Rainy Day

Today I took the bus out to Pescosolido -- which, I am told by a certain resident of that locale, doesn't actually mean "solid fish" but "solid rock" -- to visit Anna for the last time before she leaves for the United States.  After about a month there she'll go back home to Austria for Christmas, so I'll be without her for two months!  It's a real turn of the tables: again we find ourselves separated by the Atlantic Ocean, but this time she's in my country and I'm in hers.  Who would have imagined!

I got to watch as she filled out her visa waiver form online.  An entry to the United States is similar to an entry to Europe, in that stays of less than ninety days don't require a visa.  To enter the US, however, you have to fill out this waiver and pay a $14 fee.  They asked her if she had any mental health conditions and whether she was entering the US with any plans of criminal activity.  She answered "no" to both questions, of course.  (But really, I ask of you, does anyone ever answer "yes" to those questions?)  They also asked if she had aided the Nazis in any way between 1937 and 1944.  It was in fascinating view of my country from the outside.

It was a very rainy day, so in between glimpses of the gorgeous mountains and green hills covered in silvery mist and gossamer blankets of clouds, we occupied ourselves inside.  We had our traditional breakfast at the bar (a cappucino for me, a latte macchiato for her, a cornetto for both of us).  We looked up airline tickets and pumpkin pie recipes.  We defined English and Italian and German words.  I did my Italian homework and Anna made delicious hot soup with garden vegetables.  We drank tea made with freshly picked peppermint.  And Neve kept us company.

This is Neve.  She was cold and damp from the rain, so Anna gave her this sweater.

Anna and Neve, I'll miss you both very much!

*EDIT* Goodness I was tired when I wrote this!  If you read my original, I wrote that they asked if she was in good mental health...then she answered "no".  Wrong, Katie.