where they make the cheese!

Our flight to Brussels was cancelled today because of a strike at the Pisa airport...which meant that we spent essentially 12 hours traveling around Italy for nothing, trying to figure out what to do. Basically though we just got a ton of money down the drain with our deposit and first night for the hostel (because we did not cancel before 24 hours) and our dumb flight (which we can try to get back if we send a fax? Right.) and all the trains we took (7) during the course of the day. Yuck.

The only good thing that came out of it was that Erin and I had a wonderful wonderful train ride home from Florence (yep, back there again) to Parma because we talked to this 64 year old Italian man who spent 2 years in Chicago (living in Downers Grove!) working with ENRICO FERMI and who made the first nuclear plant in Italy. Um. Also he was hilarious. We basically talked to him about everything and anything -- he said he would toast us if Obama won. Yesss. When we got off the train we looked back and he was looking out the window for us so we did a big big wave and blew him a kiss. He was so happy -- he was telling us about his family but how he's alone now because his wife died 5 years ago so I think he was really excited to strike up a conversation for an hour. It made us so so so happy, despite our terrible day of traveling.

There really is not much to do in Parma. Upsetting. I don't know what we're going to do tomorrow. Bleh. We were so looking forward to Belgian waffles and Belgian chocolate. Maybe we will go to Lake Como -- we are looking up train times right now. MORE TRAINS HOORAY. :[

BUT FRANCO IS THE BEST!
Also it is Nice's birthday today! We celebrated with cake and gelato and Happy 21st! plates. Because that's how old she is.

HOORAY!