A Landscape of Art

I sat and watched, observing as people walked by, some on a mission while others seemed to be simply there in body as they navigated the puzzles of their minds. I thought of the steps taken and experiences that were had, to bring us to that brief moment in the intersections of life, brushing shoulders, even if for a brief moment, and then it was gone.

Deb and I walked through the old section of the city and saw one of the many churches that dotted the old city landscape of Milano. We slowly walked around Duomo di Milano, looking at the architecture and statues. Ancient marble gutters that spat out the rainwater. The twisted faces of gargoyles grinning and sneering as they looked upon us in mockery with centuries-old soulless eyes. Guarding an archaic institution that had at one time possibly served a purpose. Still, it was now seen as history, the meaning of its service lost with each passing century, abridged to a simplified art landscape. 

After a long period of walking, our thirst reminded us that we needed to find a place to sit and have a glass of wine. As we walked and looked, we decided to backtrack and go to a cafe that we had already seen. It was a little place called Marco’s. We entered and were greeted by a lady behind the counter. After casual greetings, we ordered glasses of prosecco and then found a place to sit. As we sat, we sipped on the wine. Ah, we were in Italy! We talked about the upcoming days and what they looked like, Deb preparing for the intense conferences and meetings. 

Before long, we realized that we needed another glass. As we ordered another glass, another lady entered and went behind the counter. She was tall with a light brown complexion. Her hair was black as coal, and when she laughed, that deep laugh came from the belly. An infectious laugh made you feel like you were with an old friend. She began speaking to us, and we could tell that she must be the owner. We began a conversation in broken English/ Italian. She was fascinated with where we were from and why we were here.  Julia was the introduction that she gave us. We gave her our names. She then asked us for a moment. She indicated that she was going to have someone come over who spoke English better. Victoria showed up and ended up translating between us. Many different subjects were broached, while some were quickly drowned. They asked if we had been in Europe before. We talked of having traveled, that Deb had been to Italy, more in the south of Italy before, but that it was my first time in the country. I spoke of my grandfather and great-grandfather coming to Europe in both World Wars. I then showed her a picture from the old homestead where they were from. She smiled and shook her head in understanding. She asked if my grandfather ever spoke of the war. I stated that he shared very little but had returned and visited places he had been in the War. 

Much to our dread, the biggest question that was asked was how we felt regarding the president of the U.S. and the upcoming election. We explained that neither option was good. Julia asked why a third-party representative was not elected. It was shared that the power was solely in a two-party system and that no change would happen without overt conflict. Victoria asked about the Democrats and Republicans. Both she and Julia indicated that the perception was that Republicans represented the far right. We explained that just before having traveled to Italy, we had moved back to Boston from Montana, a place that represented the ultra-right. Due to this, we did not have good frames of reference because our experience jaded us. It was explained to us that the same situation was being faced in Italy and all over the European continent. In many ways, it simply confirmed the opinion that I held, that, simply put, the pendulum had swung like that of an old clock. It had swung to the Left, and now we were simply seeing the societal-shaped pendulum swing to the Right. 

The conversations continued, and before we knew it, it was time to walk to our dinner reservation. We bid Victoria and Julia farewell and thanked them for making us feel at home.