Once in Bologna Alle and I decided to grab something to eat. We went to the McDonald's in the station and had something small. It took a while before our train arrived, too. It was snowing still, great huge snowflakes sifted down to cover the tracks. Pigeons paced and chickadees flitted to and fro looking for crumbs of sandwiches or crisps, and we paced back and forth on the platform since I was too tired to brave another flight of steps to go inside. I was cold, tired, and getting stressed out. I was tired to the point of wanting to cry over every little thing, which I knew, logically, was stupid, but I was too tired to care. At last our train arrived and we were Reggio Emilia-bound. The landscape was surreal, completely white, the trees and houses in the distance obscured by falling snow, the fields and yards seamless swaths of white, infinite white. We watched it all pass by, mesmerized by the sameness of it all.
We arrived at our stop and got two tickets for the bus, and while we waited, a man walked past in the snow and slush behind the parked cars in front of the station, calling "Taxi? Taxi?" All of a sudden Alle hurried out toward him, leaving me puzzled until I realized that the man was blind. Alle led him to the taxi stand and hailed a taxi for him, helped him into the front seat, and then came back to where he'd been standing before. Apparently the man had been approaching all the cars, asking if they were taxiis, seeking a ride to a nearby location. He'd been on our train, too, travelling alone. I was so proud of my boy...
Our bus pulled up and I was thrilled to see that there were few people on board. I validated our tickets and took a seat, and Alle stood next to me with our suitcase and my backpack. Finally we arrived at our stop, slogged through the slush and snow and arrived home, where I immediately crawled into bed and pulled the covers to my shoulders with a deep, hearty sigh. Even though I said not to worry about unpacking, Alle continued to do so while I rested. "I should be doing something," I insisted, and he shook his head. "Rest," he said, "you've been tired all day." So I did, and finally he did too, and we turned in for an early night.
I've been sick all week - the tell-tale result of too much wet and cold - and it's disappointing because my time here is winding down. I'll be back in the 'States on the 22nd, and then I have countless things to do... sigh... As soon as my visa is approved, I'll be getting a flight back to Italy, of course, and this time, saying goodbye will be a bit harder. I thought about waiting for Alle to come over, as well, since Alle and I want to visit together; but his next holidays aren't until August, and I can't wait that long to come back here. We'll figure something out, of course, but then, there are no guarantees for when I'll be back in the 'States again.
So, I'll make the most of my stay in March, April and some of May (most likely) - I'll try to see everyone I can.
And then I'll see where the wind takes me... Look where it got me so far.
Ciao!
Kim