The last good morning good morning of the 2019 expedition of the Mascalzones to Boston. This morning was our final American wake up. At 5 PM we would leave the USA to return to the old continent.
Frank was already busy with scrambled eggs, ham, coffee and orange juice. Miriana and Ilaria came down to breakfast. There were still some doughnuts to eat before leaving. Yesterday evening the girls left a thank you letter for Frank, who was struck by this simple and sincere gesture when he woke up. We finished packing, organised everything, helped Frank water the garden and at 10 o’clock were in the car heading for Boston.
When we got there Frank left us at the Quincy Market for some last-minute shopping before going to the airport. In the market we tried to hurry past jugglers and street artists to buy some presents. One of the big problems was the sizes, which are always a bit bigger than ours. But we manage to find a compromise (at least I hope so, I’m no good at giving advice!). At 1 PM we joined Frank who offered us a final American experience. We went to have lunch in an “all-you-can-eat” restaurant. Although it was a Chinese restaurant, you can really eat anything with hundreds (yes, hundreds) of dishes to choose from. The quality wasn’t the tops, but there was enough choice to allow Miriana and Ilaria to eat their fill before going to the airport. There were also fortune cookies that suggested to Ilaria it was the right data change, while they reminded Miriana she always manages to be the centre of attention (how did they know…).
Frank took us to the airport and it was time to say goodbye. Saying goodbye to Frank was like saying goodbye to a great piece of America that looked after us. It was a moving moment and I couldn’t hide my emotion. Frank really is a wonderful person, I knew it already but for the girls he was a new friend. We hope to meet him again soon, perhaps in Italy when he comes to seek his origins in Lucania.
It all went smoothly at the airport, check in, security controls, gate, and in a moment we were on the plane, heading for Zürich because we were flying Swiss Airlines. It was a pretty comfortable flight, but perhaps it’s time to close the computer and perhaps also our eyes, hoping to get some sleep to reduce jetlag. Tomorrow the girls will join up again with their families, and I will be happy to be back on the water with the other Mascalzones. Meanwhile thank you to everyone who made this fantastic experience possible, we have many new things to keep in our kit bag that will soon prove very useful, I’m sure of it. Thanks also to everyone who followed our short but packed adventure.