Four Years of Dolce Vita

Au Voir Blissful Romance When the Palatino Express started to move out of the station sharply at seven, we still had one couchette vacant, but I thought someone could board at the next station. In the meantime, I used a vacant seat to sit and enjoy the ride while eating my sandwich after changing my attire to pyjamas. My couchette was on the top, so I had to be careful when climbing up and down. As we moved to the time of sunset, everyone moved to their couchettes, and two of them turned off their lights. The Australians seemed to be engaged in reading, and I was the only one who did nothing but pondered about the life that I left behind. Afterall, it was an exciting three months in the summer. It was about friendship, a summer job, a holiday, entertainment, love and sex, arts and culture, and culinary experiences. It was also about France and Parisian life. What else could someone like me have had within a short period of time without spending money? There was also a significant learning curve. When the train sped through a silent and rather dark enclosure, I began to reflect on key points and events during my sojourn in France. The early days of visiting Parisian attractions, such as the Eiffel Tower and river cruise, as well as the famous Louvre Museum, came to my mind first. I was also pleased to visit the Palace of Versailles, at least briefly, for a touristic gaze before my departure to Rome. I still had a vivid memory of my visit to the notorious street of ‘working girls’, Rue St Denis in Paris, with Zana and Julie. I also remembered the day I met Fernanda first time over dinner. Although this was not an inadvertent meeting, I should say that we were attracted to each other. The first bodily encounter with her in Zana’s room was not something that I would forget. Obviously, my nearly two-month sojourn in Tourgéville, Normandy, was exceptional. Working for Madame Lamark and coming to know her family and Anna, relaxing at Deauville beach, finding entertainment at the racetracks, and engaging in culinary adventure at the Tourgéville home were all memorable experiences. Indeed, it had been like a holiday, not a summer job. Moreover, while in Paris, our visit to a Latin American discotheque and a rather intimate encounter with Fernanda that night were still in my mind. We both enjoyed the erotic Brazilian dances Karimbo and samba, which involved sensual body movements. Another exciting night, with Fernanda in her studio, would pleasantly haunt me for years to come. Whether it was love and sex or a pure relationship, we did have wonderful time together. One cannot rule out that love and sex can lead to building a solid relationship over time, although neither one of us had explicitly expressed feelings towards the other. However, for now, all seemed complete. I already missed her, but in some ways I felt it was good that she did not come to the station to send me off, considering her emotional status. While I reflected on my brief French experience, we cruised through rural France, and along the Yonne River, the train moved through the popular wine country of Burgundy and would pass through Dijon on the way. As the train meandered towards the south as the sun set, it passed through green valleys and beautifully scattered French villages. The Palatino Express was staffed by Italian crews preparing to serve dinner on the buffet car, but I didn’t see anyone in our compartment joining the dinner table. I thought that it was time for me to join the rest and turn off my light and call it a good night. Luckily, there were no midnight calls from the border guards when the train crossed the French–Italian border. We all had handed over our passports early on when the conductor suggested to do so during his inspection, soon after the train pulled off. I was not sure where the train crossed the border, but I thought it would be through Modane, to arrive at Piacenza five in the morning. Obviously, the Italian landscape was rather different from the French, as I could see red-roofed villas scattered around the landscape when the blinds were raised. I remember that we passed through Bologna and arrived in Firenze, or Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. I knew that, according to the conductor who returned with our passports, the Palatino Express was expected to arrive in Rome by Midday. Soon after my washroom visit in the morning, I craved a good espresso and croissant. So I headed to the dining car and sat near the window at a table and enjoyed the changing urban and green landscape while sipping coffee and reading a guidebook. Within an hour, we were to arrive at our destination; but in the meantime, I felt hungry and ordered a panini. While eating the panini, I had to fine-tune myself mentally to the Italian way of life. But I was no longer a stranger, and with confidence, I was ready to face new challenges. When I returned to my compartment, I found only two Australian tourists seated, and I had a brief conversation with them. They planned to stay a week in Rome before travelling to Naples and Pompeii. I did not bother to find out where they would stay in Rome, as I heard them say that they had a friend living in Rome. They were not very interested in my affairs or me, but I did let them know that I was planning to pursue higher studies in Rome at the American College. In the meantime, we were all ready and waiting for the train to arrive within the next half hour. I knew I had to carry my suitcase, shoulder bag, and pillow when I got off, and I would need to walk for five to ten minutes from the train station to reach my pensione. The landlady, Laura, knew that I would arrive around midday, as I had managed to telephone her a couple of days ago.