There is a computer in the lobby of the hotel, which isn’t working. Luckily their wireless is. I overslept somewhat badly this morning, since the alarm I tried to set on the borrowed cell phone didn’t go off – or if it did I was too beat to hear it. Instead of dragging out of bed at 7:30 and getting ready for my day, I awoke at 10:50 to the sound of the door opening and a sudden stream of largely incomprehensible Italian that I took to be a hasty apology.

After showering – the water was hot but the towel was t-shirt thin – I spent the better part of today wandering around the centro storico of Genoa, trying to get my bearings in the medieval part of town. I figured this knowledge would be more useful to me than any of the peripheral items I needed to buy this afternoon. I hate not knowing where I am or where I’m going, so operational and psychological factors seemed to militate in favor of a rapid orientation. As it turns out, I probably ought to have stuck to my original plan to buy some things, as I am only marginally more oriented than I was this morning and I have only successfully bought myself an apple, which, to be fair, was delicious.

Tonight I am going to do something I’ve likely never done in my life before. I am going out to dinner by myself. I’ve eaten by myself countless times, ordered in by myself a fair amount as well, but I cannot remember a single time I’ve taken the trouble to go out to dinner when I wasn’t also spending time with someone else.

Tomorrow I am going to try to go to a soccer match. I heard before I left rumors that a contest of some regional importance would be taking place this Sunday, but so far I have been unable to ascertain the truth or falsehood of this rumor. The hotel staff (the woman working the desk this afternoon, anyway) have been quite helpful, so I’m optimistic that they might be able to get me on my way there.