Intruder

It's hard to go wrong in a country such as Italy, where it seems that around every corner lies a thing of beauty.  Particularly somewhere old such as the Citta Alta of Bergamo.  And the added bonus is that lovely soft light.  Bergamo lies just at the foot of the Alps, which might have something to do with it - we had a superb view of them as we flew over from Belfast, not a cloud in sight.  Fast forward 5 days and the flight back was the opposite - a thick blanket of cloud stretching pretty much all the way home.

From the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiori looking towards the Cathedral.  Lith print, Foma paper.

The main square in Bergamo is rather nice but the real gems lie just to the Southern End - the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiori and the Cathedral.  We did the Cathedral first, which dates back several hundred years and is every bit as impressive as you might imagine.  Inside is a treasure-trove of artefacts and statues which reflects an incredible level of skill by the stonemasons and artists of the time.  We actually walked past the nearby Basilica the first time we were there but the Old City isn't that big and on our next foray we realised there was another building open to the public and so we found ourselves in the Basilica.  It's on a smaller scale than the Cathedral but more impressive for it, I think.  The walls are lined with centuries-old tapestries and it's just a lovely space to find yourself in.  I didn't feel too bad taking a few shots with the Leica as the shutter is whisper-quiet.  Not sure how well they came out though since I was hand-holding at some ridiculous speed.  We'll see.  As I wandered around, somewhat in awe, I spied a separate room off to one side and entered through the large glass doors.  There's probably a proper name for it but I'm not big into my organised religions so that didn't stick in my head - most likely a space for private prayer and reflection away from the main area.  It was deserted - or so I thought.  I was admiring the centrepiece of Christ on the Cross and instinctively reached for the camera...as I did so I turned slightly and got a tremendous shock for out of the corner of my eye I noticed a very old clerical gentleman, dressed as usual in black robes and just sitting in the corner in quiet contemplation.  He didn't acknowledge me and was (I imagine) clearly there to get away from the hordes of tourists (with their damn cameras).  I felt like I was intruding. I put away all thoughts of taking a photograph, sat down in one of the chairs at the back and just enjoyed the space for what it was.  After what I thought was a decent few minutes I made my exit, leaving the gentleman alone to enjoy his peace and quiet.

At times like that it's hard not to wonder about the difference in people's lives.  I was going to write 'in the way people choose to live' but I'm not sure that's the correct way to put it.  I mean, I'm guessing the priest made a conscious decision to wear the cloth etc and I'm sure somewhere along the way I chose the Family Life but like the song (Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime) sometimes it doesn't feel that you get where you are today completely by choice.  It's just where we find ourselves. So there's me - family man, flying in from Ireland for a few days sightseeing and eating before returning home to School Runs, trips to the supermarket and my usual stuff.  And there's the priest with his life in Bergamo and all that entails.  Our paths crossed for a few moments.  Funny old game, isn't it?