After our eight hour trip back to Alessandria from Vienna I felt a sense of excitement as the train came to a stop and I was back. It's been almost 4 weeks since I left--first for Seattle and then to Vienna and in that short time I am taking in the changes since I left.
When I left, it was in the 80's and lots of mosquitoes were torturing me. This morning, when I looked at the thermometer it was 40 degrees and there's not a mosquito in sight. As I happily went to Saturday market (we had much in the way of provisions to buy) I quickly noticed how the locals are dressing: winter jackets, scarves, gloves; they seem to be preparing for something Kim and I don't know about. Someone asked me if it's cold here in the winter--and if it snows? We don't know. There are fewer tomatoes available and no basil in sight. Despite this, there's an excitement in the air that comes with a new season. Store windows have changed to advertise warmer clothes; windows also tell of school resuming and all the supplies and "essentials" that are needed.
Our apartment was quite cold upon our return and we had a fun adventure as our neighbors helped us figure out how to turn on our heat. Before their intervention I had turned on our stove to help take the edge off; the hair dryer did a good job warming the bathroom.
The sun is setting at a different angle and we no longer have the direct afternoon sun that dried our clothes. Yesterday we washed our main comforter and had forgotten to put it out in the afternoon air; given that it is our main warmth blanket we had to act quickly. So, with the newly turned on heat and the help of one of our fans, we were able to get it dried before bedtime (in about six hours). In the future we'll be setting up our clothes dryer in either the kitchen/living room or the bedroom.
The train station reconstruction has progressed; there's a totally new staircase but alas, no elevator or escalator in sight. I mention this because I was still schlepping all the extras that I'd purchased in Seattle; it's amazing how much vitamins, books and NW salmon packages can weigh. Outside the station they have dug up a very ugly area that now has park potential; it's all raked flat and we wonder what the next step will be...
And yes, as you've read, the festivals continue. The Chocolate Festival was totally packed this Sunday evening; after the afternoon rest hours people were ready to explore and indulge. For a final Chocolate Festival image, I leave you with the sight of a woman with her two children. One about age 7, the other maybe 18 months. The 7 y.o. was drinking some thick hot chocolate (so thick the spoon stands at attention!)and the mother was systematically dipping the toddler's pacifier into the chocolate and then inserting it into the child's mouth. Had I not thought it rude, I would have taken a picture. Firm documentation for a future adult who may wonder about the roots of some of her desires...
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