Italy: Day One

First of all, I tend to forget how European keyboards are slightly different than American keyboards so my apologies if things are amiss. I'll rectify that when I return to the states.

I'm here in Italy on behalf as a bone marrow courier for City of Hope (yea, Miss Jill!).  The initial flight took off 30 minutes late so I feared that I would miss my connection.  Nothing like sitting in a plane, knowing that you can't do anything about it.  Then all the other people in the plane think they're in a rush when you actually have the life-saving marrow and you know that YOU are the only one in a trul life-or-death rush.  Luckily my connecting flight was late so I made it Milan in time.

Hey, it's Garribaldi

In Milan, I was actually picked up at the airport and then driven to the hospital.  That's usually not the case. Typically, you're on your own trying to find places.  Quite the difficult task on minimum sleep and 10+ hours of flying.  So at least I got a ride... alas, my driver knew NO English so the hour long ride was a bit silent.  He kindly drove me over to the train station afterward when I trained it from the hospital in Pavia back to Milan.  From there it was a 30 minute walk through intense city crowds and summer humidity to find the hotel.  It sounds difficult and it is... but there's something quite fun about the challenge.  I mean, there really is an aspect of fun to running around and trying to find things.  It's like The Amazing Race but no other challengers.

I had an excellent meal tonight with two dinners: the primi piatti and the segundi piatti.  Ah, I love Italian dinners.  Now it's back to some brief TV and some really long sleep.  I had dinner around 8 and everyone was still walking home from work or just getting stuff done.  Wow.  The night has yet to begin for them.  Well, their night begins now and I am off to sleep.  Ciao...

As for tomorrow... The Last Supper awaits.