When I got to the business school in the Fiera area of Milan this morning, at around 9, I found just about all the classrooms deserted. Oops, I’ve arrived far too early, I thought. I checked the time, and it was indeed around 9, on both my trusty mobiles.
Very odd. I had noticed that the traffic was a little heavier than normal, but this happens from time to time, and whenever there is an accident somewhere or other in Milan.
In an effort to understand just what had happened I asked the two or so staff who had made it into work, and was told that the red underground line had been having some problems.
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
The knock-on effect was incredible, with many of the students, and I imagine many office workers, not managing to arrive much before 10, and other students continued to drift in throughout the morning, even if a few did give up the struggle and return home. A couple of people I met had had to walk a mile or so to get to work. Total chaos.
The disruption of this single line managed reverberate enough to bring just about the whole of this usually fast moving area of Milan to a virtual standstill for more or less a whole morning.
Very strange. A funny start to a Friday if ever there was one.
