Switzerland - Italy 2001 (5)

Hi gang. Well, let me start by saying that I hope that no one is bummed with me for writing about my adventures in the midst of all else out there, but life does go on and maybe more so for me because everyday I don't have the chance to see the news... good, bad, sad and touching - nor do I have much opportunity to get papers in English where I am at the moment. I will say that my Italian is improving from the articles I have tried to read, but I think it maybe leading to misinterpretaions and misunderstandings on my part about our current situation in the good ole US of A as it is so lovingly called. I do know that they have arrested some folks, pointed all fingers at Bin Laden and are aiming towards a war on Terrorism.. I also read a lot about the calls made by passengers from the planes, about the people holding hands in the air while they jumped from the towers, about the rescue of one officer who fell with the 82nd floor and about all the efforts made across the world to remember the victims through silent prayer, candles and flags. I am often hit unexpectedly by the tears on my cheek when I see a paper or someone crying on the news while they re-tell what they saw. It is ever fresh in my mind.. but, the train pulls out and the train pulls in and I must keep going with it.. so for those of you who want to read on... here I go, the rest can save it for when they are ready to read it. I just can't imagine how you are all feeling and since there are so many on the list, I want you to know that I am not traveling blind to the heartache in the States.. I have it in my heart too!

So, now I am in San Remo. It is in Italy just before the French border.. It's not worth a stop if you don't have much time. I came here with Tanya, a gal from Finland. We were together with Susan, a gal from Oregon in Finale and we decided to keep going the same way together. This town has a huge harbor and probably amazing seafood. There are many young people here but it is not the prettiest town or the most memorable. The weather is cooling off dramatically even though I am still in the Italian Riviera. Fall is here for sure! Good thing I'm going to Spain. Let me go back, go back...

Finale was great! For a few days. We stayed in a hostel on the top of a hill, at the top of maybe too many stairs! My pack is still too big. The hostel was cheap and our room was full of so much worldly power! We had Austria, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Poland and the US. It was quite beautiful. If you would like to know how they feel about it all, stay tuned. I'll go there in a second... The only crappy thing about the hostel is that they kick you out from 10a to 5p and one of the days was cold and then very wet, when the heavens opened up and let her tears douse us. We took refuge in a big, beautiful basilica and talked religion. Tanya, the Finnish gal, was shocked that we could actually be born without religion in the US. Susan was born of parents who don't really practice, so she is not of any church.. Tanya very innocently asked her, 'How did you get your name, then?' Isn't that beautiful! She thought you had to be baptised into a church to even get a name! I love this world. It is so full of surprises. We filled her in on the ways of our little space on earth and she on hers.

In Finland, you can choose to leave the church when youare older. Most people are Evangelical Lutheran although most don't really go to church, they just ARE. That night we met some new Italian friends, Tessa and her bro, Fabio (no lie, but no blonde hair). Then what should I overhear Fabio say to our other aforeunmentioned (new word, RaiWords 2001) friend Tom,who is from England and cycling to Greece... that he (Fabio.. still with me?) and his friends were going CLIMBING! What, I screamed.. well, asked calmely...climbing? So, I made a plan to meet him the next day on the train station steps to go.. They weren't going til 1pm so I went to the beach, sunned and swam with Susan and Tanya and then headed for the station.

Myself, Nadia, Fabio, Federico, and Juan Marco hopped in Fabio's car and headed out to Monte Cucco. The climbing was fun, but we barely got any in. Juan Marcois the 'experienced' climber. I had to get his gear off two routes. And the rest are only top-ropers. Their style is to hang at every bolt, or move, whichever comes first. It was a blast and I just sat back and enjoyed the day and the few climbs that we did do. I took it all in so that I would know wether or not to come back. They just about cracked me up though with the way they talk to each other. I learned yet more Italian through them. Only Fabio and Nadia spoke English. Ya know how we all say, OH MyGod.. quite freequently in shock or surprise mode..well, they say.. Oh Madonna!.. but with the Italian twist which I have quite taken to. So, from here on out, Oh Mah don ah! After climbing, we went to THE PIZZA place for the climbers, just down the hill from the climbing. Scott Franklin was present... in a poster climbing in the New River Gorge.. as well as other posters of Arches Nat'l Park, Canyonlands and Castle Valley.. It was great to see it.. and there was a photo of someone on SuperCrack! Oh, my lovely state. I was so proud!

While we were climbing, Nadia broke out her Italian newspaper and started to read bits and pieces. Next thing I know, the sweet 19 year old is crying. She is so upset by everything in the US and the world in general. She said they (Italians in general) can't even believe this is happening. They are all in shock that the US could actually have been attacked. The Swedish girl in my room faltered when I said I was from the US.. Oh, I'm so sorry. She couldn't believe that it was real. She walked past a paper stand and glanced a few times without stopping, telling herself the photos must have been created on a computer.

When she found them to be true later, she was in shock. In the sea, when I was swimming, this Italian Mackeral (guy that was macking on me) finally asked where I was from. I just said Utah. His eyes rolled up and sideways, fingering the files on geography stored in his head and then they shot forward, locked on mine and his head tilted to the side and he said in heavily accented English, 'I am SOO sorry for New York'. A bar tender in one Italian bar saw me reading the paper and tearing up and he asked the kids in the bar to settle down and he turned down the music. There were only four people in the place. On the news, they are always having forums with selected people, showing the clips of the attack and then discussing it. Unlike our talk shows, these ones are respectable with audiences that are just there to give support, mostly in tears and prayer. People don't assume that I am American. I think, with the time of year, it is unlikely that an American would be alone around here at this time.

Anyway...Back in Finale in the hostel, the morning I was leaving.. I ran into a group of five Brittish climbers. Although, one was living in France, two in the Middle East and one in Australia.. and one out of her back pack (ruck sack) for the time being. They were great to talk to. I think I have convinced them that even though I don't have a home, I would be a great host if ever they want to come to SLC to climb. They started drooling over the idea of Little Cottonwood and American Fork.. and Indian Creek, all of which they had heard of. One of them was even IRISH and get this DAD!!!! I asked from where in Ireland...'Dublin' Oh, my dad is from Dublin. From Terrenure (yikes, spelling!) and that he (you) grew up on Ashdale Road. She just got chills all over her body cause when she was younger she rented a flat at 38 Ashdale Road. She guessed that maybe she had seen my dad from time to time and thought he was a 'looker'..who knows! She's probably 55 or so. Crazy eh?

Anyway, although the climbing options seemed to be growing, I opted to leave Finale and go to the next port of wonder. Tanya is a bit sick to the stomach.. I think food poisoning. We are going to try to go to the beach today and then tomorrow we are going together to Monaco for the day and taking the night train to Barcelona. Are my plans always so random or what!? I think it will be nice to be in a big city. If I had been previously I could have given blood through Avis,the Italian donor center.. no relation to the car rental people. ;) I will still try in Barcelona. You know me.. always giving of my clean meat free blood. The track marks still apparent over the big veins! I hope you are aaaalllllll giving blood at home! One donation can save three lives! Please help. With the repercussions from Mad Cow the blood banks are in peril! It's never too late. If you give in Colorado or NC, that will maybe help someone in your state whose blood may otherwise have been taken from a NYer.. does that make sense.. Please go! Enuff, rai! Sorry.

The best way to get to know the people is to walk blindly through the streets in search of an internet cafe.. or point. I took an address from the yellow pages and went on this mission. I found the street, but in Italy, a lot of the businesses are in multilevel buildings, not advertised on the outside. So I asked directions in slow Italian and got them back in fast Italian. I'm sure he thought I must have been Italian cause why else would he have done that to me! I just smiled and again, thanked god that they talk with their hands. When I got there I was so embarrassed to find that I was in a business that sells internet products. Being sweet they set me up on someone else's computer, but then I asked where the internet point in town was and told them it would be better if I went there.. ooops. Well, guess where I am.... Using the 'internet point' that is nestled in MailBoxes Etc.. as in the one and only.. Wierd huh.. Anyway, I made it and I am glad to have been in touch again. Ciao my beautiful friends!

Until Barcelona. love, loyalty and friendship... 'rai. By the way,there are candles and flowers all over Europe for the victims... Oh yea, Beth, I'll tell your story. Beth,my friend from NY went to Germany with Jochen form Cinque Terre.. on her way to Munich. In Jochen's town, near Basel, Switzerland, in the main plaza, there were candles in the shape of a cross in memoryof all the victims and everyone else affected in general... The next morning when they drove by some kids were riding their bike to school and they stopped to relight some of the candles that had blown out inthe night....