(Susan, our guest blogger is on the right.)
I have kindly been invited to submit a guest entry based on my visit to the famed city last weekend. Lynn and I, long time friends of Rachel and Kim and fellow Seattleites, moved to Landstuhl Germany last January. I'm pretty sure that this would not have happened had they not shown us the way. While we were still getting our housing organized they came to visit us here and were then very busy traveling like crazy before returning to the Northwest. Our last chance to be a part of their Italian Experience was Not going to pass us by, so we flew in to Milano on Thursday and returned on Sunday. 3 trains in Germany, a plane to Milan and a shuttle to the main train station took 6 hours. I've been told that it's approx. 300 miles between cities, as the crow flies. There are some rather tall mountains between us.
Kim had kindly agreed to meet us in Milan for the always challenging train trip to anywhere in Italy. Her train from Alessandria to Milano was 90 minutes late getting in, so we sat on the steps wondering what would happen to us if we didn't hook up. We didn't have their phone number and the only Italian Lynn and I know is "gelato". She did eventually appear and off we went on our adventure. I am not going to explain the next 6 hours beyond saying that when we saw Rachel's open arms reaching for us at 1:30AM, we were very happy to be "home".
Giving thanks the morning after our arrival....
We awakened at 10:30 to the sound of playing cards being shuffled. Yes, they really do play cards A Lot. Their 3 room apt is very cool--brick domed ceiling in the living/dining room/ kitchen, a view of the courtyard and balconies with flower baskets across the way make it feel bigger too.
Rita's flowers...
After a lovely breakfast of cookies and strong Italian coffee we went for a walk around town, window shopping and smelling the air and hearing the loud voices in the sing song style of Italian speakers. There was a wonderful perfumery smell that we noticed off and on, from some flower or tree for sure. There was a whole new feel and look from what I experience in Germany. The pace of the pedestrians seemed slower, there were more bicycles and they as well as the cars would be glad to run you over if you got in their way.
To celebrate returning home in one piece, Rachel gave us each an acupuncture treatment, and we were happy.
Sister Wendy, ever vigilant, checks Rachel's point locations....
The meat market....
The bra store....
Saturday was overcast and way cooler, good walking weather, so we repeated Friday in another part of town, including the cemetery, quite an amazing site--old and crowded, lots of wilted flowers in vases, most stones have a photo of the dead person.
I'd requested that Kim and Rachel find a really good restaurant for us in which to have our farewell dinner and we all agreed that they succeeded. OMG! Prosecco (Italian Champagne) and prosciutto and a fabulous gravy/sauce to start, razor thin slices of baby octopus with boiled potato salad, and our entrees= a T-bone for Rachel after a year away, "ravioli to die for" for Kim, very rare tuna for Lynn and Stinco dorado for me. I had no idea what I'd get with that name but couldn't resist it. What a treat! I think it was a veal ankle and the meat truly fell off the bone and was in a Marvelous sauce with a large dollop of I don't know what but it was GOOD. The bottle of local Barbera was delicious and the 3 different scoops of Gelato were a perfect finish.
On Sunday Rachel led us to Milano Centrale, 2 trains and the subway away, 2 1/2 hours later. It was definitely a trip, in all the ways you can define it.
Thank you, my dear friends, for a very memorable sampling of your Life in Alessandria. I am so glad you, and we, were able to have this adventure.
PS Lynn found out that the wonderful smell was from Linden trees.
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