Flights – great conv with young Spirit engineer re: Wichita and #fuelthefireICT on flight to Chicago. Easy transition to flight to Frankfurt (nice walk, actually!).
Tempted by harmonicas in Frankfurt airport (for Martha) but resisted. Not sure how G & K would’ve taken that… 🙂 Maybe it would’ve been perfect for Oktoberfest though, come to think of it…
I had fussed to Mark a bit about having to do the flight from Frankfurt to Milan at what would’ve been 3 in the morning US time (I preferred to do two legs in the US and then one over to Milan rather than one leg in US and over, then another leg in Europe to Milan. HOWEVER, I take it all back. It’s a stunning 40-minute flight over the Alps and despite some serious sleeplessness I couldn’t possibly fall asleep – it was so, so beautiful!
Late departure out of Frankfurt so not sure I would catch the trains to be able to connect with Gretchen in Milan. Made my way as fast as I could without actually running toward the train into Milan (12 euros). Credit card doesn’t work in the machine (US cards don’t have a chip yet) so had to stand in line. Asked when next train was and the guy said 2 minutes so I booked it down to the platform, got on, sat down and the doors closed. SO grateful! (I must say this is a change from 39 years ago on my first trip to Italy when the train times were considerably more fluid… we were so amazed in Switzerland when the trains started moving at the moment the secondhand hit the 12).
(NB For train to Garibaldi, choose “Milano Centrale” in the machine. Stops at Garibaldi just before Staz. Centrale)
I walked out of the train station and Gretchen was there with a nice hug, some instructions, some keys and a couple of other small things for the house. We had a nice little 5-minute chat (she and Luigi were off to Brussels for a wedding) then I went back inside the station to get my ticket.
I had enough cash (3.70 euros) so was able to get a ticket for Cernusco-Merate from Trenord machine. I caught the 3:22 train, as I had hoped in order to meet Cary and Susan Humphries, who were arriving from Venice. I arrived at 3:59 as advertised. They drove up about 15 minutes later – perfect, and remarkable considering they had driven from Venice! We set the GPS to take us to Monticello so we could get provisions at Rex Market but it (“James”) took us on a circuitous route to a different Monticello further north. Had a bit of a tour but we made it. Provisions to begin: prosicutto cotto, songino (mache), arugula, zucchini, onions, milk, cream, pasta, grissini (bread sticks), gorgonzola dolce, parmiggiano reggiano, wine, fruit.
Unpacked, unloaded groceries, began opening up shutters (there are lots of wonderful windows), then took a walk around Poggio Verde.
Walked around a bit, made dinner, chatted, bed.
Hither, Yon and Skies 