Thursday, September 4, 2024

Oslo, Norway

Milano, Italia

Torino, Italia

Travel Day!

Sleep came easily last night, however 05:00 still came early. I got up and got dressed, finished packing and organizing. At 05:45 I woke up Mary. We were checked out of the hotel and walking to the airport by 06:00. It is a short walk to the airport from the Raddison Blu, as planned.

Finding the proper line to stand it for checking in was easy. We checked our bags and headed for security. There was a line but it moved very fast. The only difficulty was taking the iPads out of the carryon and putting it on the belt in a separate container. Weren’t prepared for that. But, still not difficult.

The walk to the gate  still required walking through the “Duty Free” shop. We need nothing and know we can get it for less elsewhere should we need anything. We stopped at a café near the gate and had a cappuccino, Americano, cinnamon roll and blueberry muffin. It was just something to hold us over until we got to Milano.

The flight boarded at 07:15 and was in the air by 07:50, a full five minutes before the departure time. It was foggy, about 11 or 12 degrees, low 50’s, and raining. They gave us more food on the plane, but it wasn’t much more than a small boxed breakfast. Yogurt, fruit drink, cheese, salami, bread and butter. Didn’t eat it all.

We both took little naps on the way to Milano. We arrive ahead of time. Raining lightly and about 21 degrees C, 70 degrees F. Very comfortable. The plane was packed any everyone wanted off now! The guy operating the gate was probably new, it took him nearly ten full minutes to get it in place. The walk to baggage claim was a long way.

All of our bags arrived. One was a little slower than the others, but it got here. We headed out to the train station. Trying to figure out tickets on my phone took a little while but it turns out to make the connection to Torino wasn’t leaving for another twenty minutes.

There is a “WAS Coffee Lab” next to the ticket office. We stopped there and got our first Italian Cappuccino and Brioche. It was wonderful! It is nice to be back where they know how to make coffee and brioche with marmellata. It was even albicocca! No not the best but the best we had had in a while.

We got the Malpensa Express into Centrale. Changed to a local train for Torino. We could have waited for a fast train but why? We couldn’t get there until after 15:00 anway. So we saved a few Euros. Arrived in Torino on time at 15:11. Got a cab and arrived at the Air B&B at 15:35. Margherita was waiting outside the door when the cab pulled up.

The apartment is on the 4th floor. It was an elevator, which makes lots of noise. But the apartment is light and airy, and fairly large. There isn’t an air conditioner but that shouldn’t be a problem in the next couple of days. There are a couple of fans.

We spent some time organizing. Then I walked around the corner to the Supermercato Carrefour Express. It is a little market, but I was able to get a nice bottle of wine, bread, a couple different cheeses, milk, prosciutto, honey and a melon. It cost me € 34. Half of that was my honey and prosciutto.

We sat at the table in the living room and enjoyed our repast. I wrote for a while and Mary took a little nap. Then we headed out for a walk. We walked down to the Apple Store so that I could purchase some chargers with the Type C Europlug for my phone and watch. It helps for my AirPod Max and hearing aid charger. Just makes it easier.

We stopped at gelateria and Mary got a gelato for her dinner. After our repast this afternoon I am still full. If, I get hungry I can always eat the remaining melon and prosciutto. I counted out medications for the next twenty-four days. Between the excursion to Hungry, Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria, and the grape harvest at the first of October, assuming it happens then, that is how long it will be before we return to Torino.

Mary is packing and determining what to take on the excursion and what to leave here in Torino. We won’t be needing any of our winter clothing that is for sure. Beograd (Belgrade), Serbia will start out in the high 60’s in the morning and go to the high 70’s or more in the afternoon. Sofia (София), Bulgaria will be in the high 40’s in the morning to the low 70’s in the afternoon. Bucharest, or București, Romania will be in the high 50’s to the mid 70’s. We should be good.

That’s it for the day.

Buonanotte e Ciao, Enrico e Maria