Life in Circles...
Fencing on the green today I ran into someone I haven't seen in years. I met him in Perugia, a small town in central Italy in February 2005. I spent 4 very memorable days there while the Italian train workers were on strike. "Schopero" is one of those words you learn quickly while in Italy, as they're most common on sunny days and Mondays.
While in Perugia, I met Ken. He's a 60ish year old man that used to work as a valet at the Hanover Inn in New Hampshire. He inherited some money from a dead relative, and decided to see the world. I caught him during his last stop in Italy. He had a life philosophy unlike anyone I'd met up until that point. He was friendly to me, yet bitter and suspicious of the rest of the world. Extremely anti Semitic, and anti any other stereotypically oppressed group you can imagine. We were staying in the same hostel, and spent much time talking in the coffee shop down the street. When he heard that my boyfriend back home was Jewish, he spent quite a bit of time warning me about his evils. Ironically, in the end he was right, but not for the reasons he proposed. I taught him to make Pasta Alla Carbonara, and he taught me to eat out of a hostel kitchen on less than 2 euros a day.
Bumping into him again reminded me of Aldo, and a German Lesbian whose name I never caught well enough to repeat. I met them both that that same hostel. Aldo was very attractive, and a recent high school grad from NY state. Idealistic young boy with communist ideals. He had left home for Europe to play as a street musician and had been living all around Italy for the last 8 months. I admired his freedom, although after observing his usual take, I realize that he must have come with quite a bit in his pocket from mommy and daddy. We explored every inch of that town together. We hopped fences and pushed boards aside to squeeze into many places we ought not have gone. I'm sad that I'll never see him again, but really nothing can live up to the memory of four incredible days.
Lastly, the beautiful German girl, who followed me hiking up to Assisi. It was a great hike, and a beautiful city. We rode a school bus back down, over packed 3+ to a seat full of elementary school kids. That night I wanted to go out looking for Aldo, and listen to him play. She wanted to buy me a drink, and just...play. I was dense, and missed the message. It wasn't until just as I was leaving that city, sitting on the steps in the square, watching the people walk by one last time, that I realized her motivations when she came to wish me well and bid me adieu. Alas.
I tried to go back to Perugia from Rome, a few weeks later, only to fall asleep on the train and end up with a free trip all the way up to Florence. That was quite the adventure as well...ahhh, memories.
I thought it was rather ironic, to bump into him...only days before I make a pilgrimage back. I'm leaving for Italy this Friday, to spend a week in Rome and Sorrento with
cos. Life is so oddly circular....
While in Perugia, I met Ken. He's a 60ish year old man that used to work as a valet at the Hanover Inn in New Hampshire. He inherited some money from a dead relative, and decided to see the world. I caught him during his last stop in Italy. He had a life philosophy unlike anyone I'd met up until that point. He was friendly to me, yet bitter and suspicious of the rest of the world. Extremely anti Semitic, and anti any other stereotypically oppressed group you can imagine. We were staying in the same hostel, and spent much time talking in the coffee shop down the street. When he heard that my boyfriend back home was Jewish, he spent quite a bit of time warning me about his evils. Ironically, in the end he was right, but not for the reasons he proposed. I taught him to make Pasta Alla Carbonara, and he taught me to eat out of a hostel kitchen on less than 2 euros a day.
Bumping into him again reminded me of Aldo, and a German Lesbian whose name I never caught well enough to repeat. I met them both that that same hostel. Aldo was very attractive, and a recent high school grad from NY state. Idealistic young boy with communist ideals. He had left home for Europe to play as a street musician and had been living all around Italy for the last 8 months. I admired his freedom, although after observing his usual take, I realize that he must have come with quite a bit in his pocket from mommy and daddy. We explored every inch of that town together. We hopped fences and pushed boards aside to squeeze into many places we ought not have gone. I'm sad that I'll never see him again, but really nothing can live up to the memory of four incredible days.
Lastly, the beautiful German girl, who followed me hiking up to Assisi. It was a great hike, and a beautiful city. We rode a school bus back down, over packed 3+ to a seat full of elementary school kids. That night I wanted to go out looking for Aldo, and listen to him play. She wanted to buy me a drink, and just...play. I was dense, and missed the message. It wasn't until just as I was leaving that city, sitting on the steps in the square, watching the people walk by one last time, that I realized her motivations when she came to wish me well and bid me adieu. Alas.
I tried to go back to Perugia from Rome, a few weeks later, only to fall asleep on the train and end up with a free trip all the way up to Florence. That was quite the adventure as well...ahhh, memories.
I thought it was rather ironic, to bump into him...only days before I make a pilgrimage back. I'm leaving for Italy this Friday, to spend a week in Rome and Sorrento with
cos. Life is so oddly circular....