for the days of that holiday, go to:
Lac Léman & Lac de Neuchatel: summer holidays
Lac Léman & Lac de Neuchatel: castles
Lac Léman & Lac de Neuchatel: weapons

Galleys and Galleons is a standalone set of naval wargaming rules based on the Song of Blades engine. G&G allows players to fight out fast-paced naval battles without cluttering the table with charts or unnecessary record keeping. Easy to learn, fast to play, as usual. Each player commands up to 6-7 ships. Fleet games are possible with multiple players per side. Additional rules cater for mythical beasts, submersibles and more. Includes rosters for 36 historic vessels plus numerous shore forts, monsters and more. You can buy it in pdf format here.

I’m speaking not so much about miniatures and games. Maybe because I’m busy with other things and I’m not playing at all. However.

More work at home, more money spent, more sweat of bricklayers in this hot summer. Something now appears, the final shape of the house is built. I’m waiting a small credit line to continue, while flooring materials and kitchen structure is scheduled for delivery during September.

On the wall, near the wood table and plastic chair, you can see the form of a door, a bricked over door. No particular secret or treasure house. At the origin this house was with another room.

Some days before my birthday I went to Terni to playtest something and to visit some towns in the surroundings. In this way even Andrea could have some time for a break from usual work.

I know Norcia as the city of Brancaleone, but Norcia is the city of Saint Benedict too.

Saint Claudius, patron saint of sculptors.

More than a town for pilgrimage, this is the city of pork meat workers. “Norcini” is the name of this kind of butchers. Instead of holiness here you can find ham.

Cascia, town of Saint Rita. Here there was less pork meat and more nuns around.

Leonessa. In English language it is the female of lion. Here we were in Latium. Our trip was around three provinces with different dialects and traditions. Near but divided by mountains. And this town is pretty high placed.

Città Ducale, city of the Duke.

After a night in Rieti, the day after we went to Bomarzo. Here there is a park, built around the last part of 15th century, populated with huge grotesque statues sculpted with local surfaced rocks. I wanted to visit it since I was a child.

Then Todi, town of Fra Jacopone da Todi. The largest and interesting one, with a pronounced Medieval look.

Medieval fun on the church portal. A figure has a so long penis that coil on the pillar to the ass of the figure on the bottom of the pillar on the other side. Seem that these jokes were usual at time.

And after two days of trips, a day and half in Terni to playtest Song of Armies and Hordes.