I was staying for a week in a small city on the Mediterranean an hour west of Rome by train. It was November and all of the seasonal visitors were not to be seen, just the locals and they were mostly older than sixty. I was really enjoying the town and had a wonderful apartment with a large terrace that looked out to the water one hundred meters away. The patio was a great place to have morning coffee as well as an afternoon glass of local red wine.
The host at my Airbnb was gracious and kind as well as being a lovely middle age woman. She had purchased the condo for her retirement, but wasn’t ready to stop working just yet, so she made the space available for rent. I was certain that during the Summer season Romans came to the sea to escape the intense heat of the city. In November I was able to get a bargain rate.
Lucia offered to meet me when I would arrive by train since her space was about a mile distant from the station. My train was the usual Italian amount of late, but Lucia was a bit later than the train. I didn’t want to walk since I had my luggage and so chose to sit in the sun on a wooden bench by the parking lot where I would easily observe cars arriving. A small white vehicle arrived about ten minutes later and my host recognized me from photos.
She was wearing a dark blue size eight dress which fit her Italian body very snugly accentuating an appealing shape. She was a brunette with slightly wavy hair that stopped just before reaching her shoulders. It was impossible to know if it was all her natural color. Slightly wider hips suggested that she had borne children. She remained in the car but waved and smiled after lowering the window. Lucia was very welcoming and I was happy to see this lovely Italian woman. I placed my luggage in the trunk before entering the passenger front seat.
“Welcome. Welcome,” she greeted in English and I responded in Italian. She may have sensed that my Italian was not as good as her English, or she may have wanted to have the opportunity to practice a language that she didn’t use much. Whichever it was, I agreed to her suggestion that we use English, so as to please my host. I was attracted to Lucia and hadn’t had any female companionship since I had come to Europe but I only sensed a pleasant friendliness from her.
In the drive to the condo, I learned that she was divorced and living alone in Rome. We drove through the small town and arrived quickly at the location on the Southern end, just after markets and shops ended. Lucia pointed out the local shops and restaurants as she drove us to her place. There was one flight of stairs up from the parking lot which took us to a gardened courtyard for the six story building. A key was used to gain entrance to the lobby where an elevator took us to the fourth floor. There were only four condos on each floor and hers was in the front facing the water.
She used another key to enter her space and welcome me to where I would be staying. There were numerous glass and wood framed doors which let in a lot of sunlight warming the charming space. When Lucia introduced me to the kitchen, I admitted that I had been a chef in New York City at one time. She worried that her small kitchen was inadequate to meet my needs, but I assured her that I was only cooking simply while traveling.
When Lucia introduced me to the patio, she pointed out the sun shimmering on the nearby water and I knew that I would enjoy a week of good living. We returned to the interior where she demonstrated turning on the electricity and heating system. The bedroom was small but had doors that opened onto the patio which meant that there would be good afternoon sun. The bathroom had all white tiles and was slightly larger than the usual small space I had become accustomed to in Italy.
Lucia had prepared a notebook with information about the condo and the surrounding area. It was clear to me that she was a very experienced Airbnb host and knew how to make the client feel at home in her space. When she was getting ready to depart, I asked a couple of questions to keep her there longer, but it was clear that she had completed the welcoming task and didn’t have any interest in me beyond business. I wasn’t clever enough to ask her to dinner to get to know her better. I was sorry when she left because I wanted more of her.
While staying at Lucia’s place, many a day I took a long walk along the sea and on one of those walks encountered Etruscan ruins from the time before the Romans. There was great signage which was only in Italian but I was able to comprehend enough for it to make sense. Across the street from the ruins was a small marina where local fishermen put out to sea in their colorful small boats.
It was not uncommon for me to stop into one of the cafés for a coffee and pastry. The dark brew was strong and invigorating. I usually took the pastry in a small bag so that I could enjoy it while sitting on a park bench looking out at the sea. It only rained on one day so that I became accustomed to sitting with the November sun keeping at least my face tanned. Unlike Barcelona, there weren’t any runners and no areas where there could be nudity on the beach. This was a very conservative little town and everyone was properly attired at all times. I understood how Lucia might find herself blending into this group of people in her retirement. Perhaps I could as well.
When my week was coming to an end, Lucia offered to return me to the train station. I understood that this would also offer her an opportunity to check out the conditions in her condo before I departed. I had cleaned and everything was tidy for her arrival. She was pleased and offered the same pleasant smile as she had at first meeting. The only difference was that she now encouraged me to return the next year.
I explained that I had very much enjoyed her space and town and planned to return the following year during a warmer time. She brightened at the prospect of a returning client and suggested that if I returned, she could take me in the car to nearby ruins that required a vehicle to get to the countryside locations. I brightened at the opportunity of spending some social time with this lovely woman if I made a return visit.
When we arrived at the station, Lucia exited the vehicle along with me. I took my luggage from the trunk and was pleasantly surprised when Lucia approached to provide a warm hug and plant a kiss on my cheek. Perhaps she had been more interested in me than I had imagined. For me, women were always more complex than men who I could read easily. I thanked her and headed into the station savoring the feminine touch and thinking about when I could return the following year.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 hit Italy very hard the next year and I was unable to return to Italy at all. I kept in touch with Lucia and learned that while the restrictions were difficult, she and her family had stayed well and eventually got vaccinated. When travel would be possible again, I knew that I wanted to take Lucia up on her offer of a ride to the Italian countryside. Who knew what could proceed from there?