Five-Star Disability

Hey folks:

Do you want to hear a miscommunication story that would leave you confused and not wanting to eat McDonald’s for a month?

Let me tell you…

In the Summer of 2000, I took a solo trip to Europe!  This was my reward for finally graduating from university!  After 10 years; long hours, low marks, high marks, lots of coffee, studying at odd hours, lousy interpreters, great interpreters, $2 buck beer, etc etc… You get the picture!

I stopped in a few places, each has a story to tell, yes, I’ll get to them…

Being Deaf-Blind, traveling solo, I enjoyed it!  But there were some issues:

1. Heathrow stoppage 2000…
2. Getting lost in Prague, at night…
3. Walking in on an amorous couple at the co-ed hostel…
4. The scramble with Fruit in Prague.
5. Train berth battles; losing two, winning one.
6. Getting lost, with the wife-to-be, on the mean streets of Paris.
7. etc etc etc

This specific blog focuses on a my unplanned, impromptu stop in Firenze, Italy.

How I actually got to Firenze will be explained in another blog…

Firenze, which you probably know as Florence, is a beautiful city!  And I only had enough time to eat breakfast… at McDonald’s!  Geez!

Picture this:

Italy, Summer, Train station, McDonald’s, I’m hungry!

Having traveled, overnight I believe, from Prague to Firenze, I was hungry.

I did not bring any food with me on the train, as I was supposed to arrive in the early morning, 8ish if I recall, which I can’t, I’m guessing.  I was supposed to get off at … That will be told to you in the next blog…

At the Firenze station, I spy those ubiquitous golden arches, and amble towards them.  Amble?  Oh, did I mention I was backpacking across Europe?  So I have this huge backpack on my back, a fanny bag in front, and a white cane in my right hand.

In line, I pull out my trusty pad of paper and jot down:

• 3 Egg McMuffins (With Egg)
• 5 Hashbrowns
• Coffee

Then, because in Canada, breakfast stopped at 11 AM, I wrote on the backL

• if breakfast closed
• 3 cheeseburgers
• 1 large fry

I wrote these things down not because my Italian was lousy, heck, I couldn’t speak a word anyways.  I wrote them down because I was Deaf-Blind.  I wanted to be clear.

Having reached the cash, I showed the two young Italian McD workers the breakfast side of my order.  I then mimed “Deaf me.”  In that two second pause, they both looked at the paper, then at me, again at the paper.  I interpreted that as “Breakfast is finished” and reached for the paper.  I handed it back showing the other side.  Pow, they saw that and went to work!  Eager to please!

I thought to myself, as I strained under the weight of my pack, “That went smoothly!”

They used the old style cube cash machine, which didn’t really display the order, just the price.

I had some Lira already, having changed a traveler’s cheque, and proceeded to give them bills. They gave me change and a big bag… plus a coffee!  (Yes, I do know the absurdity of drinking McD’s coffee in Italy!  Please rub it in!)

I juggle all that and ascend some stairs to a table overlooking the station.  Boy am I starving!

Having put the pack aside, I tore into my lunch: I pulled out Three Cheeseburgers, a large fry and felt something else warm in the bag… Oh what’s this?  An Egg McMuf… I look into the bag, there is my breakfast too!  And the five hash browns!  Oh geez!  I felt ripped off, then I felt upset that my simple note was misunderstood!

I did eat as much as I could, and left the rest somewhere in hopes that a homeless person could have a nice brunch!

I got the train a few minutes later.  Heading to Trento and some serious spoiling at my friend’s cousin’s house!

Next: How I got to Firenze.

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