Genova
Genova is a rather peculiar town.... Well, the part the train to Ventimiglia passes through, at least. To the south is a landscape that looks very much like most of northern Italy - multi-level brown and peach stucco buildings nestled among steep hills, connected by narrow roadways and clotheslines with garments dangling.
To the north, however, one can mistake the scenery for a New England port city. Huge cruise ships mixed among barges and cranes along a waterfront that extends for miles. Tirreno Power, a coal-fired power plant situated directly on the water, has enormous candy cane-striped smokestacks that could probably be seen for miles on a clear day.
The afternoon is misty and dark, further playing into the gloom of the landscape. Rain begins to fall at the next station, covering discharged passengers with thick droplets.
The most bizarre part of this polar landscape is a thin lagoon between the train tracks and the port. Separated by a shallow stone wall and dotted with regularly-spaced palm trees. The water in the lagoon is still and does not reflect the gray of the stormy sky. All around me is industry, yet this small strip of paradise provides relief from the dim monotony of the scene.
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