On my way to meet my host, Andrea, in Livorno, I accidentally got off at the wrong station. My head was in the clouds and I stopped at Pisa Centrale instead of Livorno Centrale. It should have been a quick fix, jump on the next train heading that way and get there 20 minutes late. However, Italian trains are notorious for being late, and it was set to prove that trait again that day. The reasons was vague (they never try very hard to clarify what causes the delays) but over an hour later no trains had come or left the station. I was feeling wholly anxious and terribly to keep Andrea waiting for so long. I eventually began talking to an older couple from Canada who was also waiting for the same train.. They were on a cruise and needed to get to Livorno before their ship departed. I suggested that we take a taxi and find a few more people heading the same way to split the cost.. After a few more minutes of waiting we put this plan into action. We persuaded three more people to come with us and all piled into a taxi.
I finally reached Livorno. Andrea turned out to be an astoundingly patient man. Even though I had kept him waiting for a long time, he gracefully assured me that it was fine and not to worry about it. I’m glad I got to met him! I enjoyed simply hanging out with him. He was relaxed and intelligent; our conversations were dynamic and flowed easily. I felt comfortable with him, like we were old friends.
A friend from Reno whom I hadn’t seen for a long time, Nick, happened to be in Pisa at the same time. It was a little moment of serendipity. We met up at The Leaning Tower of Pisa; the off-white marble of the tower looked beautiful against the clouds and blue sky. We had some coffee and snacks and then climbed to the top of the tower. Because the stairs were slippery, I briefly took off my sandals at the top. The cold marble felt smooth and pleasant underneath my bare feet... We stopped to get gelato on our way back to the train station, the kindness and genuine smile of young man who served us warmed my soul. Bright smiles and connections with others is exceedingly more beautiful to me than any monument or landmark.
