Dec 11, 2005

Who knows how many hours, how many airports later? If it’s Malpensa, your bags must be delayed. It’s just the rule, coming from Canada. We recognize the interior of the baggage claim right away, as the last time we were here, we spent hours waiting for our bags, only to go away empty handed. Three bags did make it to Italy, two of them the logo forms, and the other the one stuffed with cleats, so the rule is: always pack a variety of things in all your luggage, in case you don’t get them all out of baggage claim.

Once we land, it begins all over again: fumbling through airport sleeplessness; waking up to rent the car at 3 AM, west coast body-clock time. Then, the obligatory struggle with exhaustion, Italian drivers and a map with few street names. We find our way to The Belvedere, a good family hotel. Piera recognizes us from our last trip and I ask: come va la famiglia? I am happy to know gramma is still at it, the food here is excellent: La Nonna fa la cucina. Tomorrow, the details that hold this project together -- TOROC, a press interview, the streets of Torino. “Crepi il lupo”