EUR07: Padua, and the Houses of Healing

Good news first.

While my train ride from Munich to Verona was uneventful (save for the gorgeous views of the Alps, and the fact that it took only 5 hours – Hannibal would approve), the shorter hop from Verona to Padua was fortuitous, in that I shared a cabin with young American girl who was finishing off a year in Padua, studying astrophysics. I was therefore given a good introduction to the city – and Italy in general – as she pointed out one of the better gelaterias (Venchi, if you’re in the neighbourhood). She then listed a few good restaurants in the area, and gave me better directions to my hostel than I currently had – directions which I quickly screwed up, then having to wander the city until I came roughly to where my own directions started off in the first place. There’s something to be said for grid-like street design which you don’t get in medieval/Renaissance towns.

But speaking of which, yes, Padua is amazing, and really does feel like a Renaissance town… well, Scrovegni Chapel was built around 1305, or so the video said, so my history of the city may be somewhat hazy. Regardless, a beautiful place.

Now for the bad news, and the reasoning behind the Lord of the Rings reference in the title.

I’m not at all well. It seems the full day spent in the rain, with my feet and most other parts of me soaking wet, took its toll, as I figured it would. The cold’s gotten worse, and around yesterday afternoon I was feeling a bit weak and needing to sit down. Spent the rest of the afternoon/evening at the hostel, with a stuffed head, sore throat, and a cough the sound of which I didn’t much like. Felt a bit light-headed and feverish too, but here’s hoping that’s just heatstroke. Anyway it was worse during the night, but this morning I’m feeling a bit better… the cough isn’t as phlegmatic, and I’m not so stuffed. If the hostel didn’t have a policy of kicking people out for the midday hours (as most of them do), I would be sleeping for the day, but as it stands I’m still taking it as easy as possible. No worries. I should be okay. I may also have an ear infection, but that comes and goes, and is really just more of an inconvenience.

Unfortunately, today was the day I was going to pass through Venice, but there’s no way that’s going to happen now. My road to Rome does go through Venice however, so I may check my big bag into a locker at the train station tomorrow, and make a quick visit, but again that depends on how I do today. I may be forced to skip Venice this time around. But so be it… it’s not like the city’s sinking underwater or anything.

That’s just about it for now. I’ll be healthy soon, and have more interesting things to report.

Oh, one more thing. If I were to meet a child from Padua in the street, could I call them a young Padawan?