No Regrets...

There are only a few buses a day to and from Baiardo. It is potentially the only place in the world where you are completely relaxed one minute as you have breakfast looking out over a beautiful view and then suddenly there is sheer panic as you might miss the only bus down to Sanremo.

Because of this, I was treated to an early get up the following morning as it only really takes one day to do Baiardo. Even the prospect of getting further with Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent couldn't tempt me to stay and sunbathe any longer.

Kitty and I therefore took the bus down to Sanremo to spend the day doing fun things. Shopping was a high priority.

At this point I am going to tell you about my biggest regret of that whole trip.

Kitty, from Canada, had been spending the extra weekend I spent with my host family with a couple from her native land. So much had they got on, that they decided to go to Cinque Terre together on Thursday morning. Cinque Terre is a beautiful stretch of coastal land, spanning 5 (cinque) villages (terre - sort of). I had been invited on this trip. Kitty had organised accommodation and trains and all I had to do was say yes.

I said no.

I don't know why I said no. Now I would say yes, yes, yes - try holding me back. But back then - when I was only at the start of my adventure, something crept inside me that told me to go for the safer option.

The safer option was by far and away the most complex. It was not staying in Baiardo. Most of the tutor population was leaving for one reason or another and I didn't want to be rattling round on my own. One of my Sanremo friends was coming at the weekend, but I was facing Thursday and Friday on my own.

So I took the easy option. I texted my host mum and asked her if I could come back. She couldn't have been happier. She was thrilled that I wanted to return and sample some more of her hospitality: to be honest, I felt instantly relieved.

I think Kitty was a bit bummed at this. Not at me personally, but because she would be spending a couple of days with just that - a couple. But I think it was the thought of travelling back to Baiardo alone that made me nervous about it, so instead I decided to go back to Brescia - travelling alone.

The depths of my intellect astound me, they really do...

So that day in Sanremo, as well as buying some harem pants - the first of many - we also bought our train tickets and that was that. My decision had been made, and do you know what, I still haven't managed to make it to Cinque Terre...