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On the railroad part one
I woke up early, happy that I could finally get out of this place. Somehow, Bologna and I hadn’t been off to a good start the day before, when I walked from the station into the city centre. The sun was too bright, the people were too loud and the hotel was too je ne sais quoi. I became inclined to hate the place that I had been looking forward to visiting before. Maybe it…
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On the railroad part two
“You can just take anything you like,” the receptionist in the hotel had told me. “No extra charges. We want you to feel free and comfortable.” He had said it with passionate conviction, clearly taking pride in his hospitality. So once I had admired the view and tested the bed, I made myself a nice tea, took some water from the fridge and rested a bit before setting out to explore Ancona. I asked my…
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On the railroad part three
“Did you tell the man in the trattoria you came from us,” asked my happy receptionist in the hotel the next morning. “Ehm, no, I didn’t,” I said regretfully. “Oh, that’s too bad,” he said. “He would have given you a hug. We’re friends, you see.” Too bad, indeed. The man in the restaurant had been so lovely, I certainly wouldn’t have minded a hug. I told the receptionist how delicious the potato gnocchi with…
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On the railroad part four
“Oh my, you have a beautiful smile,” said the man who had just taken the seat opposite me in the train from Verona to Innsbruck. I didn’t know what to think of it, was he hitting on me? He was juvenile looking, yet end thirties, I guessed. But he had such a warm glance on his face, radiated such kindness, that I wasn’t really alarmed. He had made me feel quite good about myself, actually.…