Heading Back

In a fitting exit for my time in Tuscany, I was all set to put my luggage under the bus using the pull-and-lift technique some stranger had shown me when I was struggling. As the bus stopped and I lifted the familiar looking handle, I saw the underbelly of a bus engine instead of a cavernous luggage storage cavity... So then I lugged my 20 kilo suitcase up into the main part of the bus where the driver told me something I already knew: there wasn't luggage storage on this bus. I also realized this driver looked familiar to me. You know you've been taking a lot of Italian transportation when you get the same bus driver twice. So then I moseyed back to find a seat and enjoyed the tuscan hillside as we drove toward Grosseto. At one point I saw a man driving a steamroller on newly laid asphalt. It was just like the one I know how to drive!

I bought my train ticket to Milan Malpensa Airport and then ventured into Grosseto to kill a few hours. After meandering around the historic center I camped out in a little (air conditioned) cafe where I had stopped a few weeks earlier for a cappuccino and croissant. The owner may or may not have recognized me. I got another cappuccino and pastry and camped out while writing in my journal. It was really pleasant to order in Italian and feel like a regular. I even ordered a rice salad to take on the train with me, which was one of my favorite dishes I tried at the agriturismo in Tuscany.