Saturday, 21 October (Day Thirty-four)
This morning we’re up and ready to go when Esmeralda has a nasty surprise. Her wallet is missing. We keep faith and look and look but no, it’s gone. Possibly left on the train, the last place she saw it.
It’s unbelievably hard to figure out what to do next. The sites don’t have much in the way of information. We aren’t sure what to do first but logic tells me you go first to the train company. That would work well if there was a contact point. There just isn’t. And after some phone calls that end in no information, and a vain attempt at an online chat, it’s pretty clear the only option is to go back to the station.
Once there, the queue doesn’t seem long but it takes a while to get to the front. The customer service rep isn’t there at first. Once he is, each customer takes a long time – we can only hope he’s as patient with us. Our turn next but first the rep takes five minutes or so to tidy his desk. The day is marching on.
Our turn consists of Esmeralda explaining that she’s lost her wallet on the train, the rep asking if it contains her ID card, her answering yes, and the rep telling her curtly to go the police office on platform One.
She fills in an elaborate form. The police are polite and friendly and tell us it’s 50/50 if the wallet will be found and returned. No idea, then? We think we’ve done all we can and head off to the market
Continue reading “BIG OOPS FOR ESMERALDA! Porta Nuova, Al Bicerin, the Markets, L’Acino, and a walkabout”