Colin Donihue

Well I left the Mattinata campground this morning with many a thank you’s! They were really terrific to me, despite the language barrier. The next stop was the Foggia Suzuki dealer and mechanic to get the car fixed up so I can get back on the road!

Of course, my phone’s data plan is acting up so I was going to have to navigate based on some hastily memorized maps when I found a free wireless connection.

Getting to Foggia was actually quite easy as there were signs everywhere. The biggest hassle were the loose shards of glass that would get dislodged on a bump and come whizzing into the car.

Once a I got to Foggia though navigating became more difficult! I’m still having a tough time finding street signs here in Italy. Half the problem is I’m just trying to stay on the road with people passing me like crazy. After several wrong turns and one pep talk after realizing I couldn’t even call the company to ask directions with the phone out of commission, I managed to find a place waving Suzuki flags. It looked like this:

Not too promising.

I walked in with a cheerful yet tentative Ciao? And a high-heeled Italian woman clicked her way towards me. Eventually we settled on Mechanico as a sufficient description of my needs and she directed me to a little alleyway behind the building. Not knowing what to expect I followed her directions (dextra, dextra, sinestra) and made it to actually a very comfortable mechanics shop.

Again these two fellows didn’t speak English but I was ready with a picture and a well practiced mime of the thievery and they quickly caught on.

They’re busy at work now. I worry about all of the grinding I’m hearing… And I’m sitting in the show room getting nasty looks from the woman sweeping the floors. Now, this is a very large room with lovely maple floors and lots of shiny cars. She’s been following me around with a broom sweeping the already clean floor behind me. Now, I checked my shoes and they’re surprisingly clean due to a swim last night. I decided to take a seat and she’s now given up her broom in favor of a swiffer-type floor polisher. I get that I’m not dressed like her usual clientele but still, I’m clean!

It’ll be nice to have this window fixed once and for all so I can get on with this trip!

Update: she’s just cleaned the blinds and is now polishing the standing ashtrays all around me. I’m beginning to suspect that she just doesn’t trust me sitting here with their cars; worried I’ll run around putting handprints on windows or something.

The quarry.