May 28, 2003 – Wednesday

Mom getting hit on by the locals

Got up around 8 am that morning, mere hours after we had finally went to bed, and headed to breakfast. My parents headed out to see one last sight, and I started in a Cuba Libre to help numb me before the next train ordeal. Very healthy breakfast.

While waiting for the train, we saw some very attractive shirtless men chilling on the beach just below us. Kelsey offered me a Euro if I would take a picture of them, which I did. She would have done it herself, but she was worried what Micah would say when he saw the pictures get developed.

Once we finally boarded the train, Kelsey and I found a little cabin all to ourselves, and started to talk about home and work. Kelsey told me about some racist restaurant customers that she had to deal with at our work, Pasta Pomodoro, one night when she was managing. Apparently, they refused to be served by a Mexican waiter. (I remarked that I too, then, would be unable to serve them, as I am Mexican by injection. Ha ha. Yeah, I'm disgusting.)

I now have that song, “The Girl from Ipanema”, stuck in my head. It’s all my dad’s fault. I’ve also noticed that Kelsey says “Zing” a lot, whenever I make a joke. I find this interesting. To pass the time, I listen to Kelsey’s CD of John Mayer Live. It gets me to wondering why it is that the audience is always very loud and annoying at the beginning and end of the song, but disappears entirely during the song. I notice this only on professional live albums. Any bootlegs that I have of concerts, you can hear the audience throughout. Hmm…

The train is stopped by the Italian Polizia/Customs on the Swiss border, and I am unable to find my passport. I emptied over half my bag looking for it, and I’m getting really panicked, when Kelsey suddenly remembers that it is in her bag. I don’t think the customs people like me right now. They shot me some really dirty looks. Must look like another stupid American tourist. Really wish I had my Swiss passport on me right now.

Kelsey started to write some postcards to the people back home. I stole one from her and wrote to Micah. I told him that because of our romantic trek through the Via dell’Amore, Kelsey and I had discovered our love for each other and were running away together. I wish I could see his face when he reads it.