Italian Meetup: Before meeting everyone #2

I believe I have never been able to publish many posts consequently in a short period of time. This series, with the Italian meetup as the main focus, is my attempt to change that. We'll see how it goes, but I am willing to publish one post a day about the journey and time spent in Tuscany, Italy. In today's post, I am going to add more information that I left out of the first part of the series.

I began talking about the trip to Venice in general, but I realised I did not include every detail I could think of. Well, that's me. Sometimes, I simply forget about the sidenotes, additional information, and any complementary details. I tend to think only about the most important things. However, I will try to make this series unusual for me, and that also means writing more than a few paragraphs. Let's dive into it, then!

Going to Brno

Although I already revealed the actual route from my country to Italy, I did not mention how I'm getting to the city of departure, Brno. For me, it is nothing more than the regular commute from the town I live in to the second largest city in the country. Despite the fact that I don't want to share too many details of my roots, some of you may have noticed that I marked the area in the map in the last post. You can't pinpoint the exact location but it should give you a pretty decent idea of where I come from. As I don't own a car, I often go by train. It usually takes around two and a half hours. However, I calculate the time from the moment I walk out the door in one place to the unlocking the doors in the next. With that in mind, the travel time is one hour longer.

Today was no different. I had to pack my stuff, as I have only one day left before taking the trip to Venice. Sad to say, I already realised that I forgot some important items I wanted to bring and share with others. Not really a gift. But I still felt that I could bring a bottle with "homemade" apple spirit. I don't think it is as a custom unique to Czechs. However, at least in Moravia, it is not uncommon for people to collect fruit and use it to make spirits. It may be more common for people from villages and smaller towns. Thanks to my grandparents, we could always find spirits made out of apples, plums and sometimes pears. I only drink occasionally, with friends, but I felt that it would be a perfect occasion to take it with me. Shame on me, I forgot to pack it, and I will not be able to come back and retrieve it. Guys, I utterly failed in this regard.

Place to stay confirmation

One of the other tasks I had to do was reaching out to my brother's colleague. My brother assured me that everything is confirmed with the colleague who usually stays at that apartment. He is currently on vacation and out of the city, however, and another colleague has taken his place temporarily. I had to try and call to tell him I am going to be in Mestre at a specified time. After all, I would have to book some other place if I were unable to stay at his place.

Sadly, nobody has picked up the phone yet. Nevertheless, I believe that I won't have to find an alternative at the last minute.

Concluding words

I have not travelled alone much, and there was always someone else to help me remember all the things we wanted to take on the trip. This time, there was nobody to remind me that I wanted to take the bottle which I had in my hands for about five times. Because I will only have little time tomorrow to pack the rest of my stuff, going back is not an option. Hopefully, there will be no more issues. Otherwise, I will be upset and feel bad.

Despite all the issues that occurred before my travel even began, I can at least say that I am satisfied with the fact that the bus is going over night. Therefore, I believe that I shouldn't be too tired, even though I will have to sleep in the bus.

Previous parts

• Italian Meetup: Before meeting everyone