Spagna

A young Italian scholar bids a tear‑filled goodbye to his mother and steps onto a crowded pier, heart heavy with both dread and curiosity. The rain‑slicked streets of Barcelona fade behind him as he embarks on a cramped boat, clutching a cryptic warning about dangerous times in Madrid. The voyage across the French coast brings a kaleidoscope of strangers—boisterous soldiers, weary dockworkers, and a lone, quiet officer—all of whom pepper his thoughts with tales of recent battles and whispered rumors of unrest.

When the ship finally glides into Marseille, the bustling harbor overwhelms him with its roar of voices, lantern light, and a tangle of foreign tongues. In a cramped hotel room he shares cigarettes and stories with fellow travelers, each eager to compare the chaotic politics of Italy, France, and the Iberian Peninsula. Their lively banter offers a vivid portrait of a continent on the brink, while the narrator quietly records the sensations of new landscapes, distant mountains, and the uneasy excitement of an adventure just beginning.