Domodossola

(Transferred from my old blog on 18 August 2008.)

Wednesday, August 18th:

When I saw the meat Ursula had out for my sandwich this morning (it looked like bacon), I had this feeling it was going in raw. Which it did.

I saw so many kids traveling after 10 that I was confused. What about school? It was the kind of morning that lasts all afternoon, just stuck inside the gloom (as John Mayer would say). However, I thought it was pretty. The huge foggy mountains with more Italian-looking buildings and names the further south I got were cool. Lugano was nice. I walked through some switchback streets and found a cool church called Cathedral di San Lorenzo. Did I mention that Ursula said you can tell apart Catholic and Protestant churches because Catholic churches have crosses and Protestant one have chickens (or arrows)? It's true.

There wasn't a direct route to Domodosselo (in Italy), so I went to bellinzona and waited in the info line. Some lady wasn't really in line, but when was the next turn, she took it. So, I missed the train by six minutes and had to wait another hours. I walked to San Michele Castel. Wow, all those stairs were killers. I kept trying different ATM machines, but none would take American Express (my travelfunds card).

I could only eat my sandwich a few bites at a time so I could keep it down. This dude sitting next to me was watching everything I did and then asked me if I was American. He's from San Diego (Eric). Every question he asked he wouldn't give his own info, so I had to ask. He got the Bieri's number (why can't I say no?), but I won't be there, and he won't be in Bern, so that's a relief. When he got out, I tried not to look at him, but he paused on the platform until I did and winked. Eew. A creeper. I finished Da Vinci Code and was disappointed there wasn't more to read.

The scenery was so beautiful! There were huge mountains blanketed in trees and deep valleys I couldn't see the bottom of. I love the houses buried in the forests high on mountains with no visible roads.

In Domodossola, I walked around the city. Whoa. Switzerland has old buildings, but these were dilapidated. Maybe they don't take care of them. I found the church because of the bells, but they were holding a mass or something. Matt's dad caught a pickpocket while they were in Italy, so I was scared about that. I wanted to buy these shoes, but the lady didn't seem to want to help me. I bought ice cream (it was comforting to be back with euros), lemon of course, wowee! It was smooth, soft, and luscious!

On the way to Brig this lady coughed foreverand this other lady looked concerned too, so I offered my water and understood "no" and "asthma". I read the story Sam gave me forever ago - I found it with my itinierary. "Country of the Blind" by H.G. Wells, it was interesting.

Q: Why do I always choose the wrong side of the train? I think it's good, and then out my window is a pure wall of rocks while the other side oohs and aahs over valleys and other unseen wonders.

I was looking at this lady and thinking she looked like a Utahn. Then this family came in from Minnesota and I talked about languages and cities. Then after they left, the first lady was leaving with her family and she said, "We overheard that you were from SL. We're from Davis County." We talked for a minute and they left too. I told the first family to take a boat trip, and the second to get some döners. Then I talked to a Swiss lady and she complimented my German. The train pulled into the station at 2026, and my bus left at 2025. I ran anyway, and it was gone. I was so hungry, but I didn't have Swiss francs. I looked at shoes and candy machines. One said 1,00 on it. I found the only thing for1,00 and pushed the button for it, 36. It worked. I thanked the person who left their money in their in my head. Then I bought cheese and chocolate (haha, in Switzerland) with Euros and got a lot of Swiss Francs back. Good. I still had 30 minutes to kill.

Back in Meikirch, I worked on the computer and when the phone rang, I thought it might be Ursula calling to make sure I was okay. Nope. Guess who. Dangitall! That dude from San Diego. I told him to call tomorrow and I could ask my cousin what we were doing (he wants to meet up in Luzern. Give me a break).

My dad won his dumpster case and the judge couldn't believe the small claims court didn't take his side. The company has to pay my dad 900 bones for keeping their dumpster. Haha! You go Uncle Fifi!