The World Looks Pretty Flat From Here

There is something connecting about looking out on the same horizon that Christopher Columbus gazed upon over 500 years ago, dreaming of treasures and adventure. We too are seeking treasures and adventure. The kind we will remember for the rest of our lives. Perhaps man has not changed much over the centuries. Genoa is a town of trade and commerce. Tucked away amid the modern town is a not too dissimilar city of long ago. There still stands the original gate and part of the city wall. Columbus’s humble home is a few paces away. Great cathedrals scatter like diamonds among the old part of town. One church claims to house the plate that John the Baptist’s head was presented to Salome on. That same church also claims to have one of the plates used in the last supper. I guess they were particularly good at negotiating at those relic yard sales a couple of thousand years ago. Whether it is true or not, it all adds to the mystique of the city. There is great contrast to the expansive plaza’s big enough for a rock concert, and narrow winding streets that you can almost touch from side to side. Italian architecture has a grandeur befitting this once great empire. Balconies, magnificent entrances, and faux painting of more detailed stonework that really isn’t there adorn a lot of the villas. Laundry is commonly hung out to dry in the Tuscany sun. There is a passion that pulsates through the crowded streets. You cannot just have a conversation with your friends. Hand gestures and faces inches apart are a part of the fabric that all weaves together to be a part of this Italian tapestry. We stayed for two days. Rebecca, my oldest daughter joined us and Malorie, my youngest daughter caught the plane to go back home. It was hard to see Malorie go. I wanted to share so much more of this European adventure with her. But work and commitments call.