only in Italy - the taxi bell

I find the picture above really funny. This was taken just outside the Santa Margherita train station -- a small station that in Liguria, on the seaside.

There is a nice taxi sign with the number to call (the white sign on the left) -- and then this open yellow box right next to it... with the same number to call but handwritten. Inside the box is the best part -- and most perplexing.

There is a phone hooked up to the wall and a bell. The bell is like the one that hangs in the library at school where I work, which rings to begin and end each class period.

I'm not sure what this is all about or if he's really old fashioned. This is the first time I've noticed something like this -- and when I did notice it, I had to take a photo.

Only in Italy!   : )

Santa Margherita and Portofino

Yesterday, Ali (a friend and co-worker) and I took a day-trip to Santa Margherita and Portofino. These are two small sea-side towns in Liguria and it takes just over two hours by train from Milan! I am really glad we went. The day was a bit overcast but I loved being by the water and it wasn't too cold to be out and about, enjoying the views.

Starting out in Santa Margherita:

We hopped on a local bus for a 15-minute ride to Portofino! Nice to see another town... and one with such a cute, picturesque harbor! We had a seafood lunch here and took a walk around.

Funny enough -- Ali and I both went to St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY for our undergraduate degrees! She is two years younger than I am but we overlapped. She actually recognized me when we started working at ASM here in Milan. During our orientation week, she said I looked familiar and then we figured out that it's from Fisher! Funny... small world.