The man at our table
#230
My Dear Friend of Democracy,
We sat together at the dinner table on the night train from Rome to Alba in Lombardy — the tall, white-bearded man and us.
We got into a conversation in a way that only happens on trains. Little space – which means acquaintances are sitting with strangers – plus plenty of time. So you meet as strangers and leave as friends.
The man started talking. He had been a hospital director, now retired, his wife had died a few years ago. He has been travelling through Europe for more than two months. All over. He had been to France, Spain, then Eastern Europe, now Italy. He sold his car a while ago. He wants to leave the next generation a world worth living in, which is one of the reasons why he only travels by bike and train, he said. And he told us how amazed he was by how friendly people were everywhere in Europe. He claimed that he had not had a single bad experience on his trip so far. And then he said: "Who knows how long we will be able to travel through Europe so borderless."
✊ It was a wonderful and also a little melancholy evening because we all knew that every journey has come to an end.
See you in Europe,
Johannes
PS: The train we took are called the Espresso trains. Beautifully restored old trains at fairly reasonable fares. You have to take them when in Italy!!