On Italian Time

Patience. I need to learn to be more patient.

Actual phone conversation on Saturday moments after my plane touched down in Pisa.

“Signora, sono Janie. (it’s Janie)” Followed by silence, utter silence.

Again I said “sono Janie, con l’apartamento (with the apartment), Via Guinigi”. I begin to think there might be a problem with my Italian.

Now la Signora responds “Oggi? (today)”and for a moment I think she has forgotten that I am renting an apartment, starting today!

We have had about 20 e mails in the previous weeks back and forth with details about the rental and my arrival. She had informed me to call an hour before I got to Lucca. So there I am, sitting on the bus thinking that the timing is perfect. By the time I arrive in Lucca and walk over to the apartment it will be a little over an hour.

Now she responds “Sono a Firenze (I’m in Florence)” which I know means she will not be meeting me in an hour. She says she will be there in about an hour and a half. What’s an extra half hour? I will stop for a caffe on the way to the apartment.

There I am sitting on a stoop in front of the building (the front door in above photo), which is not exactly a bad thing because I am in Italy! What’s bad about it is that I am starving and all my emergency chocolate has been devoured. Almost 2-1/2 hours later she arrives on the back of a bicycle, apologizing for her tardiness. Truth be told, once she told me she was in Florence, I knew better than to expect her soon.

Italian time. I have to realize I’m on it now and stop rushing about. I can do that. I can…

***Update: La Signora responded right away to my distress call that the internet wasn’t working in the apartment and came over and stayed until the problem was resolved.