Sense of Place vs…

…what has happened here

Day three starts at 10:55 and as we walk beneath the trees, the early morning mist drips from the greenery on to our persons. Fireworks start promptly at 11:00…today is a day of clarifications…find the interpretive panels missed, save for panel two blocked by festival events.

While Rosemary visits with the gothic Santa Maria Church I wander off to pick up images of the few Guernica day of days panels we did not cover previously. A walk through the town’s industrial area finds various appeals to the eye. Images of distress, rust, shapes, textures, discordance, peace, patterns and so on. A watchful eye can break up the perpetual sameness of historical site pics.

My time draws to a close after a final review of the two air raid shelters. The first with its fine overhead wood construct protecting it from the elements. This one near to the hydro building. The other exposed alongside the former armaments factory. Much of what I photograph requires translation…Euskara…to English. I have the content but no clear understanding.

Continually I think of Stephen O’Shea’s book, Back to the Front, which when first read challenged my understanding of remembrance and conflict history. Yet time and time again I think upon his words…not so untrue after all. I wish I brought my copy…there are O’Shea thoughts I could contemplate.

In the center of Guernica I search for a cold beverage and instead find two pieces of small jewelry items useful to Rosemary at Santa Maria where the call has gathered the similar together. I climb the stairs and gift her the two icons. More to follow at St. Martin’s Cathedral, Ieper.

I have taken endless pictures thinking about our invented character from our landing at Bilbao. Later I am amused to learn that with Bond’s The World Is Not Enough, the film starts at Bilbao’s Guggenheim. Not so far off…perhaps my character, lost to the cutting room floor, was employed by Renard, Elektra or Valentin? We will know more upon landing in London…[and indeed Simeon Lumo…The Icebreaker…has followed…as the same sawing of metal returns upon landing].

Three days of Guernica has been enough for flavour (to start). Though it is hard to get a sense of place here it is not hard to have a sense of what has happened here. We have been immersed in the Festival of Guernica. This was not our intention. Generally I look for solitude but this was difficult these past three days.

Only this morning, within the presently darkened landscape, have we had peace from the gregarious but happy celebrations. With the call of the owl I know it is time for us to leave. I have snatched the pebbles from Master Kan’s hands. The rice paper is intact….and Grasshopper…our taxi has arrived.

—-SNIP—-
19 August 2024

for 18 August (mostly) 2024

and at another place…Dieppe…this day…1942