But do you know this idea of the imaginary homeland? One you set out from shore on your little boat, once you embark, you'll never truly be at home again. What you've left behind exists only in your memory, and your ideal place becomes strange imaginary concoction of all you've left behind at every stop.
Claire Messud, from The Woman Upstairs.
Today's image is of one of those lions that guard Genova's Cattedrale di San Lorenzo. I love those lions. Whoever created them did a beautiful job.
I woke to the alarm at 5.45am. We were out the door by 6.40am. The airport bus, the flight (1 hour 20 minutes), then another airport bus in Milan, and the train through the hills to Genova. It's been a day but I love traveling.
I was lucky. There was no rain as I walked along Via XX Settembre from Brignole Station. I arrived, turned on the gas and heating, changed into more appropriate clothes and then was out again. Hunter-gathering.
It's good to be back in Genova. I love this city, so very much.
My USB modem is loaded to go for a month. I have red wine, sparkling water, and not too much else at the moment. I was counting on my favourite pizzeria being open tonight but it's almost 6.30pm and there's nothing happening there yet.
It's pouring down here but that doesn't matter. I've always loved rain. When I lived in Istanbul people would call out compliments to me when it rained. I sparkle in the rain but it's not surprising, given that I grew up in Dunedin and loved living in Fiordland later. Rain is that thing that happens in those places. Excessively at times.
So I have arrived. Now, to start on the work that I came here to do.
I love this particular lion guarding Cattedrale Di San Lorenzo. I can’t resist taking more photographs each time I walk by.
Today, it seemed like I caught him asleep. Anyway, San Lorenzo’s Cathedral is Genova’s main cathedral and was begun back in 1155. Like so many old buildings in Europe, there was fire, back in 1296. The facade, is a gothic masterpiece completed between 1307 and 1312.
There is so much more about the cathedral but me, I’m in love with the lion.
I took this photograph as the sun left the city, around 8pm ... and up in the top left of the photograph, you can see the sunset light warming the cathedral called San Lorenzo. It was exquisite. I just wish I had a little crane that I could drive around the city and then ride high enough to get the ideal shots I miss on the ground.
Crazily, light over, we made a mad dash through the complicated alleyways between Via San Lorenzo and Via Garibaldi, without a map, racing the last of the evening light. We were only a little lost but missed the best of the ‘last light’ however I played with my Canon EOS 5D mkII again and you can see the results in the alleyway image ... last one going up tonight. I must sleep.
Tomorrow ... well, tomorrow I have more exciting news but more on that then.
I love the lions outside San Lorenzo’s cathedral here in the city of Genova ...
The lions rest on either side of the wide entrance stairway, fierce and somehow welcoming. So much so, that you often see children sitting on their broad backs.
I went out for focaccia this morning and was distracted by the exquisite light after rain. Gert smsed an hour later, wondering where his breakfast might be, and I managed to leave the lions and San Lorenzo in peace.
