last week i found myself lost in yet another dazzling italian city . . .
its gritty charm and splendor
deeply layered
its cultural soul revealing
the spirit of arrivals and departures
founded in the 4th century bc
independent maritime republic 1005 to 1797
famous foods, famous citizens
fierce ingenuity, hard-earned elegance
for centuries a city of
shipbuilders, merchants, and bankers
medieval, renaissance, baroque, and gothic
art and architecture
a very important mediterranean seaport
my own italian grandmother
departed from this port in 1929
20 years old and leaving her native country behind
journeying to a new continent
with her new american husband
heavily targeted during world war 2
many buildings destroyed or damaged
the first northern italian city to rise
against nazis and fascists
meandering along the famed caruggi
a tangled labyrinth of narrow alleyways
the wandering-and-wondering discovery of
what’s waiting around the next fascinating bend
a glimpse of G E N O A .
