Lists of lists and books of those, oh and Iran.

I adore lists. I mean really adore lists. I have lists, and lists of lists. But I also have books of lists of lists (stop laughing - it's a seriously useful affliction!).

Not just books though! Carefully selected, beautiful books (for hastily scribbled notes (sometimes in the darkness of a midnight black room!)).

I pretend that these lists help me get everything done that I need to do. But this will never be the case because these lists are full to overflowing with present and future to-do's. Anyhow, I was re-reading a list (of lists) whence I happened upon one of my project ideas that I had been meaning to do forever (well for about 6 years now) and haven't sat down to complete (okay or properly begin) yet.

The other day, as it happens, I came across something that caught my eye. Totally inspiring and related to my idea (sort of). It was an article on the Painted Doors of Valloria.

Now as an archaeologist by education, and for other reasons unidentifiable to me, I have a huge fascination with huge old wooden doors. Thus this article was right up my alley and I read and re-read the article with love in my eyes.

The piece talked about how a tiny little old decrepit Italian village in the hinterland of Imperia, Liguria, has been bought back to life again by the most simple of ideas - to paint old doors in the village. Not just paint them, but paint ithem, artistically recreate life in the doors. I have decided that I LOVE this idea so much that when I purchase a house I will do this to each of the rooms' doors based upon what the room is used for.

One of my favourite painted doors.

The idea came from a younger generation villager (I don't think that's him above in the doorway though!) who had moved to a big city for life and work but returned to visit his mother there. He was disheartened by the fact that there were't even any shops open anymore in the village and that only about 30 people actually lived in this beautiful old place. He decided to invite artists to apply their artistic talent to a door in Valloria (I guess being in advertising he knew people or something). It has been revived as a result of his idea and over 10 years or so about 72 doors have been painted by various invited/requested artists and now they have had to limit the activity as they run out of doors! They get hundreds of requests yearly!

Finally, the man, whose idea it was originally, has himself moved back to the village too!

Another of my favourites - what you can't really see are the two lizards copulating and the reason for the Nun's mortified? 'surprise'!

I think this is an absolutely lovely tale of old and new, change, and a little ingenuity, and how something can come back to life with a little attention. (Perhaps someone will paint me back to life in the future....Romeo? Persia? anyone??). The archaeologist in me is happy. The idealist is happy. The project-a-holic in me is inspired to finally get a project under way that has been waiting for the right little boost.

Thus I am pulling out my photos of my time living in Iran. I have so many wonderful photographs of my time there and I have wanted to share them for so long now. There are quirky and amazing, beautiful and foreign images. More than that, I have wanted to create something for people to view, to really see, parts of Iran as I saw it for myself, and not as it is almost always portrayed in the news of late.

I am also going to put together some recipes of Persian cuisine, to delight anyone interested in trying a most delicious array of foods. 

I'll keep you posted and provide photographs as I go about the project. 

I'm quite excited! Did I mention inspired? So very inspired...