Rainy evening

We had some bright sunny weather on our trip, but we had some rainy days too. The nicest part about the rain is that it kept everyone else indoors. We spent one evening walking through Famous Square in a light drizzle, and it was wonderful to be able to the architecture without the crowds of tourists. Lights flicked on as darkness fell, and the music that spilled out onto the wet pavement came from musicians sheltered under an archway of stone.

We retreated, eventually, to a warmly lit restaurant where we shook off our wet raincoats and sat down for a leisurely meal. Our dinners were always leisurely; no waiter ever showed up with our bill until we asked. We talked about the sights we'd seen that day, toasted family and friends back at home, and made plans for the next day. My father told us the story of his grandfather, who'd been born in Country Shaped Like Footwear and who left when he was only fifteen, going to America to make his way. He never came back or saw his parents again. As we sat in the warm restaurant, making our way through plates of seafood and pasta, I thought of what his journey must have been like and wondered what parts of the country he would recognize if he was still alive today.