THE END OF 2017: A DIARY BY RICK CASTRO- PART 4

12.19.17

AFTER HANGING OUT IN MILANO A BIT, I ARRANGE TO MEET WITH LUPIN DOLCI.

HE IS SOMEONE I ONLY KNOW ONLINE FOR WELL OVER 5 YEARS....

MAYBE LONGER.

EVEN THOUGH LUPIN SPEAKS NO ENGLISH, AND I NO ITALIAN, WE SPEAK THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF AMORE.  I’M TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO LUPIN HE SHOULD COME TO MILANO AND PICK ME UP, SO I CAN SHOW HIM THE RICK OWENS EXHIBITION. LUPIN LIVES IN BRESCIA WHICH I GUESS IS ABOUT TWO HOURS EAST OF MILANO… FOR EUROPEANS THIS IS FAR.

HE BRINGS HIS FRIEND CHIARA ON IM GROUP CHAT AS TRANSLATOR- 

TO MAKE SURE HE UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING. 

I RELUCTANTLY CHECK OUT OF HOTEL SENATO AND SAY GOODBYE TO ALL MY FRIENDS. “IF I HAVE ANYMORE PROBLEMS I COME BACK,” I SAY TO THE MASCULINE/FEMININE CONCIERGE. “WE WILL BE WAITING,” SHE ASSURES ME.

I PROUDLY WALK DOWN EL CENTRO DI MILANO ONE MORE TIME WITH MY BACKPACK & SUITCASE ON WHEELS. I’VE COME TO KNOW MY WAY AROUND.

SO I’M WAITING IN THE TRIENNALE CAFE HAVE A CUPPA TEA, AND THERE IS LUPIN… 

WE RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER AT THE SAME TIME.

IT’S INTERESTING TO MEET SOMEONE IN REAL TIME AFTER CHATTING ONLINE FOR YEARS. WE FEEL LIKE WE KNOW EACH OTHER.
 WITH THE LANGUAGE BARRIER IT BECOMES EVEN MORE INTERESTING.  
OUR SOULS KNOW ONE ANOTHER, YET WE HAVE LIMITED VOCABULARY.

LUPIN BRINGS HIS BOYFRIEND NICOLA BONANDRINI WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH. 

HE WILL ALSO DRIVE US TO BRESCIA.

I TELL NICOLA WE’VE MEET BEFORE. “WE HAVE?” NICOLA IS INCREDULOUS.

YES IN 1996 HERE IN MILANO AT CLUB PLASTICO. YOU WERE THE DJ, YES?” 

I HAVE A VERY GOOD MEMORY.

“YES, HE SAYS, BUT I DON’T REMEMBER.” 

"I WAS WITH BRUCE LABRUCE," I REMIND HIM.

“OK, “ HE SAYS.. THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO!” 

WE GO THRU THE SUBHUMAN INHUMAN SUPERHUMAN EXHIBITION… 

I AM GLAD I SAW IT A SECOND TIME. IT GIVES ME A BROADER PERSPECTIVE.  ONCE AGAIN THE SOUND STANDS OUT WITH ME. 

I COULD BE IN THIS ROOM ALL DAY.

NOW WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO BRESCIA! 

NICOLA IS DRIVING, BUT HE IS ALREADY LOST. THIS MAKES ME FEEL BETTER, 

IF AN ITALIAN CAN BE CONFUSED BY THE CITY, THEN I’VE DONE GREAT.

THEY USE THE ITALIAN VERSION OF SURI- CALLED CHRISTINA.

OUR DRIVE IS SO MUCH FUN.. I TALK, NICOLA TRANSLATES AND LUPIN LAUGHS. 

WHEN WE ARRIVE IN BRESCIA, NICOLA SHOW ME THE CENTRO OF BRESCIA;

THE GRAND VIA DEL CASTELLO; A 15TH CENTURY CASTLE.

LOOMING OVER BRESICA LIKE A  FEUDAL LANDLORD RELIC OF HISTORY. 

IT'S OMINOUS AND BEAUTIFUL.

THEN NICOLA SAYS, “I HAVE  A SURPRISE FOR YOU,” ONE STREET PASS WHERE I AM TO STAY ARE ROMAN RUINS.. AS IN ROMAN!  IT IS THE ANCIENT ROMAN TEMPLE, (CAPITOLIUM DI BRIXIA) BUILT IN 73 AD! OTHER RUINS IN THE AREA DATE BACK TO 90 BC! AS AN AMERICAN IT TAKES TIME FOR IT TO SINK IN. 

AS A CALIFORNIAN- 1920 IS CONSIDERED OLD.

MY B&B IS CUTE AS A BUTTON. 16TH CENTURY BUILDING.. FOUR FLIGHTS UP NARROW MARBLE STAIRS. MY OWN KITCHENETTE AND MURPHY BED.

WE HAVE A MEAL AT THE CAFE DIRECTLY ACROSS. YOU CANNOT HAVE A BAD MEAL IN ITALY. MY SPAGHETTI WITH SARDINES IS SO GOOD, AND THE WINE.. 

I COULD LIVE HERE. NUMEROUS LOCAL VINEYARDS,PRICES REASONABLE, SMOOTH & DRY.. JUST THE WAY I LIKE IT.

IRONICALLY ALL THE LOCALS HATE WINE. ESPECIALLY RED WINE. ITS TOO COMMON. THEY LIKE GIN, OR BEER, OR THEY DON’T DRINK....

AND THEY SMOKE WINSTONS! CHE BRUTO!

EVERYBODY SMOKES IN ITALY.. EVERYBODY.. EVEN DOGS SMOKE.

12.20.2017

IN THE MORNING I TAKE A LEISURELY WALK TO  VIA DEL CASTELLO; BUILT IN 1520. THERE’S EVEN A MOAT, ALTHOUGH NO LONGER FILLED WITH WATER.

TO GET TO THE CASTLE I SCALE COBBLESTONE STEPS LEADING FROM THE NARROW STREETS OF THE VILLAGE, THEN WIND THEIR WAY UP TO THE TOP. 
I HAD TO TAKE A FEW BREAKS. I’M NO SPRING CHICKEN AND I WAS WEARING A HEAVY COAT. ITS COLD IN BRESCIA.

I FIND MY WAY INTO THE CASTLE DUNGEONS.

 A DARK MAZE; VERY HEAVY, VERY MARQUIS DE SADE. 

I AM ALONE SO IT REALLY ADDS TO THE ATMOSPHERE.

THEN LUPIN WANTS ME TO MEET HIS GIRLFRIEND IDA. YES LUPIN HAS A LOCAL BOYFRIEND AND GIRLFRIEND. HE ALSO HAS AN EX-BOYFRIEND AND EX- GIRLFRIEND. I BELIEVE HIS CURRENT BOYFRIEND ALSO HAS AN EX.

(THE LION & THE WOLF)

WE GO TO HAPPY HOUR! I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAPPY HOUR.
THIS WILL BE MY FIRST HAPPY HOUR IN ITALY.

IDA IS VERY PRETTY. SHE'S FROM NAPLES. SHE ALSO HAS AN EX- HUSBAND 
AND A BABY, NOT FROM LUPIN.

AFTER HAPPY HOUR, (WHERE I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO DRINKS) WE DRIVE TO GET LUPIN’S FATHER’S MEDICATION AT THE PHARMICIA.

IN FRONT OF LUPIN’S APARTMENT WE MEET CHIARA. SHE IS THE FRIEND WHO ORGANIZED MY B&B, EXPLAINED ALL THE DETAILS TO LUPIN ABOUT MEETING ME IN MLANIO ETC.

LUPIN SAYS CHIARA IS HIS BEST FRIEND.

LUPIN DESCRIBES HER AS “COMMUNISTA”, SO FOR THE REST OF MY TRIP I CALL HER THE COMMUNIST.

SHE TAKES US TO THE LOCAL CAFE/PUB THAT DOES HAVE A LOWBROW COMMUNIST FEEL.

CHIARA LOVES PUNK SO I TELL HER MY HISTORY AS A LOS ANGELES PUNK IN THE 1970S, AND ENTERTAIN HER WITH MY FIRST PUNK EXPERIENCE;
GOING TO A PATTI SMITH CONCERT BACK IN 1975. 
IT WAS SUCH A FUN EVENING.

12.21.2017

THE NEXT MORNING LUPIN AND IDA HAVE OFFERED TO DRIVE ME TO THE TRAIN STATION. EVEN THOUGH IT IS VERY SHORT DISTANCE THEY WANT TO SEE ME OFF.

I BECOME NEUROTIC BECAUSE THE B&B OWNER WANTS TO CLEAN THE ROOM.

I CANNOT REACH LUPIN ON IM. SO I WALK TO THE STATION. ITS A NICE WALK.

 I GET THERE FAST, (I'D WALKED THERE THE MORNING BEFORE, JUST TO CHECK IT OUT).  THIS IS SOMETHING I’VE INHERITED FROM MY FATHER. 

HE WON’T ASK DIRECTIONS, BUT WILL GO BEFOREHAND TO MAKE SURE HE KNOWS HOW TO GET THERE. UNFORTUNATELY HE STILL GETS IT WRONG.

AS I GET TO THE TRAIN STATION THERE IS LUPIN & IDA WAITING FOR ME. 

LUPIN IS UPSET, BECAUSE HE RESPONDED TO MY IM TWO MINUTES AFTER

I HAD LEFT. I DON’T HAVE A CELL PHONE IN EUROPA SO I’M A DINOSAUR.

HE HELPS ME TO PURCHASE MY TICKET AND CHECK THE SCHEDULE.

THEY WAIT WITH ME TO MAKE SURE I GET ON THE TRAIN OK.

WHEN THE TRAIN ARRIVES LUPIN TAKES MY SUITCASE IN FOR ME AND FINDS ME A SEAT. I THEN TAKE PHOTOS OF THEM AS THEY WAVE GOODBYE ON THE PLATFORM. LIKE A 1960S ITALIAN COUPLE SAYING CIAO IN A MOVIE. 

CHE ROMANTICO!
 I WILL REMEMBER THESE IMAGES FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.