Europe Trip #2 - Kindness

We have frequently been touched and grateful for the kindness from all different sorts of folks when we are traveling.

So many people over the years who spoke English shared updates with us on trains and trams and metros when information had been announced and we didn’t understand what was going on. And even folks who didn’t speak English but pantomimed for us when a train ride had ended or there was a metro outage and we’d need to change trains.

People who gave us directions when asked, and those who didn’t even wait to be asked. I’m thinking of the especially kind gentlemen in Hamburg who saw three exhausted children, hiding their eyes, huddled up next to Grandma while their parents tried to figure out where the apartment was they had accidentally rented in the red light district. 😳😖😆

Yesterday’s award winners were the Italian conductor who felt personally aggrieved for us that we were going to miss our connection to Bologna from Verona. He called his station manager to see if they would hold the train for us, but since we hadn’t already purchased the tickets (knowing the connection was going to be tight), and since our train was going to be over 30 minutes late, they just couldn’t do it. He apologized profusely for the inconvenience, “It just isn’t right,” he said several times.

“There could be a bus,” he suggested. “A Flix, or some other bus that could get you there tonight.”

After several more apologies he moved on to the rest of his duties.

Buds and I were chatting and smiling about his kindness when the Italian gentleman in the set of seats across from us leaned over to say, “Yes, there is a bus. Flix is sold out, but (insert name of another Italian bus company) has a bus leaving at 11 from the termini.”

He held his phone out to me to show his search and what he’d found.

I was slightly overwhelmed at this extreme kindness and thanked him profusely.

Such generosity of spirit.

I’m still glad I booted the people out of our seats on the 6 hour train ride yesterday, but I’ll also remember these loving gestures from strangers and try to do the same where I can.