Day 25 – Levico Terme

After an exciting night with the thunderstorm, I was forced to head into the nearest town because my phone was out of battery, and so was my external battery. I headed into Levico town centre and walked down the main street till I saw a cafe that looked beautiful and (had a plug). I asked the owner if she spoke English which she replied, not really but the girl over there does, pointing to a lady in the corner drinking a cup of coffee. I started chatting away and then decided to sit down and join her, her name was Natalie, she had lived in Edinburgh and India before deciding to settle in Levico. We chatted away before she had to go but offered my lunch down by the lake. I thought Belluno could wait, so I accepted, then the owner said that I could have a room if I wanted it. So I walk into buying a cup of tea and end up being offered lunch and accommodation. I relaxed in the cafe till around lunch time before heading to meet Natalie. I met her son and walked down to the lake; it was sunny with a hint of clouds in the distance.

We relaxed and chatted under a tree away from the lake, it seemed busy to me, but it was quiet at the moment. It was nice to relax without having to worry about the language. I decided after Como and Annecy that I was going to go swimming. I hadn’t washed since Como, and I think I smelled. I was coming to terms with my new freedom of money and wondering how I felt about it.

Natalie and the others left while I stayed but she invited me to supper for the evening. I chilled for a while but then the most intense storm rained down on the lake for about an hour, people ran for shelter, and there was little chance of moving because of the ferocity of it. I decided to dash when the I thought there was a break. I ran up the hill to the supermarket, doing this trip I have had enormous chocolate cravings and for anything sweet, kind of freakish in them I have to admit.

I went to a cafe and waited for my room to be available, I hadn’t accepted Natalie’s request for supper as I thought I might be with the cafe owners but they showed me to my room and said see you tonight or tomorrow, whenever you like. Just when I accepted Natalie’s request for supper, the daughter came into the room and asked if I need dinner. I felt so bad rejecting the offer, but I headed out to meet Natalie who was having dinner with Diego and Steph, an Italian couple who were learning English, Diego was a ski instructor who did his seasons up in Cortina. Steph had prepared a fantastic meal which was greatly appreciated; we chatted away over food and wine hearing stories of each other’s tales before I realized that the only way to my room was through the cafe and I needed to get back before it closed. Diego said he might have a friend along the way, so we exchanged numbers and said our goodbyes. What a day from going into a cafe for a cup tea, all this had happened.