8/17 Fatal mistake 2004 8/17

When I get up, I find my tent filled with the mosquito. Furthermore, a spider is spinning a web and catch mosquito. Oh there is a food cycle in my tent! It is Pasta-> human being -> mosquito -> spider.
What a fresh morning of the river side!

Then where do I go?

Choice1: Using the train once
Riding the bicycle as far as possible (around Genova?) after that using the train to Roma

Choice 2: Using the train twice
Using the train from the nearest station to somewhere, cycling, use the train again to Roma.

I had better use the train twice. This area doesn't attract me so much. Only farmland spreads around here.

I use the train with my bicycle from Savligano, the nearest station from here. Carrying the bicycle by train in Itay is almost same in France. In the time table, about 70% of the trains have a sign of bicycle, we can carry a bicycle without packing them. We need extra charge for bicycle. I don't speak Italy but simply say "Torino, bicicletta" at ticket counter, and it works.
I can go to Torino smoothly, though it is hard to move my bicycle with heavy loads.

My plan in Torino was buying a map, updating this diary, eating a lunch, and after that I will leave to countryside in Toscana. The reason why I stay in Torino is I had not decided my destination, or I stay only for changing the train.

I could buy the map easily.
Next I must eat lunch. But Most of the restaurant were closed, then I ate pizza at a snack in front of the station.

After lunch, I can not find my bicycle in front of the snack!
No bicycle! It is not a joke or something mistakes, NO BICYCLE!

It was stolen!!
When I eat lunch, I usually take a seat at terrace to see my bicycle even in countryside. But this time I sat on indoor seat, and give the back to my bicycle. And I didn't lock! It is a double failure.

I heard there are many bicycle stealers in Europe. But I have never felt dangerous to be stolen my bicycle for this 10 days. But it was wrong.
My bicycle is conspicuous. It has four big bags, I need power to ride. I think Stealing such a bicycle must be risky for stealer. But it was wrong.

Oh, I made a big mistake!
Ah, What shall I do?
The time my bicycle was stolen was while I eat a lunch, so he can not go so far. My seat was only some 10m from my bicycle. The guy who was stolen the bicycle from such a distance is stupid. But where is another stupid man?

Who stoles? What for?
A kid wants to try to ride? A thief stole to sell? My bicycle has most of my loads, but they are not expensive so much. A substitute's camera is the only exception, the other things are dirty shirts, dirty tent, and so on. Can they make money from such things?

If neighboring kids stole, I can find near here. If a thief stole to sell, they need space for confirming the contents of a bag or loading a bicycle on a car. Or I will find valueless things like tent seat or dirty underwear that they throw away. Anyway, They can not go so far.
Thinking so and I was searching in narrow back alley, construction sites, and garbage cans. But I am stranger here. I don't know the place to search.
I asked policemen standing on the street, a stall keeper, leisured taxi drivers showing the picture of my bicycle take by the digital camera. But I don't understand Italy, I can not get helpful information.

I walk around. Walk, walk, and walk. But this style is kind of ceremony for giving up, saying "I can avoid after walking such a long distance". I must search more effectively.

I have many things to repent. If I had locked my bicycle. If I had sat opposite side, I could see the quite sensational scene!

I could not find many shops opening, but I thought it was for vacation. There are many black people, and almost all restaurants are Chinese. But I didn't doubt, simply this city has many immigrants. But actually there are shopping quarter apart from here, but I can not find because the entrance of the street is under construction for the Olympic.

Shit! I get angry for the situation that I don't have my bicycle. Thinking more, I get angry for myself, the course of the accident.
I lost all tools for living, like tent, sleeping bag, camping stove, and wears. I lost my bicycle for going to anywhere, almost a part of my body. Each of them are worn out. But they are the very best tools to make maximum effect in minimum weight. Actually they have worked perfectly since I came to Europe. And without even one of them, I get trouble like Marseilles case.

I am very sorry. This trip will be called failure. I had many uncertain things and felt anxiety. But I could solve almost all of them until now. Schedule was all right, I could do what I want do better than I thought. Camping life was comfortable. Above all, I could pass The Alps.
What I have to do now was going to Rome with relaxing. But one mistake changes all situation. I can not study from Marseilles mistake.

I can find wrecks of bicycle near the station. My first impression is simply leaving bicycle, but this is the evidence of bicycle stealer. The front wheel is fastened to the telegraph pole etc. with the chain. And it is left without the rear wheel, the saddle, and so on. Only stealing parts make benefits for stealer.

Now I can recognize. There is a market for the parts of the stolen bicycle my bicycle is surely circulating as freshest one. Also warned saddle, dirty sleeping bag, and tent with mosquito's blood.
This is a work by professional. I can not find my bicycle again...

A wreck of bicycle in Rome

At a breakwater in summer. Bait the fishing hook and down to the sea. Count 10 seconds. And your bait was bite except the shape of the fishing hook.
The same case was happened to me. My bicycle must be tasty bait. I was bad fisherman.

There are only two case; stolen or safe. It has been safe for this 10days, but it doesn't mean tomorrow is safe. I am a travelar, so I am a stranger in anywhere. I should have been careful.

I lost my bicycle and so on, but it does not mean the end of everything. My journey is going on. Fortunately, I have cash, my passport, credit cards, air ticket, and camera. I find a hotel near the place I lost my bicycle, and go shopping to buy daily necessities.

I remember that we can not live without spending money. I forgot to take down money before climbing up in France and I had only about 60 Eureos, but I had no problem for three days. I had enough foods, there is almost nothing to spend money. And I was perfectly treated as a guest in I Italian hut, no need to spend money. But once coming back to city side, the situation is like that. Dead or spending money. But spending money is not so easy for me. Torino is big city. There are many brand shops, But what I need now is cheap towel or T-shirts, not the trunks marked of Hermes or Prada.

Today' Italian lecture

Ho perso il bicicletta.
I lost my bicycle.

I have a phrasebook for travelers, but I should have brought a good dictionary. The book is a list of phrase and sentence to use in frequent situation for common travelars. But I don't know the grammar of Italy. I can't remember a sentence including more than 3 words. I don't understand the meaning of each word, so I can use only one situation for each sentence.

As a traveler who can't understand language, it is more important to use simple word than understand structure of sentence and grammar. And it is enough. I don't know weather "il" or "la" or "mio" comes before "bicicletta" on the beginning sentence, but it will not so big problem.

(2004 8/17)