In the clink

Well that's not strictly accurate, since 'the Clink' was a prison in Southwark, England and this shot was taken in Bergamo, Northern Italy where I found myself last week for a short break with the family (it being half-term, y'see).

Old prison hospital, Bergamo, 2019.  HP5+ on Ilford Warmtone fibre paper.

As we wandered up the main drag (via Bartolomeo Colleoni) there was a sign for a 'Flea Market' and we followed it, as both my wife and I usually love a good dig around such places - you never know what you might come across.  Downstairs was a bit disappointing, though - rails of clothes and some hand-made jewellery bits and pieces.  Neither really my thing, to be honest, but at the end of the hall was a sign for 'Experimental Art', leading up some very old stone steps.  I dithered a bit, as they looked a bit dodgy (no handrail, either) but in the end I ventured forth.  And it was a good decision. The steps led up to an old abandoned prison hospital.  Strangely, there wasn't much experimental art on display (none, except for a few not terribly impressive photographs) but the rooms were simply amazing to walk though.  Thankfully they hadn't renovated anything - it looked like it had just been opened up after years of lying empty.  Very sad it was, to think of the lives of the inmates that spend part of their lives living in those conditions.  I took a few shots and this was the first that I printed this morning.  I was a bit rusty in the darkroom but I was happy with this one. Others will follow.

Bergamo is a must-see, by the way.  I'm a sucker for anything old and Italian and slightly off-the-beaten-track and I have to say, this place is the real deal.  Even better as we could fly direct from our local airport.  At the other side it was a short bus ride to the old town (Citta Alta) and about a 3 minute walk to our hotel.  Couldn't really ask for an easier journey than that.