In the North of Italy, on the eastern bank
of Lake Maggiore, there is a European Union Joint
Research Centre. It is a scientific centre of the highest quality and reputation.
I was delighted with the opportunity to work there for a week, in the realm of
engineers and forests. Given the tight work schedule, photo opportunities were
constrained to dawn and dusk. Fortunately, days are long and the weather is splendid
in August. Ispra is a town for leisure and retired people where life doesn't
run: it strolls. Only the few children run pushed by the urgency of discovery.
Adults greet each other on the streets, chat in balconies, esplanades or the church
square. Life unfolds gently in a routine of walking the dogs - and how many dogs
are there! - working in the garden, napping in the afternoon and gossiping with
neighbours on the doorsteps in the evening. By the lake, there are people
whispering while they fish. In spite of the breeze, the sun is hot. From time
to time, someone jumps into the water or a wind surfer sails along the shores.
On the other side, the intercity train from Switzerland to Milan whistles in the
air. In the forests around the lake, lovers and joggers seek freshness and silence,
shattered only by the cracking of leaves under the feet. Inside the woods, there
are superb villas with swimming pools, huge garages and wide view of the lake,
hidden from indiscretion by steel gates and surveillance cameras. The density
of the forest suggests the weather is not always so mild. In fact, from October
to April, rain and snow soak the pre-Alps region, nurturing the land with green
and the people with the fruits of the land. In this last week of August, life
holds its breath for a second before the rush of school time, work routine and
grey days. Let's seize it ! | |