Perhaps, for all of my friends to whom I promised "updates" on a regular basis, I should start out slowly. After all, I am right, smack, in the heart of the "slow travel" center of the universe.
Slow food, slow travel, slow.....piano....piano....piano. And that so far, is wherein the problem lies.....Haven't had time to slow down yet.
I left my home on Cape Cod on Friday morning, driven to the bus which would get me to Logan Airport in Boston, by my dear pal, Lois. A smooth ride, an uneventful check in and on to Step Two. Logan to JFK. On time. One hour delay getting wheels up from JFK. Full plane due to the cancellations from Hurricane Sandy doing catch up. I passed the time in the company of two women who were traveling together, enroute to a cruise ship in Rome. Both transplanted New Yorkers, now residing in Delray Beach, Florida. I just knew one of them would be named Terry. My instincts never fail me.
JFK to Rome.....nice ride, even got some rest. Leonardo da Vinci to the train station. By this time, I had already pulled a lot of heavy luggage and I was getting tired. So, I forgot my friends instruction to buy a ticket to Trevi SENZA Roma. SENZA ROMA!!! Slight detail. "Vorrei un billetto a Trevi via Orte per favore". Nice railway clerk says " here, I'm saving you money, hurry up and get on that train on Platform 3......."
I made it to the train which made it to Tiburtina Station in Roma. No senza Roma here. Sono qui, en Roma.....okay. Maybe I'll be able to send a carrier pigeon to tell my friends that I might not be arriving in Trevi afterall. No cell phone. No time. "Hurry Senora....Platform numero tre". Obviously, she had not heard of Slow Travel......But, the folks driving the train from Tiburtina to Orte did....delay, delay, delay. Thank you God, for all the years of training in New York City. I'm a good waiter and a great train spotter. I just like standing in a cloud of second hand smoke and really, if it's all the same to everyone, I try to stay away from gypsies......
Orte-bound train finally arrived. After a nice hour long ride....oh great, I get to SIT again.....off at Orte to sit and await the train to Trevi. On Trevi train for another nice long sit down....and remind me to tell you about the man who tried very quietly to walk off the train at Terni with my suitcase....."I don't think so, sir......you're mistaken, that's MY suitcase".....Whew! He was slow traveling and boy, would he have been surprised to find only clothes and my mudante inside. Stupid, I'm not. I wasn't sitting this one out.
Train arrived at Trevi....at the exact appointed time and place that we had planned so many days ago......Giselle, Mark, and I in the biggest hug fest. Miracle?
Nah, just the start of what is turning out to be the most incredible time of my life.
How does Assisi do it? Each time I visit, she gets more beautiful. I'm ensconced in a gorgeous apartment, steps away from the center of Assisi, with a view that takes my breath away. I've already spent a remarkable day with friends, old and new, at a lunch party in Umbertide yesterday and today, with friends who helped me further with the basics....food from the supermarket, a mobile wi-fi gizmo that I never knew existed, and some affirmations that everything is going to be just fine.
I'm now ready for some of that slow travel stuff. Ready to continue to walk and take it all in. Ready to make every minute better than the next and ready to get on with the business I came here for.....to affirm my belief in miracles. My mother had a hand in all of this. She's here with me. Together we're slowly traveling an we'll take all the time we need to get it done. Were it not for her, I'd still be on the platform, trying to spot the train.......
To Mom. Va bene?
My street..........
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