It Journal
Thursday, July 5, 2012
MXP Airport by Way of Arona
Some things just had to be accomplished before Monica was ready to leave Bra. Enzo had told us last night about a drink he thought we would like – Marachino con Ciocolato. It was some sort of coffee drink with dark chocolate syrup in it, so we ordered two at the next door Bar Converso this morning, but with decaf coffee. We both agreed it was good, but not as good as Affogato! Sorry, Enzo. We love you just the same.
I finally got some cash this morning through our Schwab account, since my CUofGA cards were denied, and Monica and I were on our way, saying goodbye to Bra. With only a few arguments with jezebel, we arrived in Arona, which is on the south end of Lake Maggiore, just 45 minutes north of the MXP airport. It was nice to walk beside the lake and watch the swans chase the fish. There were boats out near the shore, and we saw a few people water skiing, too. It was a pleasant day, and the weather was very comfortable. For lunch, we found a food hut that had the best focaccia ham and cheese sandwiches that I’ve had in Italy. I think Brenda would have really liked them, too. She loved anything with focaccia!
Our drive from Arona to Malpensa Airport was uneventful (except that one little toll incident that left me backing out of the toll booth and paying 4 times what I should have paid if I had chosen the correct lane). Concentrate, Colleen, Concentrate!
I really think the Sheraton thinks I am associated with French dignitaries, because when I asked where I should park my car, they told me to drive all the way up near the building. Several people gave me incredulous stares when they saw me passing them for a front row parking spot. I thought it was very nice of them…..:) Our room was very comfortable, and after printing Monica’s boarding pass and finding the Delta counter number 12 at the airport next door, we ate our supper that we had brought from home…pasta with veggies and Monica’s lemon cake for dessert. It was just right for our evening meal at a hotel where their pasta doesn’t measure up for us “pasta snobs!”
Monica flies off to Atlanta tomorrow morning. As she said today, “It seems like just yesterday that I was arriving in the Milan airport.” Me, too, Monica. Thank you for a wonderful 2 weeks’ visit.
Amore e baci,
Colleen
It Journal
Friday, July 6, 2012
Che bella! Monica’s flight was delayed 2 hours, but then it left 20 minutes earlier than they had said. She read during the wait, so I went to the Delta counter and rescheduled Peter’s and my flights for September. It was good to get that done.
We’ve had such a good time with Monica here, and we’ll miss her terribly. I’m working on her to come back for Thanksgiving week, when Peter will be away on another stage. “We’ll see!”
The drive to La Traversina was delightful, and Jezebel served me well, but the last 5 miles were very difficult. The road is tiny to start off with, but then there was construction happening, and the directional sign had been taken down. Che bella! I wandered around for about 15 minutes, then went back to the construction site and took the other direction…BINGO! I went straight there. The real problem was that there was no address that Jezebel could recognize, so when I got 5 miles away, I had to depend on the road signs. Oh well, I got there in time for Sumjana to meet me and show me my apartment. It is the one that Vijay did yoga with us before, and I like it very well. I spent most of the afternoon studying my Italian on our yoga porch.
I really love being at La Traversina. It is so quiet, and the food is spectacular (cheese, focaccia, salad, pasta with fresh tomato sauce, vegetable frittatas, and flan for dinner) I’m looking forward to Peter joining me here tomorrow night.
I wish all of you could experience this special place.
Colleen
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