Just a test

1. Dear friends over there in Ireland and other parts of the World,
It’s been now 5 full days since I have arrived in Bella Italia and it’s time to let you know how I
have been getting on so far.
I arrived safe at the airport in Pisa and was able to put my feet on Italian soil finally. This was
my dream for 18 months, longer than I had thought before. I remember when one of my visitors
from Germany came to visit me in May 2007, I already spoke about a possible trip to Italy. Now
my dream has become true. It’s not true that I only met people here like my Italian colleagues at
HP. The first person I spoke to was the passport controller at Pisa Airport. He was not really
friendly; but his barking “Give it to me!” could not discourage me at all, as well as 2 nasty guys
today calling me “stronzzo” which means “idiot”. Most of the people here are warm and happy
to talk with me. Even my bit Italian did not change this. And I must admit that I’m really getting
on very well with my Italian skills. One must consider that I have spoken it for only one year and
I’ve never been in Italy before! After the experience with this bad-tempered guy at the control
point at Pisa Airport, I immediately made the opposite experience: After having picked up my
luggage, I entered the reception area and couldn’t believe it: There was a guy with a piece of
paper holding in his hands on which my name was written! He took my suitcase, brought it into
his car and we drove straight to the Hotel! No need to search the Shuttle bus as I had prepared
in my mind on my way flying from Dublin to Pisa. There were also 3 Spanish girls waiting to be
brought to the same hotel. So I could practise my Spanish skills as well for a while. I could
compare the Italian and Spanish (“lluvia” is not “pioggia”; both means “rain”). The guy who
drove me to to the Hotel was very nice. I could communicate well with him in Italian. That
satisfied me a lot. Finally I arrived in my room and only wanted one thing: Sleep! It was nearly 1
o’clock and the next day, of course, I wanted to do a tour across Pisa.
Saturday, 18 October:
I entered the large breakfast room of the hotel. I was immediately greeted by 2 guys with their
“Buongiorno!”. They both served me at the same time with coffee. The buffet was really large.
There was really good bread called Panini, different sorts of marmalade and even some cake
for breakfast. Finally, at 9h30 it was time to start my walk through Pisa: My hotel was near the
central station- so easy to access to get to the next spot on Sunday. I only had information
about Pisa concerning the area around the Leaning Tower (called “Piazza dei Miracoli”, in
English “Place of Wonders”). But Pisa is more than that: It already starts at the central station.
From there a long way goes straight to the heart of Pisa. The first place I saw was in
construction. It was just opposite my hotel. But then, when walking further along the main route,
I discovered nice and Italian like places, restaurants where people could sit outside and
galleries. It was a real pleasure to arrive at the shores of the river Arno finally and to enjoy its
quiet radiation. However, the streets around were not quiet and rather reminded me of the
shores of the Liffey in Dublin. On the other side of the river that flows through Pisa, life looked a
bit different. But I got the feeling that I came closer and closer to the magic of the city.
However, there was a very interesting spot before: Some former Roman baths. A large palace

2. was standing on this spot long ago. This reminded me of Ireland and its countless ruins from
medieval times.
After this first really impressing experience, I finally continued towards the “Piazza dei Miracoli”.
I saw the Leaning Tower from far and the Duomo and the Cathedral appeared as suddenly as
the one and only symbol of Pisa. I had to queue in order to get a ticket to climb the Tower. I also
had to give my bag for conservation. But the climbing of the inclined monument was great: I had
the feeling I walked on by spinning around myself! This must have been the special construction
of this tower. The steps were marked by the many millions of visitors that have already stepped
on them. Finally I was standing on the top of the tower, first somewhere under the bells and
then at the highest platform. From there I had a beautiful view on the whole city. I also saw the
mountains around Pisa in the background. I did not only visit the Tower, but also the Cathedral
opposite of the symbol of Pisa. It was really worth it. As I had to wait for 3 hours in order to get
the next chance to climb the Leaning Tower, I took my lunch before. I got real Spaghetti! They
still taste best and true in the country where they are originally produced.
After having climbed the Tower and seen the Cathedral from inside, it was time for me to walk
back. I felt that I had already had quite a lot of impressions and felt a bit “tired of sightseeing”.
However, I still managed to have a walk along the river Arno on both sides. There were quite a
lot of sightseeing spots to be found, among them the famous “Chiesa di Santa Maria della
Spina” (a church right at the border of the river which reminded me of a church I saw in
Waterford). A woman informed about where I could find this church. It was on the left of the
main route which I took that morning, not on the right as she affirmed. That evening, when I
came home I was really tired. I even felt a bit sick which did not change during nearly the whole
coming day. I guess it was the change in climate I experienced and the lots of places I saw only
on the first day in Italy! However,
Sunday 19 October
I went over to Bologna as planned. I packed my things in the morning. Before leaving, I got
some hugs and kisses (!) from a member of the stuff who wanted me to come back to the Hotel
someday. So I kept this hotel in good memory.
Sunday did not in all points work out as I had planned: I got my first train to Florence where I
had to change. But arriving there at the main station, I saw that my train to Bologna wasn’t
there. It wasn’t even announced. And believe it or not, suddenly it disappeared from all the
panels on the station! The train system even in Italy does not work well- the same in every
European country as it seems to me. I did not want to pay the next trains to Bologna as they
were all “Eurostars”. So I decided to wait for the next regional train at 1 pm and change again in
Prato, despite having a heavy and broken suitcase (the adjustable grip must have suffered from
the flight to Pisa).
I finally arrived in Bologna at 3 pm. I still had time to walk to the City Center which is
undoubtedly the “Piazza Maggiore” with its huge buildings around. I also saw the 2 Leaning
Towers nearby. I wondered which one was more inclined. It was obvious from how they stood in
relation to each other that they were inclied, but could it be that only one of them was really
leaning towards the soil and the other one was straight? I didn’t meet Laura, a woman working
for HP Dublin for a while. She went back to Bologna on 26 September. But she had to work
during the weekend.
However that day I made 2 worse experiences: First of all, in the train to Florence in the
morning. I bought my ticket as usually, but in the train, when the conductor came, she gave me
a sheet of paper with information in several languages on it. Now I know: If you buy a train ticket
in Italy, you have to devaluate it at a ticket machine. Otherwise this will be considered as if you
don’t have a ticket at all with you! Only if you go and search the conductor, this will be
considered as a minor offense and you only have to pay 5 Euro. So remember, “convalidare il

3. tuo bigliette!” The second experience I made was on the train back from Bologna to Florence: I
remembered having to devaluate my ticket 5 minutes before the departure of the train. But I was
already inside the train and had my luggage put on a seat. Then I remembered, ran out of the
train again, tried to find the next automate. Done, but it didn’t work! So what to do? Better run
back into the train and consult a conductor. I did not have to pay anything that time, not even
the 5 Euro as that morning. But the next surprise came when I wanted to walk back to my seat,
but couldn’t find my luggage! I doublecheck all the areas in the bus and even several times!
Nothing! Now I had to explain (in Italian!) to the staff from the train that it seemed my luggage
was taken. I wondered how helpful and calm they all were. In the end, I found my luggage, but
only when the people around my seat called my when I was walking by! Thanks to God!!!!!!! And
thanks to God I had all my money and my 2 credit cards with me around my neck as well as in
my pocket of my trousers. As a compensation to this deep shock I found nice people around me
who all wanted to speak to me (nobody could speak a single word in English!). Imagine how
that was to me! Finally I can prove my language skills.
I arrived in Florence at 8 pm, so not too late. But here were the next surprises to wait for me:
First of all, I found the street in which my B&B was, but not at no. 1, but at no. 1 red! There are 2
numbers in Florence: Red and black ones! This was the first thing I had to learn about
Florence! Then the next surprise was: I found the right place, rang the door bell, but there was
nobody there! So I phoned there and they told me: “We are sorry, but we expected you at 10
pm!” Thanks to God, I came later (definitely after 8) anyway. So I waited in front of the door on
the stairs of the building for 30 minutes. But then, as the lady promised, someone came that
was sent out by her, and he opened me the door.
My dear friends, I have to go home now as the trains here will soon stop operating and
otherwise I would have to walk, and I really walked a lot. I would like to mention that currently I
am in Rome, but tomorrow I am heading off to Naples. From there, I’ll write the second part of
my experiences so far in Italy. I’m sorry I couldn’t manage it until today. Tomorrow, however,
you’ll know what happened since Monday on my trip. There is only one secret I would like to lift:
The weather here is excellent! No raindrop so far, temperatures of more than 20 degrees and a
lot of sun! Today we had blue sky over Rome and it was quite warm, like in summer. You can all
envy me who are living in Dublin right now.
Many regards for today and take care over there, wherever you are!
Gideon