Torino

I've been hauling around this uber cool souvenir hoodie I bought in London on my 2nd day in Europe for almost 3 weeks now and doubted my wisdom every step of the way. Especially when it came to cramming everything into my (as it turns out MUCH smaller than everyone else's) pack. Space is dear to me, but I loved the shirt and it stayed.

Turns out, I might have actually been wise.. Torino/Turin, Italy is a really pretty city, but the climate currently is on par with a Northern BC spring -- rainy, windy and highs of about 15°C. Guess what I wore today?

So between the shirt with LONDON ENGLAND written across it in bright red letters and my newly acquired Maple Leaf pin (because I was a moron who thought the Canadian flag patch on the daypack I almost never wear during the day would be sufficient to warn everyone) I am now spoken to in English everywhere I go. Turns out in Italy, I might need that a little more than in Spain.

Although I seem to know about as much conversational Italian as I do Spanish after 2 weeks spent in Spain, I was optimistic about my chances of being understood (and thus treated better) in Italy.

I managed to fumble through a conversation with a gentleman at the ticket office today in pure Italian (well, and hand gesturing because I am NOT perfect), but I got a reality check when I went to the Porta Nuova station to buy my ticket to La Spezia tomorrow. I tried Italian, but when the ticket guy just smiled and started speaking in broken English, I sucked it up and stopped the authenticity. He was really nice, even drawing me a map of Cinque Terre, La Spezia and 2 other coastal towns he recommended, and I just assumed that all Italians were really nice, until he started stroking my hand, telling me I had beautiful eyes and asking if I was busy later.

He was a good looking guy, but I'm also not stupid enough to believe that his intentions are completely honorable when he asked me out after finding out that I'm a female solo Canadian traveller who knows no one in Torino.

Well, as we continued talking, and I told him thanks, but no, and arrivederci, he got more and more excited and nervous and started speaking in almost completely Italian which was very frustrating for me, because I wasn't even sure what we were talking about anymore.

I ended up just waving and saying Ciao, and hopefully I didn't offend too much, but if he's that forward with every attractive traveller that comes through his line, I don't think I'll be on his mind for much longer anyway.

I should probably stop being so candid with everyone.. even when you assume the questions are related to a professional transaction.

Anyway, off to La Spezia and Biassa, and then either tomorrow or Sunday, I plan to hike through the five villages of Cinque Terre and hang out on the beach again, because I really miss my Med.

Tonight I hung out in my room (which FYI, is a dorm room that I am solo in! SCORE!), did laundry and watched MTV because I am just that cool, and admittedly, you miss chilling out by yourself, painting your toenails and watching English TV, even if there are hot Italian men out there just ripe for the picking.