Today I woke up in the Bruno household for the final time. This is quite sad actually! Over the past few days I have literally only spoken Italian because there was no one to speak English to. I think this was some of the best practice I have had to date, it’s been a bit harder to not have anyone to talk talk to but it’s been much better for my Italian. Another giant breakfast? Ok! Ottorino and I sat down around 9 for some coffee, hot cornettos, and some yogurt. From there we agreed to take a quick walk back out to the piazza where the duomo and tower are located after a fast shower for me and shave for him. Once I got done I found Alberto downstairs, Silvia’s dad, who came over to visit. We all agreed lunch at their place was a good idea. I had been saying the 130 train is the one I needed to catch, that way I would be able to miss it and take the 230 train no problem, but now with a bigger lunch and hanging out with Silvia on the line I said 230 was totally fine! There was a 345 train anyways, so I was not too stressed. Ottorino and I drove out to the town, grabbed a ticket for the train, and finally parked the car Italian style at the piazza to do some walking. My favorite thing of the day was talking people’s photos from the wrong angles so it looked like they were waiting for a high five from no one rather than holding up the leaning tower. Great stuff actually. After this we stopped by at the Cospito’s house for the last time this trip for some lunch. It was the three of them, the two boys from the Bruno house, and another professor from the University of Pisa, conveniently an English professor. Lunch was amazing as always, risotto, some chicken, a grilled cheese friend thing, some cake for desert, really a classic multi-phase meal. After good byes were said I had to run off to the train station. Despite the sure thing of me missing that 230 train I was not only on time, but actually 5 minutes early, which is crazy early by Italian standards. This is normally true because the train was five minutes late! Today is a holiday in Italy, a Labor Day sort of deal where no one works, so the trains would all be unusually late due to short staffing. The train to Florence was uneventful except for the fact that I realized I was totally outclassed when it came to my luggage. In fact I was at 42 kilos with just the checked bag and that was not including my backpack carry on. For those of you scoring at home, 42 kilos are equal to 92.593 pounds. Add on my 25 pound carry on and I am pushing 78% of my weight soaking wet. Not to mention I gained a few pounds just eating with Ottorino alone, so let’s say I was now carrying 80% of me plus me. I have dated women who were lighter than my bags today! In fact once I got to Florence I realized that not only was I going to have to keep the trips short because of the repaired handle on grandma’s bag, but I was physically unable to walk the length of the platform without stopping. The weight was annoying, but it was the ability or lack thereof for me to hold onto the largest bag in my hand. It did not help I had wrapped packaging tape around the handles to more evenly distribute the weight on an already damaged handle. This was a disaster, but even worse was the train from Napoli that I was to take to Milano was 30 minutes late. This wasn’t horrible, but that means an entire train was now waiting with me at the platform where there are two benches able to fit two people or five Italians comfortably. –Sigh- I sat on the floor for the next 45 minutes waiting for the train. 15 minutes out I moved my bags half way to the ticket machine, and then the other half of the way, bought my ticket, and moved the bags half way to the platform, then the other half of the way to the platform. See how much fun this is? Once the train did finally arrive I was four cars down, so two stops later I was where I needed to be to board. Once on it was cake, and the ride to Milano Centrale, which is four times the distance as Pisa to Florence, took almost the same amount of time. These high speed trains are amazing, but the four I have been on have all changed screens just as I go to take a picture of the TV in the cabin showing a 300kmph speed. This was (hopefully) the last one I would be taking this trip, and it was able to elude me once again. Looks like I have to return someday. The plan was to take the subway to the local train station, then the local train station to Malpensa Airport. Well I looked on the board and an hour from now there would be a train leaving Milano Centrale for the airport. This would get me in over an hour later, but I would have to move my bags no more, so it was an easy choice. I sat in Milano Centrale people watching for this time and thinking about how the heck I was gonna make any money this summer. Luckily this train was on time and fairly quick to the airport, and I was faced with lugging the bags to the hotel and I was done for the night. Thinking back to my reservation nightmare on Monday I did not make any reservations for tonight. I tried to make a reservation on the train, but no one was picking up at the hotel. Probably just a Labor Day thing, nothing to worry about, how busy could they be on a Wednesday night? The answer is too busy to get the same deal if I had booked a hotel room on Monday when I called and tried to cancel. I cannot win with this place! At least it isn’t Rome. The point is I could save money and sleep in the airport, or get a bed, internet, and a shower. Another no brainer, however mostly because of the shower. In fact to get my monies worth I took a big bubble bath, and then a shower, and then walked around in the robe all night long, but not outside of my room obviously. Some internetting and it was time for bed! Up early tomorrow to catch that flight.
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