Tuesday 24 October (Day Thirty-seven)
Today Krish wanted to show me Skatepark Dora. This land until the nineties housed the great production plants of Fiat and Michelin. The steel pylons of the structure remain. Sitting in the centre, looking around, I can’t help but think of Pompeii – another ruin. This one isn’t historic or fascinating in quite the same way so the city gave it to the people. It’s now a Skatepark, recreation area, and has a lot of wall art.
We take the number 3 tram, one of the historical lines, almost to the door. The effect of this park is eerie and stark. And it’s huge. In fact, the area the factories covered went all the way across to the other side of the major road and continued for some time.
On the other side are apartment buildings, new ones. And more wall art and concrete remains of the factories. There are also steel pedestrian bridges that cross all over this area.
We walk around for quite a while. I try to capture the skateboarding – forget to take a movie. But really skateboarding freaks me out a little, especially when the daredevils wear no protective gear. I try hard to avoid looking wherever I find skateboarders. This skatepark has only rudimentary ramps too. I’m surprised there’s nothing more elaborate, considering its purpose.
There are a few people here too. Some are also taking photographs. Over in one corner, on the steps leading out a young man is taking photos of who might be his girlfriend. She is spread langorously over two or three steps, wearing a lot of make up and looking quite spookily unreal with her over-smoothed skin and stark black hair and clothing.
Across the road I sit and watch the apartments. Some are very modern. On the modern balconies, though, I see people banging dusters together, hanging out sheets etc. Are these cleaners or do these traditional women (they were all women) live in such untraditional dwellings?
We keep walking to find a Lidl for some supplies. On the way we find another abandoned building that has been taken over for agriculture. We’ve seen other places like this. Indoor allotments…
At the Lidl we pick cheese and passata, chocolate and bread for breadcrumbs. We can’t find any maple syrup, though. One man tucks a cheese inside his shirt. Women wheel around carts and children. Lidl is Lidl everywhere you go.
The sun is huge and orange and warped by pollution. I try to capture this but fail.
Since there’s a long wait for the bus we start to walk, and happen upon yet more abandoned buildings, at least one destined to become lofts. Another district is on the way to becoming trendy. We also find the Penny market – it’s too much like a Carrefour to bother hanging around or buying anything.
Krish shows me the Fish & Chip shop he discovered in this area. It’s run by Chinese people. I briefly contemplate fish and chips – or at least the chips. And then on to the 16 tram for the ride home.