1st Day in Italy: Pic Gallery

Photo gallery from first day in Italy: 

(L) A bit of street art from Italy. It was on the walls as I came out of a tunnel on a bike path in Milan. Lots of blind turns on the path and other bicyclists whistling a warning or giving a courtesy ring on their bell. I feel at home; so many people from my tribe. The streets are full of bikers of all ages. Amazing how fit the senior citizens are!

(R)The man in the photo was my tour guide who led me to Hotel Rosy.

I admired his artwork, in particular the snake dragon wrapped around a woman in a bikini. Classic. I mentioned 'photo' and he started taking off his clothes.

Does photo mean something different in Italian?

Hotel Rosy was comfortable, clean and a quiet place to get well rested before my big adventure.

Tidbits: 
-I still need to find a map. Managed to get out of the airport and to Milan just by feeling the roads, reading signs and enjoying the fact I was bicycling in Italy.

-I have a bidet in my room at Hotel Rosy. It classes up the joint.

-That's my stinky jersey hanging from my shoelace laundry line in the one window in my room at Hotel Rosy.

-Sunny and hot, right around 80.

-Ciao!

Backtracking, and a Bike Fix

What's an adventure without some unexpected challenges along the way. Got my 
international SIM card at the airport and now I'm locked out of my phone. On top of that, the wedge, a small piece that holds the handlebars in place, wiggled 
itself loose in transit and, at this time, is lost on an adventure of its own.

I decided to risk it and pedal to find a bike store. It's a good test for my 
rusty Italian. I normally start out with the introduction, "Any English?," then 
generally charade my way through from there.

After 10 miles of gut-check mapping I got a guided tour to one of the oldest 
hole-in-the-wall bike shops I'd ever seen. 

The business belonged to Isa and Diano.  

She wore a white, stretched-out tank top and stored her cheaters on top of her 
head. He had a random collection of inner tubes and a crowded workbench. 

Isa fixed me up quickly. I was slightly nervous he may not have the part. 
Technology and design have changed so much since my horse was manufactured 
in 1982. 

The bike fix went fast and then I spent the next half hour trying to figure out my route with Isa and Diano.  

More later - the phone shop is opening and I'd better hop to it. Weather is 
sunny and 80s.

He must be.......an angel

Internet Angel: Bought a SIM card to work in Italy. Didn't work, so bought a new phone to make work. Now I have three phones and still no connection. Went to return phone and ran into this Internet Angel. Raimondo spoke perfect English. He followed me to two stores until I got it fixed. I asked a lady if she could take a photo of me with my new boyfriend. She did. That woman was his real girlfriend. smile emoticon 

Oh well. I think I wooed him a bit with my enthusiasm and stinky jersey. 

I asked, and he politely declined my invitation to come along.

Everything's Coming up "Rosy"

Italian breakfast at Hotel Rosy in Milan. Exploring my Italian breakfast options with a cream-filled croissant and a cafe. "American?," asked my host, Francesca. No, I'll be all things Italian the next three weeks.