When I first heard the word cityscape, I thought this was where cities escaped to. Here is where some of my cities are hiding. Above is Ljubljana where I’m from.
Just as I was ready to begin collecting photos for this post, I read the poem by my friend Lidija Dimkovska about coming back to her city of origin, which is Skopje in Macedonia, from my city of origin, which is Ljubljana in Slovenia, which is where she lives now with her husband and daughter.
Columbia Journal posted five of her poems in translation and all are excellent, but this one is my favourite. Please, read it. This is how I sometimes feel too. Her finish is pretty harsh though.
Going back, by Lidija Dimkovska
Translated by Ljubica Arsovska and Patricia Marsh
When you go back to your home town
you visit museums and galleries,
pause to listen to the buskers,
light candles in all the churches,
buy books by local authors
and the CDs by local bands
which have come out over the last six months,
treat yourself to some chocs from the town factory facing bankruptcy,
make a detour to the outdoor market you haven’t visited for a long time,
meet friends for an hour or two
before going to a local film or theatre production
they’re not interested in,
you do a lightning tour of your home town
in just a few days, drinking water from the bottle in your bag,
buying souvenir magnets and keyrings,
sitting on all the surviving benches
from your past,
turning down all the alleyways that have remained the same,
taking photos of the new buildings which look like warts,
mumbling to yourself, incomprehensible to everyone else,
when you go back to your home town
you realize you no longer have one,
that it has turned into a simple fact in a document,
Place of Birth, a point of birth and of no return.
Here are some places of birth and points of (no) return, then, in this order:
- London from Greenwich. 2 photos
- Prague from two locations (one was the castle, I suppose). 2 photos
- Rome from Monte Mario. 2 photos
- Velenje, Slovenia. 1 photo
- Piran, Slovenia. 3 photos
- Ljubljana, Slovenia. 6 photos
Even though I live quite far away (about 777 km), the last one, no 6, is both, place of birth and home town. For as long as she wants me, I’m hers.
(Click on any photo and allow it to grow.)
For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, hosted by Patti of pilotfishblog.com: Cityscapes
I enjoyed your photo of the photographers taking photos. Thanks for including the poem. Didn’t expect the ending. Good one.
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Thank you, Perpetua, I’m glad you read and liked the poem too. It’s so much easier to only look at the photos.
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First and foremost, I go for the narrative before the photos. Photos are just photos and would not mean much unless info are provided. You are welcome.
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Good to hear. I’ve been under the impression that there are many more of that other kind. I like to provide info and tend to do it regularly.
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All of my post with Lens Artist has narrative since I am an amateur photographer
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I really like these image, Manja
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Thank you, Dan. They are my cities and I liked choosing the photos. The poem came by today handy as if ordered.
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I love the photo of Piran with the sea in the background, and the top image, of Ljubljana from the castle – all those red roofs and the snow-capped peaks behind – gorgeous!
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Thank you, Crystal. I lived here all my 40+ years before moving to Italy. In the same street! Just moved a few houses away from my parents. The red roofs will always mean home for me.
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You have lived a blessed life.
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I love looking at other cities, particularly ones I haven;t visited. It reminds you there is always more to do! Love the photos, you seem to have a knack for finding good vantage points.
The poem rings very true for me. My home town is Wimbledon, but it was just where I was born, and now has less relevance to me than so many other places where I have ‘lived’ and experienced life. But I don’t think that would be the same for all Manja, like you who lives again in your birth town, or Véro from uprooted wanderers who wants to return to Paris. Perhaps it is different for everyone based on what your connections to the place are, family, experience…..
Greta photos, thanks for sharing!
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Thank you so much, Gavin, but maybe I wasn’t clear: Ljubljana is my birth town and I still call it my home town, even though I’ve been living in Tuscany for the last 5.5 years. My parents still live there and I can visit when I wish, sometimes two times a year, last year was four times and I stayed in Slovenia all July and August. But it’s true: it’s different for everybody. For sure it’s better for everybody to get around.
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Oh, I didn’t realise you were in Tuscany. Still getting used to my news friends in the blogosphere! SO the flamingos are in Italy then?
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Yes! By the Orbetello lagoon in Maremma, south Tuscany. I should make these things clearer, it seems. 😉
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No, maybe I should pay more attention. My apologies!
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I say in the flamingo post that my blog has been Slovenia heavy and Tuscany light and it’s time to amend that. Next time I’ll be more specific. 😀 But I know how it is, so many bloggers.
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Actually I try to pay a lot of attention to your blogs, its hard to fit in everything as there is only so much time, but I try and save your posts until I am at home and got more time.
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You do, you do! You’re regular and prompt. Thank you for that! And now I’m gonna listen to your hitchhiking album. Can’t say I ever have. (Listen, not hitchhike. That I have.)
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Cool. That post has been banging around in my head for a while. Glad I got it out! I miss hitchhiking though, mind you, with two kids, maybe not.
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These are beautiful photos.
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Thank you so much, PJB! 🙂
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A lovely collection of “above” photos. It’s a great way to see a city in a different way.
PS Why did you call this blog Manja Mexi Moving, rather than what I expected to be Mexi Movie the Fourth?
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Hello, Draco, good to see you on my new blog! And thank you, I’m glad that you like my photos, and always a bit incredulous. Well, there is no special reason for the change, I just thought it was time and cute to change Movie -> Moving. Since I’m moving my blog around all the time. Probably it’s also a way to tell myself that I should move more and not sit here and watch movies (and photographs and blogs) so much. I hope you’re not too disappointed. 😉 All well to you in the upcoming Year of the Pig!
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Great gallery, Manja! You are good at hiking to the very best vantage point!
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Ahh, thank you, Leya! 🙂 But how do you know? There might be better ones out there… 😉
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;-D You will find them for us!
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Hihii!
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Rather a sad poem I thought but I guess that was the point? Nice of your father to agree, it looks to be a beautiful place
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Yes, Tina, “it is what it is” kind of poem, in my opinion. My father agreed then, before I was born, I hope he doesn’t regret it. 😀 Thank you!
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What a fabulous cityscape tour! Enjoyed very much. :)
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Thank you so much, Amy, good to hear. 🙂
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What a great collection of cities! I especially love your shots of Slovenia. The poem is sad, but true. When we go back to NYC, our family thinks we’re not true New Yorkers because we left years ago, but wherever we live, people thinks we are. It leaves us feeling a bit rootless.
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Isn’t that right, Patti? We turn into ghosts. We are nowhere really. But also, if you look at it the other way, everywhere at once. I prefer this outlook. Thank you for the support and kind words!
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