Notes from Koper, not underground

It's been seriously raining most of the day, so much so that it is actually unpleasant to be outside. But now I am at the computer for a little while, and maybe that made it stop. Ah life. I waited like 1.5 hours for the computer, while this guy was using it who claims he didn't know I was waiting, but the fun part was that I spent a good bit of that time trying to communicate with this Spanish guy about transportation planning.

His English was very limited. I mean, it is better than my Spanish, but really only just. I think if I studied Spanish for like 2 days, we might be at the same level. So, we were talking and really trying, and he asked me about the conference I was going to in Swisse, Walk 21. Now, the concept of pedestrian planning is difficult to explain to native English speakers who don't know what it is, so you can imagine how fun this was. I was drawing pictures of roads and with and without traffic calming installations. He drew a picture of his town and explained to me that the road was very congested bc everyone who lives there drives from the same town to the same factory for work on the same road. Yes, he agreed that they should take the bus, but they drive anyway. It was really fun to promote this kind of consciousness (I really did think I saw the proverbial light bulb go on) and also to help someone with their English (he helped me a little with my Spanish as well, but he has kind of a strange accent, so I didn't understand him very well and frankly was afraid to speak Spanish like him).

He used to study computers but he no like. He only likes to travel. I hear this sort of thing a lot, and I think how lucky I am that I love all the things I do AND I don't like to travel all that much. (I just like to be different places sometimes to force myself out of my frequent ruts.)

Yesterday I road the bus (more than 2 hours in congestion to travel like 20 km -- no joke) to Piran for the day. It's a cute town, I can I see how it would be an incredibly pleasant place to vacation for a few days. It's a little pointy town with tiny narrow streets, tall buildings, and swimmable ocean on 2 sides of the acute triangle of its shape. Koper has a circular central area, also with these cute little streets, tall buildings, and the occasional park space. But both Piran and Koper are cities nearly ruined by the car. Their narrow streets and central squares are blocked by cars. Car noises bounce off the stone buildings, becoming louder. There isn't anywhere for the exhaust to go.

But the sea water felt like velvet to my lower legs and hands. I stood in it for a bit while listening to the David Sedaris stories that Matt loaded on my ipod. Now that I am traveling alone again, I am listening to the ipod all the time and so loving it. This part of the country is completely different than the Alps. The stone is almost a white sandy color, and everything is made out of it. The earth a warm brown. The trees are low and dark, juniper, pine or olive. It's dry dry dry and looks like Italy, except it isn't. But this velvety water is shockingly clear and warm.

I had an early dinner last night at a seaside restaurant of fried calamari and salad and a glass of dry white wine. I don't know if I should blame the wine or not, but I was passed out before 10 PM, sleeping long and hard and waking up at 8 this morning.

Oh, so, the other thing I was frustrated about the last time was trying to find a way from Koper to Adam's place in Italy. The bus web site was telling me I needed to go back to Ljubljana, when I know I am like 10 km from Italy now, and that I had to leave at 5 AM to get their at 11 AM, which is too early bc they work and can't be getting me at the station midday.

All those problems are solved. I am not going to Verona bc the opera schedule doesn't suit me, the hostels appear to be full, and I am just plain finished with this travelling nonsense. I want to go "home" to Paris and the nutella crepe and wait for Eric. So, after Adam's, I have reserved a night train directly from there to Paris, and I am really looking forward to it.

Speaking of chocolate, I don't think I have mentioned how sophisticated my pain au chocolat homing device appears to have become. In the Budapest train station I randomly pointed at a pastry. It might have been empty. It might even have been savory. I had no idea what to expect, but I needed to spend the rest of my Hungarian change. Low and Behold, and much to my surprise, it contained chocolate. Hurray!

I have loads of notes in my journal to type up at some point, but now just doesn't feel like the right time. I also have to finish typing up my notes from the conference bf I go to the next one, but there will be time in Paris for all that. I am just not in the mood. I think the rain has stopped.